Manegment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Manegment - Essay Example My better communication skill and listening skill will help me in getting things done through the workforce in the organization. This will also create a sense of trust among the teams. â€Å"Charismatic Leaders, who are building a group, whether it is a political party, a cult or a business team, will often focus strongly on making the group very clear and distinct, separating it from other groups. They will then build the image of the group, in particular in the minds of their followers, as being far superior to all others. The Charismatic Leader will typically attach themselves firmly to the identity of the group, such that to join the group is to become one with the leader. In doing so, they create an unchallengeable position for themselves† (Charismatic Leadership). My percentage in faith in people is 54%. This means that I have low faith in people. This will help me to connect the reality of performance and trust with the people. This rate also indicates my capability to take financial challenges and to create integrity among the work group. My trustworthy score is 47. That means others may feel me as a trustworthy person. This will help me to create a trusting bond between me and the team. I feel that I can improve myself more by improving by presenting more consistency in the commitments and maintaining confidence among the team. My rating in disciplining others is 19. This means my shortcomings in discipline skill. I need to be more conscious in matters regarding taking timely actions, in modulating tones while speaking or discussing about infractions and to be particular about the problems within the organizations. Team building activities helps in developing organizational culture. My team building skill helps in lies in the second quartile with 79 points. I need to be more conscious in developing my skill to motivate and develop the team as a whole. Some more interpersonal skills have to be improved like communication and negotiation. My

Strategy and Positioning Paper Essay Example for Free

Strategy and Positioning Paper Essay Introduction Starbucks is preparing to launch the new Frizzo hand crafted soda. This paper will include an overview of Starbucks and their products. It will also include a SWOT analysis and a competitive analysis of the organization and offering using the Porter’s five competitive forces model. It will include the criteria used to segment the market and select a target market that will include geographic, demographic, and psychographic, and behavioral factors. Next it will include a description of the targeted market and the needs that cause the target market to buy. Finally, it will include a written positioning statement. Starbucks Overview Starbucks legacy began in 1971, in Seattle’s Pike Place market as a roaster and retailer of whole bean and ground coffee, tea, and spices (Starbucks, 2015). The company was sold to Howard Schultz 1987. His vision to bring the Italian coffee bars and the romance coffee experience to the United States became a reality; he was determined to make it a one of a kind company. The Starbucks name was derived from the first mate in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, and their emblem was influenced by the sea featuring a twin-tailed siren Greek mythology (Starbucks, 2015). Today, Starbucks has the privilege to operate in 21,878 retail stores in 66 countries. Starbucks stores are a gathering place for customers to meet with friends and family while enjoying quality service and an inviting atmosphere. Starbucks customers can expect to get more than coffee, with their wide selection of premium teas, baked pastries, and other healthy delicious foods (Starbucks, 2015). According to Starbucks (2015), Starbucks mission is to â€Å"to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time† (Our Mission). The company believes in the importance of building an everlasting business, and it strives to have a balance between profitability and a social conscience (Starbucks, 2015). In every step Starbucks takes, it is always performed through the lens of humanity. The company is very adamant about ethically sourcing the highest quality of coffee, caring for the planet through environmental stewardship, and getting involved in their communities. According to Statistics and Facts on Starbucks (n.d.), â€Å"Starbucks has generated by far the most revenue and the largest number of stores worldwide within the coffee chain industry (para.3). It became the second most valuable fast food brand worldwide in 2014, coming right under the only global giant McDonald’s (Statistics and Facts on Starbucks, n.d.). Starbucks has come a long way, and it has no intentions of slowing down. Description of the Product Innovation is in Starbucks DNA, they are always thinking about how to serve their customers better. A company that began as a roaster and retailer of coffee beans and ground coffee, tea, and