Sethu Sethunarayanan

1. Explain in detail what theories and concepts you learned in class are helpful to understand the case. The case discusses an entrepreneur named Sethu Sethunarayanan, who invented and marketed an innovative trap to help poor Irula people (an Indian tribe) catch rats more efficiently. He is the founder of the Center for Development of Disadvantaged People (CDDP) – one of a few recognized non-profit organizations in India. The case is an example how technological innovation and human capital can be used to improve the life for the poor.This rat-trap entrepreneurship was a social entrepreneurship because the inventor used the resources to cater to the needs of poor people. Prior to the innovation of the new trap, Irula villagers needed to use their mouths and their hands to catch the rats directly; their health was severely affected when touching the rats. After talking to a rat-catcher’s wife, Sethu realized that there was a problem and with the instinct of an entreprene ur, he knew that there would be an opportunity for him to solve the problem and improve the lives of Irula people.With the help of a mechanical engineer, Sethu developed a new trap to help people catch rats without contacting directly to the rats and the hot area of the trap. The values created from this innovation were a better health and a better income for rat-catchers. A concept test was implemented to fifteen rat catchers to see whether it worked. This was an important process to determine whether the entrepreneur needed to revise his innovation. After six iterations in eight months, the trap met most of the needs of the rat catchers. Sethu then applied for the grant from the World Bank to commercialize the innovation.It was a good choice of raising fund since social entrepreneurships usually do not attract numerous investors (because the aim is not for profit but for a better life of people). Sethu also planned various processes for the implementation of the project. Firstly, he identified the market which consisted of 1,500 neediest villagers and communicated the benefits of the new trap directly to this segment by visiting their villages. Secondly, Sethu created more values for customers by creating the women’s microcredit funds, which operated like loans and enabled women to afford a trap.These funds helped bring the traps to more villagers. Thirdly, he chose the right people to take care of the production. Since the young and unmarried women were selected to be the workers, the men and the boys were kept for catching the rats. Finally, he already thought of the exit strategy when the demand for the traps decreased. In such a situation, the factory would produce other steel products that were useful for Irula people. 2. What were crucial factors that determined success or failure? The success of the rat trap entrepreneurship was contributed by numerous factors.Firstly, it was due to the human capital: Irula people. Although Irula young women we re illiterate, they were able to produce the traps by themselves after being instructed. Selecting these women to operate the factory was a wise strategy because it made Irula people feel proud of their tribe. These workers might also persuade and instruct their relatives and neighbors to use the traps. As a result, the customer base for the business would be enlarged. Secondly, the technology innovation was also an important factor. It was the simplicity of the trap that made it usable for Irula people, 99% of whom were illiterate.Sethu and the mechanic engineer spent eight months inventing and testing the trap before it met all the needs of the rat catchers. If the trap was more complex, Irula people could not use it and the entrepreneurship would become a failure. Thirdly, the $98,500 grant from the World Bank served as the source for Sethu to implement his business plan. The plan included many costly processes such as health checks and treatments for the beneficiaries, building factory, training employees, and production. Without the fund of the World Bank laying the foundation, Sethu might not be able to start the business.Lastly, Sethu seemed to be the first one who addressed the problem in how Irula people catch rats, so he had the first-mover advantage. In addition, it was not likely that other social entrepreneurs would come and compete with Sethu in the near future. Hence, the Irulas did not have other choices but use Sethu’s new traps if they wanted to change the way to catch rats. 3. What characteristics of the entrepreneur enabled their success? Sethu had many characteristics of an ideal social entrepreneur. Among those characteristics, the thing distinguishing him from others may be his concern for the community.Being inspired by Mahatma Gandhi – the Father of the Nation, Sethu always thought of ways to bring a better life for the poor in India. This is probably the reason why he realized the problem of the old way of catching rats of the Irulas and did not stop thinking of a solution. In addition, Sethu obtained an appropriate education and experience in doing social entrepreneurship. Sethu studied in Gandhi’s school in India, where he was instructed to use Gandhi’s method to improve lives for the poor, solve human conflicts and introduce new ideas.After graduation, he worked for an NGO to accumulate experience before establishing his own NGO in 1998. His education and experience were the foundation for his innovativeness, which contributed to the invention of the rat trap. Finally, the most vital factor leading to the success of the entrepreneurship was Sethu’s risk-taking attitude. What would happen if the trap failed when applying to a large extend even though it was successful in the concept test; or if the Irula refused to use the trap anyway?In such a situation, Sethu would lose all the costs in health checking and treatment for the rat catchers, building the factory, training the e mployees and so on. More importantly, his prestige would be adversely affected since he was awarded the grant from the World Bank but failed to use it effectively. Despite all these risks, he still continued with the business because he believed in his idea and in the Irulas. 4. What were problems encountered by the entrepreneur and how did the entrepreneur deal with the problems? How did the entrepreneur overcome the problems?When implementing the project, Sethu did face some problems. Firstly, it was the resistance from the Irula people. They refused to meet Sethu and CDDP volunteers because they think Sethu and the volunteers were from some politic parties. Knowing that Irula people wanted to involve and did not like free things, Sethu triggered their interest by approaching them personally, explaining the serious health problems with the old trap and asking them whether they wanted to change their lives. The second problem was the selection of the workers for the factories.Becau se the men and the boys needed to catch rats while the wives and the old women were taking cooking roles in families, Sethu chose young, unmarried women to be the workers. He even transferred the ownership of the factory to these women so that they felt more motivated to control the production. The third problem was that Irula people were not be able to afford the trap at $25. CDDP solved this problem by launching the women’s microcredit collectives. In particular, a group of 12-15 women contributed money to form a fund.When a woman wanted to buy a trap but could only afford 50% payment, she received the trap and paid the rest to the microcredit fund. Such a fund made the traps become more affordable for the Irulas. Perhaps the most serious problem was that the business did not bring profit, at least in the recent future. The production cost per unit was $27 ($22 for raw materials and $5 for labor) but the selling price was only $25. To deal with this problem, Sethu used boot strapping as the financing method for the entrepreneurship when he tried to save unnecessary costs. For example, he asked the Irulas to return the trap if they did not use it.In addition, Sethu’s son successfully negotiated with the supplier to lower the material cost (from $28 to $25) and the cost savings was then reinvested in the factory. 5. Given the knowledge and skills you acquired in class, would you have done anything differently and if yes, what? There may be some alternatives to deal with the mentioned problems. Firstly, we can use the power of the influential group to persuade the Irulas to use the trap. By identifying some influential people, for example the tribal chief, in a village and convincing them to use the new trap, we can spread the benefits of the new trap to other villagers faster.It is because the Irula people still live with tribe culture, they will likely to follow what the tribal chief does. Secondly, instead of selling the traps to the Irulas peop le, we can employ them as our employees and pay them salaries. The salaries will have one fixed portion and one variable portion based on the number of rats a person can catch. We will receive money from the farm owners and distribute to the catchers. By employing the Irulas as our employees, we solve the problem that some Irula people wish to use but do not afford the new trap.What is more, when putting them in a company and considering them as our employees, we also help educate them and reduce their illiteracy. 6. What would be the next steps you would take to successfully proceed? To continue the success of the entrepreneurship, firstly, we must find ways to earn money because no business can maintain forever without profit. Initially, the selling price was at $25, which was $3 lower than the production cost. We can continue working with the supplier (the steel maker company, in this case it was Tata Steel) or even change to other suppliers to further reduce the cost.On the othe r hand, we could provide new complementary products/services to earn profits and help offset the losses in the rat-trap product line. Notice that the new trap helped catch rat 95% efficiency and helped doubled or even tripled their incomes, the Irula people would earn more money to spend for their living expenses. For instance, we could provide maintaining services for the traps and charge a certain level of money, depending on the current economic situation of the rat catchers. Or it might also sell hand sanitizers for the Irula people to wash their hands after using the trap.When the Irulas’ income increased, these complementary products were likely to be purchased widely because the Irula people cared more about their health. In addition, we can work with the owners of the farms to increase the payoffs for Irula people. The old method of catching rats is extremely inefficient, affects the plants on the fields and causes pollution. We will approach the farmers explain to th em the efficiency and the benefits of the new trap, and convince them to employ rat catchers who use the new traps. Lastly, a more efficient trap can be produced.The current new trap can only catch one rat at one time, which is very inefficient. We can apply new technology to catch many rats at one time. For example, rats are affected by certain electromagnetic waves. By putting some wave generators at the fields, the rats are hurt and will come out of their burrows. Then the Irulas might catch the rats more easily. Because the costs for such systems might be high, we will need to obtain a certain level of profits before trying the new technology. Furthermore, we can also seek funds from external sources.

Faith is believing what you know not Essay

â€Å"If Christ were here now, there is one thing he would not be, a Christian† (Berge, par 1). These are the words of Mark Twain as quoted by Berge in an article on Mark Twain’s View On Christianity-Changing Christian Thinking. Looking at the present day religion and in particular Christianity one is left in doubt as to whether the vision that Christ had for the society is what is happening today. Are the over 33,000 Christian Religions the kind of Christianity that Jesus expected 2,000 years ago? Mark Twain in his quotation did not mean that Jesus was a bad person that no one wanted to associate with. Looking critically at the present day Christianity, it is the other way round; Jesus was as Berge puts it â€Å"an exceptional person and believed in living a life as example towards others with kindness, forgiveness and love† (Berge, par 1-3). The true meaning of Christianity and that of religion in general has been manipulated to address the needs of man and it is currently totally opposite of what it stands for. It is not a surprise therefore that Mark Twain finds religion a huge joke. This essay looks at the negativism of religion as viewed by the great American author Mark Twain. Background information of Mark Twain To better understand the religious view of Mark Twain, it is important to first get an insight of his historical background. Mark was born in Florida on 30th November in the year 1835. He was by then called Samuel Langhorne Clemens. His father, John Marshall Clemens died when Samuel was only twelve. The mother Jane could not manage to support the large family of six and young Samuel no longer could enjoy childhood luxuries. Additionally, he could not proceed with his education and instead began working at Hannibal Printer William Ament. Division of labor was never practiced in Ament and Samuel did all sorts of work such as printing, editing, type setting, press-work, distribution of products among other tasks. Orion his elder brother was a journeyman printer in a print shop. However wanted to be a master of his own and in 1851 bought one Hannibal’s newspapers, Western Union. He took his younger brothers Henry and Samuel with him. When things did not work out well for Orion, Samuel worked his way out as a river pilot (Gradesaver, par 1-6). Samuel became one of the Staff of Virginia City Territorial Enterprise. He became a reporter or when said in the right terms a humorist and in 1863 adopted the name Mark Twain. In 1869 his first book, Innocent Abroad, was published. Due to its criticism, Mark was discouraged from pushing forth his literary call. However, he continued to publish articles and making lectures. Few years later, the Innocent Abroad made great sales and Twain was requested to produce another book. Twain composed Roughing It in 1872. He became an acknowledged writer after several other books were published such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Prince and the Pauper, Life on the Mississippi, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn and The Gilded Age among others. He died on 21st April of 1910 as a prominent American writer (Gradesaver, par 7-12). Religious Affiliation and Activities of Mark Twain Mark Twain was a Christian by religion. His parents were Presbyterians and he was therefore introduced to church and the Christian teachings when he was very young. He grew up to become a Presbyterian. He was therefore a Presbyterian by religion, a religion of Calvinist Protestantism in the United States of America. Calvinist had a great Impact in the life of Clemen, the famous Mark Twain. As Dempsey puts it on Mark Twin’s Religion: Book Review â€Å"It was the religion of his upbringing, the religion of his wife’s family, and the religion of some of his important friends†¦many of whom were leading northern Presbyterian and Congregationalist clergy of the day† (Dempsey, par 4). Twain was brought up in a deeply Presbyterian family and as a religious obligation he had to grow up as a good Presbyterian boy (Dempsey, par 4). Twain was religious. Religion was part and parcel of his world and he could not evade it. Twain actively participated in dialogues on religion and attended religious services. From this base, it can be argued that Twain was a monotheist (Dempsey, par 9). However his criticism of religion in his literary works would make one doubt whether Twain was a true religious man. Twain was perhaps an atheist. He was not opposed to religion as such but the religion that had been manipulated to mean otherwise; a religion in which people played holy yet they are not, a religion that preached of morality when it did not uphold any moral values. Twain for this reason rejected religion. As Dempsey in the Mark Twain’s Religion: Book Review quotes the inscription on the statue of Twain, â€Å"His religion was humanity and a whole world mourned for him when he died† (Dempsey, par 1). At one time in a Holy Land expedition, one of his colleagues had introduced him as Reverend Mark Twain and a reverend he became. The author of The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calvary used to accompany psalm-singing Easterners as a way of assisting Reverend Henry Ward Beecher (The Ohio State University, pp. 1-2). He was so much into the religious activities such that he at times imagined he was a preacher, a prophet and a saint (The Ohio State University, p. 7). Mark Twain’s and Religion in his Literary Works His Huckleberry Finn The literary works of Mark Twain clearly reflects his negative views towards religion. Twain is opposed to religion and has no patience at all for either religion or for the subscribers of the religion (Example Essays. com, par 1). To him, â€Å"Religion is useless, worthless, and mindless and for those not grounded in reality† (Example Essays. com, par 1). This is a quotation picked from Huckleberry Finn by Example Essays. com in their article on Twain’s View Of Religion In Huck Finn. In this novel, the attitude of Twain towards religion is that of mockery and cynicism (Example Essays. com, par 1). Twain is at a far distance from the devoted Bible believers. He has much respect for superstitious things than he has for religion. This his clearly brought out in one of his characters Huck in Huckleberry Finn. Huck had great expectations that there would be bad luck in his wake when he killed a spider by accident and later touched the skin of a rattlesnake. Everything had come true as bad luck follows when Huck’s father returns and the snake did bite Jim. Huck makes a prayer to the Lord but nothing happens. This leaves Twain with a conclusion that religion is not helpful at all, it is worthless, more worthless in fact than what would seem to be an irrational superstation (Example Essays. com, par 2-3). As Example Essays. com points out in their essay on Twain’s View Of Religion In Huck Finn â€Å"Twain holds no punches in his merciless pounding of religion† (Example Essays. com, par 4). Twain in Huck attacks the believers of religion as well as religion itself. He has a strong distaste for religion as revealed by this book. No skepticism, no doubt, and no question can be raised regarding the aversion of religion of Twain. He neither tolerates religion nor the believers (Example Essays. com, par 4). Every religious character that Twain creates in the novel is covered with hypocrisy. It is true that religious people have a soft spot; a warm generous heart like Widow Douglas and Grangerfords. They show hospitality but they are full of hypocrisy. This of course is what makes Twain hate religion from the deepest point of his heart (Example Essays. com, par 5). Mark Twain is opposed to religion because religious people are hypocrites; they are fake and insincere so that they can impress everyone (BookRags, par 6). The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer In the book The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer, religion is a caricature. It forms an integral part in the society that the Character Tom lives in. However, Tom does not hold religion with the dignity that other people hold it with. Instead, it is a boring obligation and tiresome to him. For instance, Tom does not say his prayers before going to bed which is a powerful defiant act in regard to his forced religion (BookRags, par 1). Tom is a religious sycophant. His religious stand is for formalities. He works vey hard in trade to buy a Bible not because he is so much interested in religion but for his status in the society. Being religious is not his care but the status that the Bible will place him in is (BookRags, par 2). Tom is actually bored by the routine of going to church. He is however not alone in this but is in the company of many others. The monotonous sermons wear them out and their hearts yearn for anything that would cause interruption to the screaming preacher. They are all in stitches when the sermon is finally interrupted by such things as a yelping dog. His boredom and that of other puppet believers is a side-effect of formalities of having to go to church. Through this character, Mark Twain reveals his hate of going to church as an obligation. People go to church not because they want to but because it is an obligation (BookRags, par 3-5). Twain expresses his criticism on church revivals. In deed they are powerful tools to win people to religion and at the end leave everyone thrilled. However their effects are short lived as portrayed by the characters Huck and Joe. At the revival, they are fighting tooth and nail to seek the face of God but after a short time, they turn back to their earlier lives where they find lots of happiness. To Twain revivals and anything religious do not have any lasting effect and for this respect are worthless (BookRags, par 7). Twain sees religion as one big piece of humor. Widow Douglas is so religious and fervently prays that the sinful Tom is found. She is serious and absolutely honest in her prayers wishing for hope and miracle at a desperation time. Looking at the character of Tom, it leaves one in doubt as to whether her prayers are answered. In addition, the funeral of Injun Joe turns out to be an entertaining event rather than a religious event. Completely, it lacks real religiousness. It sounds funny that from miles and miles, people come to witness his burial. This is in the inclusion of people who had with their sincere hearts tried to plead for his crimes’ pardon. After he is buried the pardon is forgotten. He is also forgotten (BookRags, par 8-9). Twain hates religion for conflicting with people’s lifestyles. Huck does not understand anything that is religious; it never allows him to enjoy his lifestyle. Church is what the society uses to set limits for people. The widow that Tom lives with is deep down rooted in religion and wants Huck to be a very good church-going boy. Huck is however on the other side; Tom had just given him the promise of them becoming robbers. Religion in itself makes adherents caricatures to be laughed at (BookRags, par 10). A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court The greatest fear and enemy of Twain as expressed by Yankee is the Roman Catholic Church. He seems to have a strong distaste for the Roman Catholic Church for manipulating religion for the sake of politics. To Mark Twain, the church is a political machine. The Roman Catholic Church in particular is embodied in other functions other than spiritual functions that it deeply claims to advocate for. Through the character Hank, Twain accuses the overall church for upholding the 16th century ills in the society such as, social inequality, superstations, tradition, hereditary nobility, and subservience of masses. Twain is opposed to these practices and the Roman Catholic Church as portrayed in this book seems to be lenient on these vices (Gradesaver LLC, par 2). Still on religion Twain condemns the acts of those who uphold morality only at a superficial level. These people cannot take any action unless they are faced with a real experience. Hank and King Arthur fail to abolish slavery and they only come to realize the dehumanizing effects and oppression that slavery has on those in it when they themselves become slaves. The leaders claim to uphold the moral values of the society yet they fail to practice morality. This is what makes Twain suffer from a horse voice in condemnation of religion and its hypocritical moral practices. In all his literary work, Twain looks at religion from a negative point of view (Gradesaver LLC, par 2). In A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Twain views the Catholic Church as atavistic survival that has been transported into the modern era. Hank Morgan, a Presbyterian by religion for instance introduces many denominations for the fear of unity in the church. He fears a Christian family that is united perhaps because of the damage that it would cause to a hypocrite like him (The Ohio State University, p. 24). Twain makes use of the environmental determinism to make religion humorous as depicted by his books: Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, The Prince and the Pauper, A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur’s Court, Life on Mississippi and many others. Twain in these works uses religious words that do have a negative connotation such as ‘infernal’ and ‘unchristian’. In this he suggests that there is danger in religion. The great American writer suggests that religious as well as denominations are deviant and unfair (The Ohio State University, P. 26). Twain’s religious faith was far much wide for any doctrine and too limitless for any creed. Mark was ignorant and disinterested in Christian creeds as well as doctrines. They in fact provide him with a creative spark for his literary works. His views on religious are clearly brought out by his literary works (The Ohio State University, P. 27). Conclusion Mark Twain was a realist thinking atheist. Though he was a Presbyterian by birth, he was opposed to religion. However, as depicted in his literary works, religion had been manipulated to fit the needs of the few. Religion in itself failed to stand for what it actually presents. Many of his works in literature such as The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and many others are grounded on religious criticism. He satirizes religion in the most humorous way. Despite the fact that he was brought up in a Christian family, his negative beliefs in religion isolates him from being a Christian or a religious person. He is an atheist who does not see anything good in religion. References Berge, Gregory. Mark Twain’s View On Christianity-Changing Christian Thinking. Ezine Articles. nd 2010. Web. 5 Aug. 2010 http://ezinearticles. com/? Mark-Twains-View-on-Christianity—Changing-Christian-Thinking&id=2012922 BookRags. (2009). The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer Book Notes Summary. Bookrags. com. nd 2009. Web 4 Aug. 2010 http://www. bookrags. com/notes/ts/TOP3. html Dempsy, Terrel. Mark Twin’s Religion: Book Review. Bochynski. com. 15 Jan. 2004. Web. 5 Aug. 2010 http://www. bochynski. com/twainweb/reviews/phipps. html Gradesaver. Biography Of Mark Twain. Gradesaver. com. nd 2010. Web. 4 Aug. 2010 http://www. gradesaver. com/author/mark-twain/ Gradesaver LLC. Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur’s Court Study Guide. Gradesaver. com. nd 2010. Web. 4 Aug. 2010 http://www. gradesaver. com/connecticut-yankee-in-king-arthurs-court/study-guide/major-themes/ Example Essays. com. (2010). Twain’s View Of Religion In Huck Finn. Exampleessays. com. nd 2010. Web 4 Aug. 2010 http://www. exampleessays. com/viewpaper/81878. html The Ohio State University. The Reverend Mark Twain. The Ohiostatepress. org. nd 2006. Web. 5 Aug. 2010 http://www. ohiostatepress. org/Books/Book%20PDFs/Fulton%20Reverend. pdf

Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre :: Bronte Jane Eyre

The situation when Jane in locked in the Red Room occurs because she has retaliated against John Reed hitting her and the fact that she is being punished for doing so. The mere fact that she is being locked in the Red Room can already accumulate sympathy within the reader because she is seemingly being very unfairly punished whereas her cousin John has attacked her already and managed to escape any punishment whatsoever. However in the events leading up to being locked in the room, the reader could not feel sympathy for Jane Eyre as she did in a way bring the punishment upon herself for attacking Mr. Reed in the first place. If she has not retaliated she would have not been locked in the room. Most readers however probably do feel sympathy for her as she was acting more in self-defence. She was also unfairly spoken too as they were dragging her to the room itself as they say things like ‘she's like a mad cat' and do not seem to be letting her give an explanation at all for her ac tions, and only listening to what John had too say. They make sure that she knows her place by telling her that ‘You are under obligation to Mrs. Reed' and that she is ‘less than a servant'. These are not kind words and the reader will probably feel sympathetic as she is being treated as a worthless object. The room that she is sent too is a dark and unpleasant place with memories of the dead Mr. Reed. For a child of Jane's young age it would seemingly be very distressing for her, and with the added experience of her seemingly seeing a ‘ghost' of some kind, it would be a terrible experience. Even if the reader has not felt sympathy for Jane before this incident they would surely feel so now, as she is in a distressing situation alone. When Jane first screams out for help from someone it does seem as though people are coming too help her as Bessie and Abbot come to open the door and ask her what is wrong and what has made her cry for help.

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

Company - Essay Example Since its inception in the United States, TiVo has penetrated to the Canadian, Australian, Mexican, New Zealand, Puerto Rican, Sweden, Spanish markets among others. Essentially, what TiVo offers is exclusive and unlimited entertainment to its users. TiVo pioneered recording programs concurrent with household viewing habits. In this program as opposed to the others, users can rate programs from three â€Å"thumbs up† to three â€Å"thumbs down† profiling. These ratings are combined to create a recommendation for its viewers. TiVo has also increased its broadband features. This has included and been facilitated by Amazon Video on Demand, Jaman.com and Netflix Watch Instantly. The advantage of this is that it provides users with unlimited access to thousands of movie titles and television shows from their homes. Perhaps the greatest contribution to the viewer’s society and the television industry is by having parental features. This way, the rate of pornography and violent co0ntent is greatly reduced as the parents get to choose what shows their children will watch. In a way therefore, TiVo is actively involved in raising a re sponsible generation. TiVo recently announced its intentions to acquire Digital smiths, a leading cloud-based content discovery service. The service which allows Pay TV operators to deliver an advanced user experience integrating search, discovery and browsing across a variety of devices will only mean more subscription to TiVo (Daft 120). Economically, these will translate to increased returns to scale for this market pacesetter. The devices include Android, Roku, Xbox, Playstation, Kindle and multiple other set-top boxes. TiVo also announced that it has increased its stock repurchase authorization by $100 million and intended to repurchase its $100 million in the first quarter of the 2015 fiscal year. In spite of having gained 234000 subscribers in the last quarter

Elementary School Observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Elementary School Observation - Essay Example Most of the curriculum was centered around counting and the alphabet. The kids did have the opportunity to explore their creative sides by doing art projects, playing with Legos, and working on the computer. It was necessary for the teacher to break up the day into smaller chunks because the kids became restless quickly. After spending the first hour with the teacher, the students broke off into smaller learning groups of 5-7 children monitored by the teacher and her aides. The classroom was very clean and the supplies were readily available. There was a variety of learning tools for the students to use. Puzzles, blocks, and Legos were the tools most frequently used. All of the tools were well organized in bins. Overall, the classroom was well-organized. According to Kohlberg’s stages of moral reasoning, a child exhibiting bad behavior can be trained to behave. Middle childhood falls under stages 1 and 2 of Kohlberg’s theory of Preconventional Morality. In Stage 1, children follow rules to avoid punishment. In Stage 2, children follow rules for their own benefit (reward). (Feldman 2006). The reward system figures very prominently into a Kindergarten classroom. Children can collect prizes for doing their work well and staying on task. Conversely, they lose their chance to win prizes when they cause disruptions and refuse to do work. Children at this stage of development are seeking to establish their own identity. Self-esteem may play a role in how children view their relationships with their peers. According to Feldman, â€Å"Sometimes children make downward social comparisons with others who are obviously less competent or successful to raise or protect their own self-esteem.† Erickson’s Psychosocial Stages can be broken down as follows: Basic Trust vs. Mistrust, Autonomy vs. Shame or Doubt, Initiative vs. Guilt, Industry vs. Inferiority, Identity vs. Role Confusion, Intimacy vs. Isolation, Generativity vs.