spices, is now an all-American global company coffee chain. It is now, serving hot and iced coffee beverages along with other exceptional products such as teas, and smoothies. Starbucks introduces a new refreshing drink away from coffee and tea. It wanted to know if it can be more than coffee to its customers, by introducing the New Frizzo Handcrafted Soda. This machine is a breakthrough in carbonation technology delivering a unique soda experience. The soda experience is nothing like the sodas customer’s purchase in a store. Fizzo ensures every ingredient is carbonated to maximize the real flavor (Starbucks News , 2015). In addition, the new Fizzo machine comes with a fizz adjuster, to adjust the right amount of fizz in each beverage. And better yet, it is made by hand the moment the customer orders it. The new Fizzo sodas come in three different flavors the Golden Ginger Ale, Lemon Ale, and Spiced Root Beer (Starbucks, 2015). Fizzo drinks only have 100  calories in a Grande size (16 fl. oz.), and 80 calories in a Tall size (12 fl.oz). They are a special summer treat to any customer who wants to enjoy a refreshing soda any day of the week. The new Fizzo cold drink is available at all local Starbucks locations. SWOT Analysis Strengths Operating efficiencies and strong growth lead to superior financial performance  2014 was just considered one of the best financial years for Starbucks. Starbucks revenue increased by 10%, approximately 1599 additional stores were opened, profit and operational margins have grew and their cash flow continued robust despite the vast growth. In China, Starbucks has the rapidest growing store network as opposed to their competition In the year 2011 they were only 570 Starbucks locations in China, now there are currently 1,367. There are more Starbucks locations than Costa Coffee and Dunkin’ Donuts combined; However, McDonalds still leads with over 2000 locations. Leading brand in the coffee market, valued at $5.2 billion Starbucks has a leading brand reputation because of their excellent coffee and outstanding customer service. Its brand is the most valuable brand the in coffee market and is valued at $5.2 billion. The great Starbucks experience One of Starbucks’s strongest advantages is the experience a customer experiences when visiting Starbucks. They cater to their customers with impeccable blended coffee, first-class music, welcoming staff and just and all around warm atmosphere, which results in incomparable customer service. The effective use of the Starbucks Card, loyalty program, and mobile applications, to simplify the ordering process and to promote continual purchases The Starbucks Card is a stored reward card and is convenient to use when  making a purchase at Starbucks locations. Along with a quicker checkout time, customers who use their cards to pay for their items also receive points for their purchases. The Starbucks Rewards Program lures consumers to return to Starbucks and, of course, make continuous purchases. Going above and beyond the Starbucks Card, there is now a mobile application, which allows customers to pay with their Smartphones. Over 6 million customers use their Smartphone to make purchases weekly. Weakness Too dependent on their profits within the Americas Division American Division including the United States, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Canada and other America countries makes up for the 73% or $11.98 billion of Starbucks total sales. Out of the 14,191 stores in the America division, 11,962 stores are located within the United States. Making the United States their most relevant market. The cost of coffee beans has a considerable impacted on profits Profits and the price of coffee greatly depend on the cost of coffee beans. Coffee beans are considered an uncontrollable commodity, and due to unreliable weather conditions, hedge funds and many other elements, Starbucks is unable to estimate the price of its coffee and their company’s profitability. The price for a cup of Coffee Starbucks has incredible coffee and an amazing customer experience which allows them to charge more for their product. On the other hand, McDonalds McCafe premium coffee is priced significantly lower than Starbucks. Harmful publicity The corporation regularly receives negative exposure over its poor efforts of becoming environment-friendly company and tax evasions. Starbucks has not paid taxes for years 2009 through 2011 in the United Kingdom and other European Countries for the revenue of  £1.3 billion. Opportunities Grow the Teavana store network Tea is categorized as a healthy drink and the demand for Tea is rapidly  increasing in the world. Tea is the most popular manufactured drink consumed in the world (Mac Farlane, 2004). Sales of tea products have grown from $1.84 billion to $10.41 billion in 2013 within the United States (The Tea Association of the U.S.A, 2013). Branch out their supplier network Currently, Starbucks does not grow their coffee beans; they purchase