International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

International Relations - Essay Example Section 3(a) of the IMF fund‘s agreement requires â€Å"the funding to adopt policies towards using resources (Goldstein et al. 480) as well as the special policies for special balance of payments problems. These policies will assist members to solve their balance of payments problems in a manner consistent with the provisions of this agreement ad that will establish adequate safeguards for the temporary use of the general resources of the fund† (IMF 2002). Additionally, the initiative will stipulate the IMF and encourage the borrowing countries to affect their policy changes in a way that may help the country to repay its debt without having to affect negatively the IMF. The countries must therefore make a legal agreement that binds them to compliance with the Fund â€Å"conditionalities†. However, the least developed countries have been given improved conditions in that the IMF has undertaken a review of its conditionality to poor countries in order to streamlin e them to Poverty Reduction Growth facility (PRGF). As a result, public sector, employment, trade policy, public enterprise reforms, privatization, social security, pricing and systematic reforms have been included in the agreement. As a result, least developed countries have been given more â€Å"conditionalities† as compared to the developed countries. As a third world leader, accepting most of the conditionality given to the third world countries is an â€Å"economic Suicide†. They may subject the economy to a series of problems encompassed with huge debts and inability to owner the fund’s agreement. Section 3(a) for instance is an infringement of the economy of a country. It translates to a form of neo-colonialism in which the recipient country has to reform and implement its national economic policies in accordance to what an external body demands. It inhibits the sovereignty of a state to act within its limits

360 Degree Feedback Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

360 Degree Feedback - Case Study Example This is so because unlike traditional review process, 360 degree feedback involves the ratings and comments of not only immediate supervisors and bosses, but also peers, colleagues, subordinates and even some outsiders. Thus, the person getting rated might feel uncomfortable or not ready to accept feedback from so many people or employees falling below him in the hierarchy level. Thus, 360 degree feedback first needs to be aligned with that of the corporate strategy and specific objective needs to be specified for its implementation. Whatever has been specified above is missing from Landon’s initiative of 360 degree feedback. Sam Glass, who is one of the supervisors and person responsible for looking after 360 degree feedback process is himself unsure of the fact that whether it is used as a performance appraisal tool or for chalking out future compensation plan. Following it, it cannot be denied that even more unawareness will be spread amongst the employees of Landon regardi ng the purpose and benefits of 360 degree feedback process. As already mentioned by Alex in the opening paragraphs, this tool was suggested by the Vice-President of Avant-Garde’s Consumer Products Division. Thus, no evidence of this tool being aligned to corporate strategy or specific objectives charted out is visible. ... Numerous modifications and changes are required in the way Landon is proceeding with its 360 degree feedback process. First and foremost, it needs to state in clear terms what actually it wants to achieve with this tool- just evaluating the performance of its employees or devising compensation, training and development plans based on feedbacks received. One thing important to note here is this tool cannot be used for a single problem employee. Also, it should not be used at times when the organization or one of its departments are going a change or revamping in any way. This might be one of the reasons why Alex is uncomfortable with this system of feedback because he was made responsible to restructure the marketing of two product lines. Definitely he might have used some measures or actions which brought out his tough, uncaring and ambitious personality traits which get accounted for in the feedback and can face repercussion for those temporary actions and behavior. Secondly, organi zation wide communication has to be undertaken by Landon to ensure that each and every member of the organization knows and understand well the concept. Employees cannot connect with this form of rating unless and until they perceive security and benefits for them. Raters should be chosen keeping in mind the surrounding network of the person being rated. Regular query handling session should also be incorporated by Landon to make sure that employees are positive towards this concept and do not feel that organization is using this tool as a means to kick them off their jobs. Question 2 360 degree feedback is a tool to modify behaviors of employees and align them with that of the corporate mission and strategy. The 360 degree feedback tool comprises of data and comments from

Business Consultants Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Consultants - Assignment Example This is because their skill set in general matches the required skill set of Event Planning in a satisfactory manner. This type of work requires extensive planning and an ability to deal with problems on the spur of the moment. It entails coming up with quick solutions to crises! Most of the team members possess these skills. Team members possess sound negotiation and leadership skills which are mandatory for an event management consultant firm. This is because organizing an event is a multi-faceted task which requires a lot of people working on a project. Without a leader things can get out of hand. Another reason why these members will be appropriate for the above mentioned firm is because their customer orientation and support of others is high in addition to them being assertive as well. In any consultancy firms, customer orientation and regard for customers is essentially required and can never be done without. This is because a touch point between the customer and the company i s the employee. Lastly, this type of work requires creativity and idea generation which most members of the group have. Pharmaceutical Marketing is different from mainstream marketing. Its target market comprises; doctors and medical institutions mainly. Therefore a different skill set is required for such a firm. Since it requires training of sales reps for pharmaceutical companies, an understanding of the sales person's job is required. The team scores high on sales men skills which is therefore fit for the firm. It requires a certain degree of sensitivity to market pharmaceutical goods. Marketers must be sensitive and responsive to the needs of the customer especially in this area because medicines are critical substances, often used in life and death situations. This is also a skill which the team members possess abundantly. Other than that being good with details and attention to details are qualities every consultancy needs. The team members aptly possess these skills. Work Place Etiquette: Work place etiquettes are extremely significant in order to establish ethical guidelines and code of conduct in a company. Consultancies dealing in this area need to have people who are persistent and committed to making things better in the organizational landscape. This is because etiquettes and codes of conduct take time in being implemented in organizations. Therefore; persistence is a key skill, which the team members do have. Also, the ability to be persuasive and to be able to reason with people is essential for this type of firm. This is because people often have conflicting views on work ethics and morals which need to be resolved. The team rates well on this attribute. Lastly, being a problem solver helps in this type of industry. The team members also rank high on this skill and would therefore be highly appropriate for this type of firm. References: 1. (n.d). Business Consultant; Speaker/Trainer/Writer. Retrieved 1st September, 2007 from Job Profiles, Your Guide to Career and Education Website: www.

English Exit Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English Exit Letter - Essay Example My interest in writing suddenly came back and I realized it isn’t such a laborious task at all. One only has to put his thoughts into words until these words produce sentences and sentences form paragraphs. This I can accomplish quite easily when I’m in the mood. But when I’m not, I could just stare at the emptiness of my computer screen, wishing the hyperactive cursor to do the job for me. Writer’s block, they called it. Every writer, I believe, will have to deal with it time and time again. Putting thoughts into words is a piece of cake. To keep it structured though is another story – a skill a have yet to master. Happily, this problem seems to persist only in my informal essays. Formal is much more precise, topic clearly defined, making it easier for me to discern which information needs to be included and which one should be eliminated. With informal essays, it’s as if I’m just talking to someone about something so passionately that I tend to ignore unity and coherence within my paragraphs. I was told that, when used properly, this free flowing method in writing could actually become an asset, so it isn’t such a bad thing after all. I could hardly tell if my old writing process was in fact a process. For all I know, I simply wrote. I was adamant to follow my own style, which I liked to call a process, despite being aware that it’s not always recommended. Though this may not be such a dramatic change, this course taught me the formal discipline in writing which I consider to be a significant improvement. Planning, I learned, is indeed a very crucial stage in writing in order to come up with an effective output. This enabled me to explore other genres such as informative and compare and contrast

Federalist No. 69 and the Executive Branch Essay

Federalist No. 69 and the Executive Branch - Essay Example A government consists of three branches; the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judicial. The President of America has the right to revisit a bill, which undergoes two of the branches and forms into a law if approved by two-thirds of the people from both houses. On the contrary, the King of Britain has â€Å"an absolute negative† regarding approval from the houses. This naturally means agitation both from the Parliament and the public before a law is implemented rather by play than force. This authority is only invested in the King and not the President. Then Hamilton states four concrete points of difference between the King and the President: 1. The President has the authority to command the militia occasionally unlike the King of Great Britain and the governor of New York, who can command the whole militia at all times remaining in their numerous jurisdictions. Hence the power of the President is second-rate as compared to the other two. 2.   It is the duty of the Presid ent to be commander-in-chief of the United States’ army and navy. This article brings the President on equal grounds with the King and the governor, however lesser in substance. The President cannot declare war or regulate fleets and armies. Only the legislature has this authority. 3. The President can pardon call cases except for the impeachment case. This is not the case with the governor of New York who can even deal with the impeachment cases except for assassination and treachery. This is aggressively questioned by Hamilton for its undeserving distribution of power vested in the President. 4. The King of Great Britain and the governor of New York respectively have the influence to disband the Parliament or the legislature of the State which may be a purposeful control employed by the governor in certain delicate matters. The President, however, remains at the level of just adjourning only the national legislature under a single case of disagreement circumstance (Hamilton , 1992). These differences have been pointed out to display the real character of the executive, the President of the United States, who may not be compared to the King of Great Britain, not even the governor of New York. In reality, the U.S. Constitutions only recently gained power as the American Legislators made a conscious effort to regain the executive branch through the trust of the people. The President is the magistrate elected by the people of the United States. He is not completely independent because he is chosen for four years through fair elections (Tocqueville, 1945). The power as it is seen in the constitution did not exist prior to the introduction to the Constitutions of the United States. The people lived under the Articles of Confederation, which did not have an executive branch and it lasted for forty years (Prince, 1867). It was considered weak without the executive branch.  Ã‚  