them from a variety of suppliers, which are primarily bunched in Arabia, South America or Africa. In order for Starbucks to guarantee critical product for their operations in Asia, they should branch out their supplier network and ease the dependence of good or bad harvests from their current supplier locations. Starbucks should consider extending its supplier system. A growth of an emerging economy There are vast opportunities for coffee sales in India, in which Starbucks only has a minimal amount of restaurants. Threats Possible rise in the price of coffee beans because of unpredictable weather disasters Coffee beans are the chief material used, and coffee makes up about half of the total company’s sales. Therefore, the profit margins are to some extent reliant on the cost of the coffee beans. In 2011, the cost of coffee beans skyrocketed to $3 a pound (Kollewe, 2011). Over the past few years, pricing has been very unpredictable. Trademark breaches Starbucks has been implicated in several instances over its illegal use of its trademark, which can be pricey and harmful for Starbucks. Potential upcoming change in some of the top executives Since 1985, Howard Schultz has been a very productive and reliable CEO, who managed to develop Starbucks into on the biggest restaurant chains in the world. Along with Howard Schultz, there are many other key executives who have been employed at Starbucks for more than ten years and they have all contributed to the success of Starbucks. The danger here is that many of these key executives are in the age category for retirement. During his attempt to leave in 2008, Starbucks convinced Troy Alstead to stay because  he was the most qualified candidate to fill the position of Howard Schultz as CEO. Unfortunately, Troy Alstead left Starbucks at the beginning of 2015 (Callan and Giammona, 2015). This change could possibly be a threat to the weaken Starbucks management capabilities. Porter’s Five Competitive Forces Starbucks is a competitive organization, and the Porter’s five competitive forces are as such. Starbucks customers have a hefty amount of bargaining power, and there is a small amount of customers who will not go elsewhere due to high prices, even though, there is a vast amount of choices available to them. The threat is substantial with alternate products and services. Alternative for Starbucks Coffee include tea, soft drinks, juices, water and energy drinks, and pubs, and bars can be areas for customers to meet someone and spend their quality time away from home and work environments. There is no threat of new company’s in the coffee business trying to compete with Starbucks. The market is highly saturated, and the substantial amount of financial resources needed to build stores and buy properties are necessary in order to enter the market of the coffee making business. Starbucks and the suppliers have a higher bargaining power because the consumer demand for coffee is high at the universal level. Coffee beans can and will be produced only in certain areas. African coffee producers are being treated unfairly by worldwide companies, and the issues are being resolved with the efforts of various non-related government organizations and this increases the bargaining power of the suppliers. Criteria use to Segment the Market Starbucks decides to choose the demographics and psychographics lifestyles of their customers. The information collected pertaining to these segments suggests that Starbucks can better serve its consumers. Psychographics are primarily based on the consumers activities, opinions, and interests, it is how their consumers spend their time, what their favorite drinks are and what their priorities are, also how they feel about certain current events and issues. Psychographic research is together related to psychological research, especially when it comes to personality and attitude measurements. Though the factors such as personality and behavior are often used to describe marketing segments, the consumers demographic characteristics  should be used to evaluate the size of the target market and to reach it efficiently. Demographics is items such as sex, marital status, occupation, education, and income. Starbucks targets both male and female consumers, mainly 25-40 year-olds. Starbucks does not relate to a younger crowd because children under the age of 18 do not drink coffee. Starbucks company has positioned themselves in a way that it can recognize something different in their products from competition this gives them an advantage in association to their competitors. The mission of Starbucks is that they want to inspire and nurture the human spirit, one person, one cup, one neighborhood at a time (Starbucks, 2015). Their strategy is customer based this allows them to give the best customer service possible. As Starbucks continue to hold onto their sustainable competitive advantage, they hold onto the customer and employees satisfaction. Starbucks is a worldwide company that has