Lifes Ups and Downs Essay Example for Free

Lifes Ups and Downs Essay One warm weekend in June, my girlfriend decided she wanted to take me on a weekend getaway to none other than Las Vegas, Nevada, a place where no one else existed but me and her. So I thought. I was totally ecstatic; at this point it’s been moths since we’ve been out just the two of us with no kids. The first night we get there we get dressed up and make reservations at our favorite restaurant. The moment we get to the restaurant, she starts acting weird and all of a sudden does not find a single thing on the menu appetizing and complains of a stomach ache, so we leave in a hurry. Arriving back to our suite, there is a card taped to the door with her name on it. So many thoughts are racing through my mind, â€Å"She is planning something special for us, she has a surprise for me, maybe she ordered room service while we were out and it was inside waiting for us.† As quickly as the thought came they left, we entered the room only for her to admit she was just too tired and needed to rest. So I let her, I laid next to her wondering what was going on, what was going on in her mind. It was almost like we were living in two different worlds. As she slept curiosity suddenly came over me, very quietly I got out of bed grabbing her bag which contained the note that was tapped to the door, into the bathroom I went. My eyes could not believe what was written so boldly across the paper â€Å"I HOPE SHE WAS WORTH IT.† I could not resist questioning the matter at hand, I woke her up and she blatantly denied there being any meaning to this card. We argued hard and like ever before, almost like she had forgotten who I was, like I didn’t matter to her. The rest of the night went on and we were both hurt. I used indirect termination strategies to spare my heart anymore hurt. I couldn’t come to terms that this was finally coming to an end. Four years later, I found out I was never her one and only I was simply her girlfriend number two. Being very cautious to every relationship offer that came my way, I turned down so many. I did not care to see another relationship. I was never one to â€Å"get-over† a bad situation, but I knew I had to move on; I couldn’t come to terms with my last break up. Just as soon as I let down my guard, there she was someone who made me feel alive again. She helped me heal every wound in my heart and soul. Until, I started to see some similarities from my past relationship. She was so secretive, there began to be relational violence. I had to wear sunglasses everywhere I went even if I was inside because of the bruises I would have from the nights before when I didn’t do what I was asked in a timely manner. When the questions came from my friends and co-workers I had to lie. My life has never had so much deception I soon began believing in my own lies. I questioned her I didn’t understand why I had become her human punching bag. She was so cold and nonchalant towards me. As the days went by the dresser drawers slowly became empty the closet became empty and there seemed to be less and less of her things at my place. I wanted to know what was happening, was my life slowly slipping away again? So I picked up the phone and attempted to call her, I got no answer. Days went by without me hearing from her. Then I realized our relationship had ended in sudden death. There was no contact between us. The outside world became non-existent to me. I could not cope with the thought of another relationship ending so sudden. My life hasn’t been the same, how do you wake up one day to a world that isn’t your own? Relearning life one day at a time has been tough but I am a fighter this too will make me stronger!

Healthy Living Report Essay Example for Free

Healthy Living Report Essay Healthy livingâ€Å" Campaign report 1. Background research to the issue To find the way linked to my group topic and target made us to meet many times and discuss about social issues among students and young people. It made my group to think a lot what topic for campaign would be interesting to us – while working for this, and similarly what would be interesting for other people especially for students in Middlesex University. First of all, everyone in my group pay attention on unhealthy food and ingredients which make daily food able to be fresh for long term and even dangerous. My group decided to start doing campaign â€Å"tricky food† and we all fell into research on dangerous ingredients in popular supermarkets’ food. As we published in our Wiki page â€Å"Unhealthy substitutes used in food production† had to be our campaign stage. (Wiki, ResearchS08G1). From long list of various chemicals and acids which are used in food our group made a decision to focus on Aspartame the most. Aspartame is artificial sweetener which is 200 times sweeter than sugar and commonly used in food industry. In the internet is not difficult to find many articles and discussions about it, some people claim that it is very dangerous to human’s health because of its force to cause cancer, nerve disorders, birth defects and other healthy imbalances. From the other side of view, probably from the business side, some people are ready to prove that aspartame is not so bad, the right amount of it in food is not dangerous and it is cheaper to use in food industry than sugar. However, this sweetener is widely used and found in drinks such as diet coke, energy drinks and even some juice. In the United States aspartame is regulated by FDA – Food and Drug Administration which has set the ADI (acceptable daily intake) for aspartame 50mg/kg and similarly in the European Union – by European Food Safety Authority ADI is 40mg/kg. (American Cancer Society, Learn About Cancer 2011). Well, when the national administration has set the secure quantity of this sweetener it became allowable to use it in food widely. Due to that my group decided that there are no argues with food industry and during our campaign it is hard to change sweeteners usage in nourishment and we made another decision: to change campaign topic and target substantially. Every one of us is surrounded by bright adverts and slogans to be eco-friendly, to eat healthy food, to avoid junk food, to choose food without any preservatives and so on. My group and I also decided to join in those who are providing healthy living style. We started to do another research linked to it, to search what vitamins human need to recover healthy organism after winter and which fruit and vegetables have beneficial vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Also very important issue that UK is on the leading position in regards to obese citizens in Europe (Wiki, ResearchS08G1). Regarding to New York Times (2010, The World is Fat) in almost half of developed countries, one out of every two people is overweight or obese. In the figure is clearly visible that England was and will be second nation after United States which has overweight, till 2020 it can reach 70 per cent limit! These facts made us to take care for obese issue in United Kingdom. As a united group of different countries: two Lithuanians, Polish and two English we see our target to start informing students about this growing problem by providing healthy eating habits and healthy life style including exercises and view of it. 2. Process of campaign planning Firstly, we had chosen to run the campaign about â€Å"tricky food† and especially aspartame but as I mentioned in the first part of report, during the research we found facts that aspartame is legal sweetener and the right amount of it is not dangerous to human’s health. With our campaign we would be having too less force and evidence in order to avoid this sweetener use in food industry. Regarding to this, we left the idea about tricky food and during more than two meetings we were discussing about many topics which could be interesting and worthy to pay attention. It was not easy part of planning our campaign because we all understood that to find the topic with strong target and serious attitude it is difficult. We mentioned points such as how we could include more people to our team, how we could represent information for them and for our university, should we stay only in university or shall we go further: inform people about issue in our living areas, in the social websites, etc. how we could do our event and what to do so as to attract an attention. We were sure that we will have leaflets with useful information, that we will set up facebook page for our campaign and we will do our event in the university. In our meeting we had not have one  person as a chairperson, we all were equivalent and we all were suggesting our ideas. My idea was to look deeper how we are living, what are ours daily diet, daily routine – are we healthy enough or should we change something in our lives. While suggesting the topic Healthy living I also had an idea to raise the charity fund. Even more, to visit children schools or other meeting places and inform them about our campaign and targets. Unfortun ately, I had not got any assent from my team members for this action. However, I sent some emails to charities such as British Red Cross and Save the Children. I informed them about our campaign and targets, mentioned that we would like to do our campaign as a charity. While giving healthy food (fruit or veg) in university my team could collect some donation for one of the charities and later we could collaborate by doing volunteering jobs or events providing healthy living. I have got an answer from British Red Cross, they were interesting in our action and targets. Unfortunately, I had got that answer too late because we were already doing our campaign on ourselves without any outside organizations. 3. Work as a group From my view at this point I am quite happy while working with my group. As in every team work we faced with some advantages and disadvantages but the final result was nice. The best times and really strong team work were when all group members were attending the meetings. Sure, it had happen only few times, however, those meetings were pretty good. We had never have any argues or complaints, our discussions were always polite and with respect to each other. We always listened to each other’s ideas and discussed them together with giving some agreements or reasoned rejections. Usually our meetings were with three attended group members. Nevertheless, we were able to consider what would be the next step, what research we had to do until next meeting and all jobs or duties were apportion between every team member equally. Even more, if we were having enough spare time after meeting, some of us were going to library to do research together or to write down the minutes into the wiki page. For more questions or advice we were chatting online, by sending emails we arranged for the next meeting. On the other hand, this low attendance made some difficulties to organize all team work, it always takes time to text messages to inform other members about further actions. Because everyone has jobs it was difficult to find right times in order to meet all together, some group members were paying more attention for their jobs than to studies and especially for this campaign. Due to these issues our campaign was small and weak, its background were just two people who pay more attention to every organizing step. 4. Your action I value my action in the group as big part of whole campaign. The background and topic of Healthy living was my idea suggested in the group meeting. I came with the wide idea of it and I had some plans how to reach the main aim. As I mentioned above, I offered to do a campaign as a charity: while providing fruit or vegetables for students we can collect donation for a charity, later collaborate with that organization and hope for getting some support. Personally I always like to communicate with organizations such as charities or other help centres, I have previous experience by searching the support for some events that is why I feel free and confident while asking others to promote my plans. This time I had asked some charities but unfortunately I have not got any help from them. First of all, I think I had to call them straight away and reject sending emails and waiting for answers, second , I think I had to let them know more about my action, about our campaign, purpose and all details so as to make them interesting enough to support us. Finally, if I would be able to have enough force to influence others I would have asked other my group members to help me and to pay more attention on our campaign because I felt too weak to take this huge part alone. Anyway, at the end of March and beginning of April I was communicating with Community Fundraiser from British Red Cross. She replay to my email a bit too late than I was expected but it is always nice to let other communities know about my actions and attitude. I can be brave to say that I was that person in my group who was the most enthusiastic about campaign planning and actions. It was not difficult to take care and organize the event during which we were giving free apples, apple shaped stickers and leaflets with interesting information about fruit. In order to get apples each of us asked local shops to support us by giving some apples. I am living Hendon, so here I found many local shops where I am shopping almost every day and I visited them with my special request. First of all, while talking to the manager of the shop I let him know who I am and what I am doing, later I asked him to support our campaign and in the same way I made him sure that he is making big help not only for my group but also for some students who maybe will start thinking more about healthy life style. Some shops rejected my request but I did not give up and went ahead. Finally, I found one shop near to the Hendon Central Station which was very helpful and polite. People who are working there wished me luck and even know they look at me as at friendly shopper. 5. Supporting other campaigns Our group was working alone without any collaborate with other campaigns from our module. As we all got the topic food almost all campaigns were linked to healthy products. Some of them had chosen specifically one product (energy drink, junk food – hamburgers, etc. ) and they run campaigns in order to change people attitude and inform them how dangerous it is. Differently, we had not chosen any products – we looked into whole lifestyle which includes food, exercises and attitude. I really appreciate other people job, how they did their campaigns, how they had represented their ideas and what targets they had. Only one thing what I might to change could be the way how they did their events. Most of all campaigns were too silent, working only on social websites such as Facebook or Twitter, I would rather do it loudly in the centre of our university. References: Wiki, S08G1 â€Å"Healthy Living†, research 2012 [online], http://mcs1000campaigns. middlesex. wikispaces. net/ResearchS08G1 American Cancer Society, Learn about cancer 2011. [online], http://www. cancer. org/Cancer/CancerCauses/OtherCarcinogens/AtHome/aspartame The New York Times, The World is Fat 2012, [online], http://economix. blogs. nytimes. com/2010/09/23/the-world-is-fat/

Manhunt by Simon Armitage

Manhunt by Simon Armitage Creative writing task: Manhunt by Simon Armitage I was on my third tour of duty in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The aim was to liberate the area from the Taliban but it was harder than we expected. It wasnt like this fighting proper soldier, they would pop up anywhere and shoots at us plus the local people didnt trust us so they wouldnt help us at all. The Taliban are strong because the tactics they use are cowardly. They are also strong because the local people are so weak. The thin air heals a frigid tone in the night and a heavy breeze brought a sudden rush of coldness to my face. It was Christmas day and also was quite foggy outside and tonight we were being hunted. We were trying to have a quite Christmas. The army cook was going to make some dishes for us but not any special dishes we normally have on Christmas day like the Christmas ham, pork roast, Cornish hens etc. I was missing the crackers, Christmas hat, music and also was missing my families a lot. We were just trying to enjoy ourselves. However, every moment we had to rely on out instincts and just hope and pray that the enemy wouldnt detect us. This is how we spend our days. After having a bit of meal we had to go for training. The whole day we did endless training, marching, shooting practices, running, fitness test etc.ÂÂ   I had to stay in a trench. The smell is unbearable, starting to make me feel ill. The trenches were the front line, the most dangerous places. The trenches were dug into the ground so that the infantry would have some protection from the enemy. Conditions in the trenches were horrendous. The day after Christmas we were out on patrol in the local village. Villagers behaving very oddly, even the more friendly ones wouldnt talk to us. As soon as they saw us they hurried into their houses. After spending the day in the village we went back to our trench. After few hours as I looked up, I could feel and hear the roaring flames. The fire blaze and burned, creeping closer and closer to our trench. There was a cold malevolent air to it. The wind howling past us in every which way. I myself was confused for minutes. One minute the bullets were raining holy hell down on us in a never ending bombardment and the next nothing. No movement, no bullets, no people, no wind. Its like they just vanished or they were never there, to begin with. A fog was rolling in, throwing us all into despair. We couldnt fight if we couldnt see. The fog was dense, so thick. And then suddenly, we were being mobbed, bullets pelting us, slaughtering us like sheep whilst we werent expecting it. Every time the bomb hits the ground, more fire is unleashed, spreading wildly. We should have known, but we didnt and we paid for it dearly. Five of us already injured and two of us were already dead before we know what had happened. They were moaning and groaning. I could hear the screams of the dying men.I could tell that his life was slowly fading away. The smell of blood hit me then, the adrenaline fading fast from my body and sudden pain in my chest. Suddenly the sounds of the guns going off and cannon fire stunning me briefly in its sudden intensity. My senses became hypersensitive. I could smell the blood, sweat and fear. I could feel the snow squelching beneath my feet, stopping me as I ran and all I could hear was the thump of my heartbeat, pounding deafeningly through my chest and head. An aftermath of the attack people was shouting, screaming. There was no doubt that it was one of the most devasting and most brutal fights. After few minutes the helicopter whirring and coming down and lifted out on a stretcher and took the dead bodies and the ones got injured and then flown away. Life in the trenches was the worst life anyone could live and I am sure most people regretted being a soldier. Morale was good; after all, this is what we had been through all that training for. Some of the soldiers couldnt wait to be allowed to fire off their weapon and shows the Taliban what we were made for. After the recovered I went home in real sense refers to a place of rest. The experience of war is something no soldier can escape.

Good Business Writing Essay -- Education Educating Write Essays

Good Business Writing As the discussion of good writing evolved in class, I began to wonder what made good business writing. I thought about the purpose in writing both within a particular company and between different companies and organizations. I decided that most writing in business is meant to be either informative, persuasive, or a combination of both. Whether informative or persuasive in nature, I have decided that most good business writing is very similar to other good writing. I have chosen to focus on three elements that contribute to good usage in business. They are: Simplicity Jargon for the target audience Grammar Some business writers mistakenly believe that by adopting a lofty tone and utilizing complex sentences containing numerous subordinate clauses along with multiple polysyllabic words, they will be taken more seriously. The previous sentence contrasts directly with George Orwell's advice to cut out words if possible. I think Orwell means the writer is to get rid of the excess, the fluff that fails to really communicate an idea or concept. Orwell seems to advocate simplicity. Simplicity does not dilute the author's intended message. Simplicity actually clarifies the author's meaning since it is direct and uses common English words. This type of writing is also efficient. Readers can easily understand the content and can move along to the next task. Since many employees in business today suffer from information overload, given the choice, most people will read a shorter document first. If a writer can communicate the information in either three or twelve pages equally well, it is to bett er use the more tightly written three-page version. While both documents may have equal merit, it is simply co... ...onventions. These conventions may vary slightly from business to business, but are basically the same across the United States. These devices include: The use of bullets to emphasize particular points Large amounts of white space Gender neutral language I have explored some of the elements I think are present in good business writing and result in good usage. Through this exploration, I see that there are other elements of good usage I could have examined, but chose not to. A variety of advice on writing is available, but there is not one definitive rule or even one handbook to which a writer must strictly adhere. There are guidelines a writer might consider, but ultimately, the writer must adapt his or her writing according to each writing situation. Rules are guidelines meant to be helpful. When rules cease to be helpful or become too dogmatic, disregard.

Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - Fate and

Oedipus Rex, Fate, and the Modern World  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the two thousand since â€Å"Oedipus Rex† was written, it has been analyzed and dissected innumerable times and in every possible way.   Usually the analysis has been within the context of the play itself or within the context of other Greek tragedies.   Perhaps it would be more relevant and interesting to evaluate the play within the context of the modern world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his play Sophocles brings up many questions which are not easily answered.   Does man ha free will? What responsibilities does a man have for his own actions? Should the inferior human intellect and poor human reasoning be placed above obedience to one’s God or gods?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Neither Sophocles nor the Greeks originated these questions.   Thousands of years before the time of the Greeks man worried that his life, and therefore his fate, was determined by very powerful gods.   Hence much time and energy was spent praying and asking the gods to utilize divine intervention to provide better hunting, weather, food, and other forms of good fortune.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thousands of years of superstition and spiritual worship evolved into Greeks’ religion, which was based on mythology and the belief that gods of the Olympus controlled the lives of men.   Sophocles brings to light the Greeks’ beliefs in several scenes as the gods are consulted through the oracles.   In one scene, Iokaste tells Oedipus that an oracle told Laios that his doom would be death at the hands of his own son.  Ã‚  Ã‚   His son born of his flesh and mine (II. 214-220).   Iokaste and Laios had asked an oracle about their baby’s future (Oedipus) to have better understanding of the child’s fate.   Upon receiving this information, and realizing the tragic destiny o... ...learn there, I f he can, What act or pledge of mine may save the city. (II. 72-77)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the Greeks did two thousand years ago, the Indians of Guatemala do today.   Oracles are consulted about every important event in their life.   Not only do they go to their future, they also make many futile attempts to change their destiny by offering food, money, alcohol or cigars to Maximon, Culiatlec, Kielem, or whatever god they believe to have the strongest powers.   Without access to resources or education, the Mayan Indian is destined to work his small plot of land and barely survive on a diet of beans and tortillas.   He will dye young from hard work just as his father, grand father, and every other ancestor since the beginning of time.   If he tries to change his fate by taking up arms against his oppressor, he will dye even younger.   In the same way  Ã‚     