slammed the competitors operations, and it looks as if the company will last forever. Their power over the consumer and competition has shown that Starbucks is the king of the coffee industry. Description of Target Market Starbucks target market is to focus on being most known and respected brand in the world. The luxury coffee industry is very competitive, but Starbucks offers the most favorite hot and cold beverages that can be addictive. Starbucks target market ranges from young teenagers, college students, and adults. People of all ages go to Starbucks to enjoy their favorite drink even if it is just coffee. Customers are more willing to pay for lavish coffee products now more than ever, with that in mind, Starbucks aggressive growth in USA and worldwide have begun targeting almost every demographic to be a leader in coffee drinks. McDonalds and other chains try to cash in on the money in the lavish coffee business. There are smaller coffee shops in the market place offering similar products, but Starbuck’s has a great deal of buying power giving them a competitive advantage. McDonalds has a customer base that is enormously large and now has the alternative to get their coffee where they get their breakfast. McDonald’s cup of coffee is less expensive than Starbucks and is one of Starbucks biggest competitors in this economy; Starbucks provides a luxury drink, but that will be what people cut back on when they want to save money. Unfortunately, Starbucks  has closed of over a hundred Starbucks stores in recent years. Emotional and Logical Drivers Starbucks emotional and logical drivers provide a great atmosphere to get together for coffee or the unique flavored hot or cold beverages. Customers can come to Starbucks to study, meet with friends, or read a book. The furnishings usually consist of plenty of tables, chairs, and a welcoming atmosphere. Starbucks offers free Wi-Fi and always has plenty of electrical outlets for laptop chargers. These amenities start a trendy atmosphere consistent with the potential of social meeting places. The Starbucks locations worldwide offer the same experience as the locations in USA. Starbucks has the advantage to promote and advertise same menu items people can try worldwide and even customize some the of menu items to fit the local community tastes. Positioning Statement According to the OFarrell (2015) website, â€Å"Starbucks’ primary target market is men and women aged 25 to 40. They account for almost half (49 percent) of its total business. Starbucks’ appeal to this consumer age group through hip, contemporary design that is consistent with its advertising and decor, and working to keep its products current as status symbols. Customers tend to be urbanites with relatively high income, professional careers and a focus on social welfare. This target audience grows at a rate of 3 percent annually† (Para 2). Based on a personal consumer’s standpoint, many customers return to Starbucks every morning not because their coffee is the best quality. Most of the people in my circle, including myself, used to purchase Starbucks coffee because of the experience that it goes into the purchasing process. It is no surprise that the company uses millions of dollars to study the experience the consumers encounter in each and every step they take before getting a coffee in their hands. Furthermore, a lot of customers including myself enjoy the reward; who would not want to enjoy a nice brewed coffee before a long day? Lastly, I would say purchasing a Starbucks coffee exhibits some egocentric drive or personal, or perhaps shows a level of the individual’s social economic and of course, we cannot leave out the social  energy! Starbucks is not just the number one specialty coffee retailer in its industry for no reason. And it is not just because of their high market cap rate. The corporation serves their famous coffee drinks, their food items and roasted beans along with their coffee accessories, and teas. Starbucks markets its coffee through many military installations around the world, grocery stores including Target, bookstores like Barns and Noble, and other varieties of licensed brands food and beverage products. Additionally, although countless studies and research are put into solving and resolving target issues, one of the most outstanding resolutions that Starbucks ever demonstrated was in January of 2008. According to Nbc News (2015), â€Å"Howard Schultz said Monday (January 2008) he is taking back the role of chief executive, replacing CEO Jim Donald as part of a plan to turn around the struggling chain of coffee houses. Schultz, in a letter to employees posted on the companys website, said Starbucks would slow its United States growth and close underperforming locations, restructure its management organization, and continue to expand globally.