Malaria Essay -- Biology Medical Biomedical Disease

Abstract: Malaria, which has killed more people than those killed by all the war and all the plagues combined, is caused by a small protozoan parasite of the genus Plasmodium that resides within cells in the bloodstream to mature and avoid detection. There are four main species of Plasmodium that cause malaria. These species of the parasite infect humans and female anopheline mosquitoes at different stages in their life cycle. When an infected female anopheline mosquito feeds upon the blood of the vertebrate, the parasite is transferred through the saliva, into the body of the vertebrate host. Once in the bloodstream the parasite makes its way to the liver and then infects the cells in the liver and in the bloodstream. Malaria is a vector-borne disease caused by the protozoan parasite, Plasmodium. It infects approximately 300 million people a year and is responsible for 1 – 1.5 million deaths each year. Though cases of this disease rarely occur in the US, they are still prevalent in developing areas of the world such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. There are 156 species of Plasmodium that are known to infect vertebrates. From that group, there are 4 main species that cause various forms of this deadly, yet preventable and curable disease in humans: Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium vivax; Plasmodium ovale; and Plasmodium malaria, which can also cause malaria in certain species of apes that are closely related to humans. The main differences between the species of Plasmodium are the appearance (shape and size), the developmental stages of the parasite, the manner is which they infect their host, and the appearance of the blood cells that they infect. Despite the difference between these species, they still target the sa... ...cells in the liver and bloodstream. Using the protection of the cell and making proteins that cause the cells to stick the walls of the blood vessels to avoid being destroyed by the spleen, the parasite is able to stay one step ahead of the immune system of the host. In the blood stream the parasite uses the glucose need for cell process, lysis infected and uninfected blood cells, and release toxins to the blood streams that can lead to serious complications. 4 Bibliography: Mali, Sonja. "Traveler's Health: Yellow Book." Malaria. CDC. 26 Jul 2006 . "Microbiology @ Leicester." Malaria. November 11, 2005. Leicester. 26 Jul 2006 . "Malaria." Malaria. 29 July 2006. Wikipedia. 26 Jul 2006 .