†(Para 1-2) The Spider Book (2015) website listed that among the many competitors Starbucks has to war with; McDonald’s is leading the global market competitor’s list. Costa Coffee, Coca-Cola, Caribou Coffee Costa Express, and Coke are also amongst the list of competitors in that order. One of the most enthralling advantages that Starbucks have over any of its competitors is the experience. Not anyone of the other competitors could compete on any given day the amount of returning customers that stay and enjoy the social environment that Starbucks proudly offers. Starbucks has achieved their goal of attracting people to come and visit. Conclusion Starbucks is preparing to launch the new Frizzo hand crafted soda. Their targeted market will be consumers from 18 – 40 years of age. Starbucks has the advantage because they are already popular. People already gather at Starbucks to enjoy high quality drinks and food items and to enjoy the Starbucks experience. They have comfortable large couches, free Wi-Fi, phone charging station, and rewards program for loyal customers. Some consumer have made Starbucks part of their normal routine which will allow Starbucks to stay in business for a long period of time. Reference Callan, J and Giammona, C. (2015) Starbucks’ Operating Chief Will Go on Leave After 23 Years. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/new/2015-01-08/starbucks-coo-alstead-takes-leave-from-chain-after-23-years.html Kollewe, J. (2011) Coffee prices expected to rise as a result of poor harvest and growing demand. Macfarlane, A and Macfarlane, I. (2004). The Empire of Tea. The Overlook Press. p. 32. Nbc news. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/id/22544023/ns/business-us_business/t/starbucks-chairman-schultz-returning-ceo/#.VTX9ZEJppnE New Fizzioâ„ ¢ Handcrafted sodas. Made just for you. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.starbucks.com/ OFarrell, R. (2015). Chron. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/starbucks-target-audience-10553.html Perreault, W. D., Jr., Cannon, J. P., McCarthy, E. J. (2011). Basic marketing: A marketing strategy planning approach (19th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Starbucks . (2015). Retrieved from http://www.starbucks.com/ S tatistics and facts on Starbucks. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.statista.com/ Spider book. (2015). Retrieved from http://spiderbook.com/starbucks-competitors.html The Tea Association of the U.S.A (2013). The State of the U.S. Tea Industry 2013. Retrieved from http://www.teausa.com/14654/state-of-the-industry Wong, Vanessa. (2015). Now Brewing: Starbucks Soda. Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/

Innocent Until Proven Guilty :: essays papers

Innocent Until Proven Guilty Tabula rasa: the mind before it is developed and changed by experience. Philosopher John Locke believed that at birth and in infancy the mind is completely passive, a clean slate, tabula rasa, on which the experiences of the individual write their own impressions. (Wiener, 2134) (Any influences from drugs, alcohol, by a mother in pregnancy, etc... excluded.) It is a given that an infant’s mind is not yet fully developed early in its life. Especially at this early stage and even far on into a child’s life he is dependent on someone - whether it be his mother, father, sister, brother, or other â€Å"adult† figure, who takes care of him; ensuring his survival. True to Locke’s theory, a child’s mind has yet to be influenced by anything, hence tabula rasa. And it is also true, the experiences that a child has while growing up will profoundly dictate his character and personality. Education plays a role in an individual’s formation through the experiences in which that institution exists. Different types of people also help determine the personal nature of an individual. The experiences that one has due to the effects of his educational process, his social relationships with different types of people, and his association with various environments set the scene for his life, thus forming his individuality. Experiences are not just events that may occur, but anything that stirs emotion or evokes a feeling or reaction in a person. Experiences can range from actual events or physically engaging actions, to inanimate objects or concrete details, and even to other people. As long as a phenomenon causes a person to question, evaluate, or draw some sort of conclusion about it, and he therefore consciously or subconsciously commits it to memory, it is absolutely an â€Å"experience.† In other words, an â€Å"experience† is by definition, anything that happens to a person; anything that is seen, done, felt, or lived through. Life itself, is an experience full of experiences. All of these happenings, good and bad, are the sum of a person’s experiences called the â€Å"frame of reference.† This is the very composition that makes a person who he is. But when does one cease to rely on outside factors to prompt these experiences? When does one begin to rely on himself t o create them? Until a person reaches this point he declines to take credit for his actions and lacks responsibility.

History book report Essay

It is the circumstances and the characters of the founding â€Å"brothers,† their ideological as well as personal conflicts that created the US as a nation. SUMMARY Here is a presentation of US History—the creation of a new nation that does not attempt to consolidate events into a general account that suggests the inevitability of the Declaration of Independence but examines history in light of a handful of episodes involving central personages, their passions and conflicts that reveal as much of the creation of the nation after the Constitutional Convention. At one end were the Federalists including Washington, Hamilton and Adams who believed that revolution was a necessary step in order to build US nationhood as embodied by the newly established federal government. On the other were the Republicans including Jefferson and Madison who saw revolution in its liberating character, holding the Declaration of Independence as most sacred, in contrast to the Federalists who consider the Constitution most dear. At that time, there was no notion of valid opposition. Both sides thought about the other’s position as treasonable. These are the circumstances that surround the duel between Hamilton and Barr, which led to the former’s death and cost the latter’s political career. These are the circumstances that led to Washington’s non-acceptance of a third term as well as Jefferson’s treacherous vilification of his friend, John Adams. This high level of political tension led to the compromise in 1790 to appease the Southern states, as a result of fear of the states’ secession (despite both parties’ belief that slavery was inconsistent with the principles embodied by the Revolution). In all stages of these events, the characters were aware of that they were in fact, making history. BOOK REVIEWS 1. In Bobrick’s (2000) review of the Founding Brothers, he compared the Ellis’ style to Lytton Strachey, the author of Eminent Victorians. But according to him, Ellis was different in a way that the latter never veered towards making a caricature of the characters. He described the book as â€Å"splendid†¦ humane, learned, written with flair and radiant with a calm intelligence and wit. † He also guaranteed that even those who are familiar with the â€Å"revolutionary generation† will find the book to be both captivating and enlightening of the first years of America as a nation. 2. Meanwhile, Hodgson (2002) said that Ellis’ method made possible the retention by general readers of their interest in a highly-intelligent discussion of 18th century politics. He thinks that The Founding Brothers is one of those rare books/analyses that can be read for pleasure. But despite these comments, he also notes that Ellis’ work suffers the characteristics of â€Å"American Exceptionalism† and failing to acknowledge Britain’s version of history. The Independent, where Hodgson’s review was published is a British newspaper. REACTION TO BOOK REVIEWS There is nothing surprising about the positive reviews gained by The Founding Brothers. After all, with the pervasiveness of the linear or historiographic approach, there is no doubt that the book’s manner of presentation can be characterized as a breath of fresh air. Ellis’ novel approach enabled him to indirectly give a general and probably in many ways, different accounts of history by being able to pick only six of all specific stories that could have contributed to history. This indicates not only deep knowledge of the personal lives of some characters as some reviewers point out, but also indicates a deep insight of what transpired in history as well as what as its implications and consequences. While it is true that Ellis was able to make the book more interesting to the general readers, it is arguable that the book’s â€Å"indifferent† to others’ version of history is an issue. Ellis does not claim to represent to be a version of other nations’ histories or any nation’s history for that matter. At best, what Ellis book attempts to represent is his own interpretation of history considering everything that he studied, and analyzed both as writer, researcher and historian. ENLIGHTENING Interpretations of history can be different depending on the manner of its presentation. In schools, and even in colleges, these founders are usually depicted as saints, sometimes even to the point of idolatry. Ellis presentation of these founders is an attempt to humanize them in the minds of the readers. In the end, they are not depicted purely as models of idealism, motivated by pure goodwill and love for the country, but as politicians who regardless of their real motives are affected by conflicting circumstances, and sometimes real ambition. ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT The book is already enjoyable as it is despite whatever flaws it may have. One reviewer notes the fact that some point of views, particularly those of the British were not taken into account. The writer personally do not think that such alteration, or any alteration for that matter would be necessary to cause a significant change on the effect that the book had to the readers. References Bobrick, B. (2000). The Brethren. New York Times Online. Retrieved 28 April 2009 from http://www. nytimes. com/books/00/12/10/reviews/001210. 10bobrict. html? scp=1&sq=founding%20brothers%20review%20ellis&st=cse. Ellis, J. (2001). Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. Alfred Knopf: New York. Hodgson, G. (2002). The Apostles of the US Brought to Life. The Independent Online. Retrieved 28 Apriil 2009 from http://www. independent. co. uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/founding-brothers–the-revolutionary-generation-by-joseph-j-ellis-750973. html.

Blue Jeans †American Cultural Artifact Essay

Blue jeans in the last thirty years have attained such world wide popularity that they have come to be considered an American icon. However jeans have not always been held in high stead, but rather have had a troubled history including its beginnings within the working class movement, being considered unsavory by religious leaders and also seen as a rebellious statement about ‘western decadence’. According to the University of Toronto, no other garment has served as an example of status ambivalence and ambiguity than blue jeans in the history of fashion. Throughout this essay I will discuss how jeans have become such a common treasured and even expensive item crossing over class, gender, age, regional, and national lines as reflected by the many changing political views and acceptance from various social classes over the past 50 years. History of Blue Jeans According to the University of Toronto, blue jeans were originally created for the California coal miners in the mid-nineteenth century by the Morris Levi Strauss, a Bavarian immigrant who relocated to New York in 1847. Mr Strauss’ fate and the history of clothing changed forever when in 1872 he received an offer from Jacob Davis, a tailor from Reno Nevada. Mr. Davis, in order to improve the durability of the pants that he made for his clients, had been adding metal rivets to the highly stressed seams. The idea was successful and he wished to patent it, but due to financial constraints required a partner and hence Levi became the financial backer and partner. In 1873, the new partners received a patent for â€Å"an improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings†, and thus the history of blue jeans as we know them began. Blue jeans were originally called â€Å"waist overalls† by Levi Strauss and Co and in the 1920’s these were the most widely used worker’s pants in America. The name of these trousers changed to â€Å"jeans† in the 1960’s when Levi Strauss and Co. recognized that this was what the product was being called by the young, hip teenage boys. The history of â€Å"waist overalls† continues as the history of blue jeans. â€Å"Jeans† is now generally understood to refer to pants made out of a specific type of fabric called â€Å"denim† (Fashion Encyclopedia). Blue Jeans through the decades The popularity of blue jeans spread among working people, such as farmers and the ranchers of the American West. According to the Encyclopedia of Fashion, in the 1930’s jeans became so popular among cowboys that Wrangler formed just to make denim work clothing for those who rode the range. Jeans have tended to follow along in popularity with popular culture as evident with the popular Western films which found adventure and romance in the adventures of the cowboys who rode horses, shot bad guys, and wore blue jeans. Those who wished to imitate the casual, rugged look of the cowboys they saw in films began to wear jeans as casual wear (Fashion Encyclopedia). This effect is not hard to understand, as even today fashion trends are greatly influenced by what highly publicized celebrities choose to wear. During World War II blue jeans became part of the official uniform of the Navy and Coast Guard, and became even more popular when worn as off-duty leisure clothing by many other soldiers. In his book, â€Å"Jeans: A Cultural History of an American Icon†, James Sullivan states that the rise of the popularity of jeans after the WWII can greatly be attributed to the influence of the film and music industry, during the 1950s many young people began to wear jeans when they saw them on rebellious young American film stars such as Marlon Brando and James Dean. By 1950, Levi’s began selling nationally and other brands started emerging, such as Lee Coopers and each with its own particular fit (Sullivan 287). According to the University of Toronto, in the 1960’s and 1970’s jeans were embraced by the nonconformist hippie youth movement, and the history of blue jeans even gets linked to the downfall of communism. Behind the iron curtain, jeans became a symbol of â€Å"western decadence† and individuality and as such were highly sought. Jeans had become extremely popular, but were still mainly worn by working people or the young. In the 1980’s through to the 1990’s jeans were no longer seen as rebellious or a source of individuality, but they were transformed as the term ‘designer jeans’ was discovered. Many designers such as Jordache and Calvin Klein came on board to create expensive jeans and some jeans even reached haute couture status (Fashion Encyclopedia). In the new millennium denim is seen on designer catwalks and there are now hundreds of styles, types and labels available and of various price ranges. Changing Popularity According to Peter Beagle in his book â€Å"American Denim: A New Folk Art†, the popularity of jeans can be attributed to the fact that jeans can be seen to embrace the American democratic values of independence, freedom and equality. Some Americans even consider jeans to be the national uniform. Blue jeans have evolved from a garment associated exclusively with hard work to one associated with leisure. What began as work clothes has transformed into one of the â€Å"hottest† items available on the consumer market today. What was once apparel associated with low culture has undergone a reversal in status. Blue jeans were the first to accomplish a rather revolutionary cultural achievement bringing upper class status to a lower class garment. Conclusion At one point or another throughout history, blue jeans have been the uniform of many groups and are considered the one garment of clothing that has remained hip for over a century and has survived everything from World War II to the eighties. For half a century blue jeans have helped define every youth movement, and every effort of older generations to deny the passing of youth. Fifty years ago America invented the concept of teenager, and it is probably no coincidence that the enduring character of blue jeans, claiming independence and the right to self-expression, can be traced to the same time. Jeans were once seen as clothing for minority groups such as workers, hippies or rebellious youth, but are now embraced by the dominant American culture as a whole.