Coca: Strategic Planning and Coca-cola Company

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Strategic Management Issues of Coca-Cola Company Every successful study should have specified and well-defined objectives. A careful statement of the objective helps in preparing a well-decorated report facilitating others to take decision on it.The specific objectives of the study are to have knowledge about- To know about the strategic management issues of multinational companies To know about the strategies of the multinational companies To characterize the challenges of international strategic management To know about the international strategic management process To identify and characterize the levels the international management strategies To know about the Coca-Cola Company’s strategies management process. SCOPE OF THE STUDY This study has focused upon the Management Issues those are followed by the Coca-Cola Company for capturing the global market.Through our report we try to find out the global challenges of International Strategic Management to assess the basic strategies, describe the international strategic management process of Coca-Cola Company. We hope this study will help to whom, who want to know more clearly about strategic management, its issues as well as the key factors which affect the process of Internationalization for a company. Data and Methodology We examine secondary data of which related to the Strategic Management Issues at the global based Market. Data are collected on various issues from annual report of Coca-Cola Company (2005-2009).In our report we analysis the monthly, quarterly, half-yearly news Review of this company. Based upon this data we like to analysis the Economic Review, Statistical Strategic condition of the Coca-Cola Company. Both the official and regional website helps us to find out more related to the issues with the global market. Form those huge data we take the necessary and used them for the analysis. Our analysis data are clearly represented in our main part of the report thr ough relevant chart, graph with proper description. LIMITATIONS OF THE REPORTAs a student of faculty of Business Administration and Management, 7th semester, this is our first initiative for making a report on â€Å"Strategic Management Issues of Multinational Companies (MNCs): A Case Study on Coca-Cola†. We were really unable to collect enough information from due to their official restrictions. Many things were so confidential that we were not entitled to access there. Beside this we have faced the following hindrances in preparing this report: †¢ Lack of knowledge and experience †¢ Short of time †¢ Lack of computer facilities †¢ Lack of sufficient privileges †¢ Lack of communication facilitiesStrategic management is the process of specifying an organization's objectives, developing policies and plans to achieve these objectives, and allocating resources so as to implement the plans. It is the highest level of managerial activity, usually performed by the company's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and executive team. It provides overall direction to the whole enterprise. International strategic management is a comprehensive and ongoing management planning process aimed at formulating and implementing strategies that enable a firm to complete effectively internationally.The process of developing a particular international strategy is often referred to as strategic planning. Strategic Management is the study of function and responsibilities of senior management. Five Essential Parts of Strategic Management Goal-setting Goal-setting enables a firm to articulate its vision: identify what needs to be accomplished, define short-and long-term objectives, and relate them to what the organization needs to do. Analysis Analysis guides to collect and consider information so that a firm understands the situation.Assess external environments and internal situations to identify the strengths and weakness of the organization and the opportuniti es and threats face to reach the goals. Strategy Formulation To determine a strategy, the firm reflects prioritize, develop options, and make decisions. Review the results of the analysis, identify the issues that a firm implementing partners need to address, and prioritize them in terms of their urgency and magnitude. Use these results to design alternative strategies and plans that address the key strategic issues.Strategy Implementation To implement the strategy, assemble the necessary resources and apply them. Put the chosen plans into practice, marshal the resources and commitments necessary for moving ahead, tap existing capacity and/or build new capacity, and seek to achieve results. Strategy Monitoring Monitoring allows checking the progress toward achieving the firm’s goals and assessing whether any changes in the environment necessitate alternatives to the firm’s strategy. Modify plans and actions to adjust to the impact of changing in the operating environme nt.SIGNIFICANCE OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Strategic management integrates the knowledge and experience gained in various functional areas. It helps to understand and make sense of complex interaction in various areas of management. It helps in understanding how policies are formulated and in creating appreciation of complexities of environment that the senior management faces in policy formulation. Managers need to begin by gaining an understanding of the business environment and to in control. They should know to manage and understand information technology, which is changing the face of business.As public and common investors own and more companies managers need to acquire skills to maximize shareholder value. To have/take a strategic perspective, managers should foresee the future and track changes in customer expectation. Intuitive, logic reasoning is required for proper decision- making. Significance of Strategic As corporate are becoming more integrated with the public life, cor porate governance is becoming important which Management manager may have to practice. To the shape the Its helps to increase Future of business the productivity Effective strategic idea To Makes discipline Mangers and employer areTo make control innovative and It’s decentralized the Page 7 Management To makes forward s Issues in Strategic Management Decision Making †¢ While making a decision the company might have different people at different periods of time. †¢ Decision requires judgments; personal related factors are important in decision-making. Hence decision ma y differs as person change. †¢ Decisions are not taken individually, but often there is a task in decisions which could be Individual Vs Group decision making. There will be a difference between the individual and group decision-making. On what Criteria a company should make its decision, for evaluation of the efficiency & effectiveness of the decision making process, a company has to set its obje ctives which serves as main bench mark. †¢ 3 Major Criteria in decision Making are— a. The concept of Maximization. b. The concept of satisfying. c. The concept of instrumentalism. Based on the concept chosen the strategic decisions will differ. †¢ Generally decision-making process is logical and there will be rationality in decision-making. When it comes to Strategic decision making point of view there would be proper evaluation & then exercising a choice from various available alternative resources, which leads to attain the objectives in a best possible way. †¢ Creativity in decision-making is required when there is a complete situation & the Decision taken must be original & different. †¢ There could be variability in decision-making based on the situation & Circumstances. International strategic management results in the development of various international strategies, which are comprehensive frameworks for achieving a firm’s fundamentals goals .Conceptually, there are many similarities between developing a strategy for competing in a single country and developing one for competing in multiple counties. In both cases, the firm’s strategic planners must answer the same fundamental questions— †¢ What products and/or services does the firm intend to sell? †¢ Where and how will to make those products or services? †¢ Where and how will it sell them? †¢ Where and how will it acquire the necessary resources? †¢ How does it expect to outperform its competitors? But developing an international strategy is far more complex than developing a domestic one.Because managers developing a strategy for a domestic firm must deal with one Company national government, one currency, one accounting system, one political and legal system and usually a single language and a comparatively homogeneous culture. But managers responsible for developing a strategy for an international firm must understand and deal with multiple governments, multiple currencies, multiple political and legal system, and variety of language and cultures. Various Roles of Strategic Management Senior management plays an important role in Strategic Management.Role of Board of Directors: Board of Directors is the supreme Authority in a company. They are the owners/ shareholders/ lenders. They are the ones who direct and responsible for the governance of the company. The Company act and other laws blind them and their actions & they sometimes do get involved in operational issues. Professionals on the B. O. D help to get new ideas, perspectives and provide guidance. They are the link between the company and the environment. Role of C. E. O: Chief Executive Officer is the most important Strategist and responsible for all aspects from formulations/Implementation to review of Strategic Management.He is the leader, motivator & Builder who forms a link between company and the board of directors and responsible for managi ng the external environment and its relationship. Role of Entrepreneur: They are independent in thought and action and they set / start up a new business. A Company can promote the entrepreneurial spirit and this can be internal attitude of an organization. They provide a sense of direction and are active in implementation. Role of Senior Management: They are answerable to B. O. Directors and The C. E.O as they would look after Strategic Management a responsible of certain areas / parts of terms. Role of SBU – Level Executives: They Co-ordinate with other SBU’s & with Senior Management. They are more focused on their product / burners line. They are more on the implementation role. Role of Corporate Planning Staff: It provides administrative support tools and techniques and is a Co-ordinate function. Role of Consultant: Often Consultants may be hired for a specified new business or Expertise even to get an unbiased opinion on the business & the Strategy.Role of Middle Level Managers: They form an important link in strategizing & Implementation. They are not actively involved in formulation of Strategies and they are developed to be the future management. COMPANY OVERVIEW The Coca-Cola Company (Coca-Cola) is a leading manufacturer, distributor and marketer of Non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, in the world. The company owns or licenses more than 400 brands, including diet and light beverages, waters, juice and juice drinks, teas, coffees, and energy and sports drinks. The company operates in more than 200 countries.Approximately 74% of its products are sold outside of the US. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and employs 71,000 people as of September 2006. The company recorded revenues of $24,088 million during the fiscal year ended December 2006, an increase of 4. 3% over 2005. The increase in revenue was primarily due to increase in sales of Unit cases of company’s products from approximately 20. 6 billion unit cases of the company’s Products in 2005 to approximately 21. 4 billion unit cases in 2006, the increase in the Price and Product/geographic mix also boosted the revenue growth.The company-wide gallon Page 12 13. Strategic Management Issues of Coca-Cola Company sales and unit case volume both grew 4% in 2006 when compared to 2005. The operating profit of the company was $6,308 million during fiscal year 2006, an increase of 3. 7% over 2005. The net profit was $5,080 million in fiscal year 2006, an increase of 4. 3% over 2005. HISTORY OF COCA-COLA Coca-Cola was first introduced by John Smyth Pemberton, a pharmacist, in the year 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia when he invented caramel-colored syrup in a three-legged brass kettle in his backyard.He first â€Å"distributed† the product by carrying it in a jug down the street to Jacob’s Pharmacy and customers bought the drink for five cents at the soda fountain. Carbonated water was teamed with the new syrup, whether by acc ident or otherwise, producing a drink that was proclaimed â€Å"delicious and refreshing†, a theme that continues to echo today wherever Coca-Cola is enjoyed. Dr. Pemberton’s partner and book-keeper, Frank M. Robinson, suggested the name and penned â€Å"Coca-Cola† in the unique flowing script that is famous worldwide even today. He suggested that â€Å"the two Cs would look well in advertising. The first newspaper ad for Coca-Cola soon appeared in The Atlanta Journal, inviting thirsty citizens to try â€Å"the new and popular soda fountain drink. † Hand-painted oil cloth signs reading â€Å"Coca-Cola† appeared on store awnings, with the suggestions â€Å"Drink† added to inform passersby that the new beverage was for soda fountain refreshment. By the year 1886, sales of Coca-Cola averaged nine drinks per day. The first year, Dr. Pemberton sold 25 gallons of syrup, shipped in bright red wooden kegs. Red has been a distinctive color associate d with the soft drink ever since. For his efforts, Dr. Pemberton grossed $50 and spent $73. 6 on advertising. Dr. Pemberton never realized the potential of the beverage he created. He gradually sold portions of his business to various partners and, just prior to his death in 1888, sold his remaining interest in Coca-Cola to Asa G. Candler, an entrepreneur from Atlanta. By the year 1891, Mr. Candler proceeded to buy additional rights and acquire complete ownership and control of the Coca-Cola business. Within four years, his merchandising flair had helped expand consumption of Coca-Cola to every state and territory after which he liquidated his pharmaceutical business and focused his full attention on the soft drink.With his brother, John S. Candler, John Pemberton’s former partner Frank Robinson and two other associates, Mr. Candler formed a Georgia corporation named the Coca-Cola Company. The trademark â€Å"Coca-Cola,† used in the marketplace since 1886, was register ed in the United States Patent Office on January 31, 1893. The business continued to grow, and in 1894, the first syrup manufacturing plant outside Atlanta was opened in Dallas, Texas. Others were opened in Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California, the following year.In 1895, three years after The Coca-Cola Company’s incorporation, Mr. Candler announced in his annual report to share owners that â€Å"Coca- Cola is now drunk in every state and territory in the United States. † As demand for Coca-Cola increased, the Company quickly outgrew its facilities. A new building erected in 1898 was the first headquarters building devoted exclusively to the production of syrup and the management of the business. Strategic Management Issues of Coca-Cola Company the year 1919, the Coca-Cola Company was sold to a group of investors for $25 million.Robert W. Woodruff became the President of the Company in the year 1923 and his more than sixty years of leadership took the busines s to unsurpassed heights of commercial success, making Coca-Cola one of the most recognized and valued brands around the world. HISTORY OF BOTTLING Coca-Cola originated as a soda fountain beverage in 1886 selling for five cents a glass. Early growth was impressive, but it was only when a strong bottling system developed that Coca-Cola became the world-famous brand it is today.Year 1894: A modest start for a bold idea In 1894 the Coca-Cola Company is in a candy store in Vicksburg, Mississippi, brisk sales of the new fountain beverage called Coca-Cola impressed the store's owner, Joseph A. Biedenharn. He began bottling Coca-Cola to sell, using a common glass bottle called a Hutchinson. Biedenharn sent a case to Asa Griggs Candler, who owned the Company. Candler thanked him but took no action. One of his nephews already had urged that Coca-Cola be bottled, but Candler focused on fountain sales. In 21st century the Coca-Cola bottling system grew up with roots deeply planted in local com munities.This heritage serves the Company well today as consumers seek brands that honor local identity and the distinctiveness of local markets. As was true a century ago, strong locally based relationships between Coca-Cola bottlers, customers and communities are the foundation on which the entire business grows. Page 15 16. Strategic Management Issues of Coca-Cola Company 1920s and 30s †¦ 1950s †¦ Packaging 1916 †¦ International innovations expansion Birth of the contour bottle VISION OF COCA-COLA COMPANY Our mission declares our purpose as a company.It serves as the standard against which we weigh our actions and decisions. It is the foundation of our Manifesto. †¢ To refresh the world in body, mind and spirit †¢ To inspire moments of optimism through our brands and our actions †¢ To create value and make a difference everywhere we engage. Page 16 MISSION OF COCA-COLA COMPANY To create consumer products, services and communications, customer service and bottling system strategies, processes and tools in order to create competitive advantage and deliver superior value to; †¢ Consumers as a superior beverage experience Consumers as an opportunity to grow profits through the use of finished drinks †¢ Bottlers as an opportunity to grow profits in volumes †¢ Bottlers as a trademark enhancement and positive economic value added †¢ Suppliers as an opportunity to make reasonable profits when creating real value-added in an environment of system-wide team work, flexible business system and continuous improvement †¢ Indian society in the form of a contribution to economic and social development. †¢ Refresh the World†¦In body, mind, and spirit †¢ Inspire Moments of Optimism†¦ Through our brands and our actions †¢ Create Value and Make a Difference†¦ Everywhere we engage. VISION FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH Our vision guides every aspect of our business by describing what we need to accompl ish in order to continue achieving sustainable growth. People: Being a great place to work where people are inspired to be the best they can be. Portfolio: Bringing to the world a portfolio of quality beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy people's desires and needs.Partners: Nurturing a winning network of customers and suppliers, together we create mutual, enduring value. Planet: Being a responsible citizen that makes a difference by helping build and support sustainable communities. Profit: Maximizing long-term return to shareowners while being mindful of our overall responsibilities. QUALITY POLICY Coca-Cola Company follows different quality standard for different countries across the globe. Coca-Cola Company has a long-standing commitment to protecting the consumers whose trust and confidence in its products is the bedrock of its success.In order to ensure that consumers stay informed about the global quality of all Coca-Cola products sold in World, Coca-Cola products carry a quality assurance seal on them. The ‘One Quality Worldwide’ assurance seal appears on the entire range of Coca-Cola Company’s beverages. CURRENT ORGANIZATIONAL ORGANOGRAM BRANDS OF COCA-COLA Coca-Cola Zero ® has been one of the most successful product launch hes in Coca-Cola’s history. In 2007, Coca Cola’s sold nearly 450 million cases globally. Put into perspective, that's roughly the same size as Coca Cola’s total business in the Philippines, one of our top 15 markets.As of September 2008, Coca-Cola Zero is available in more than 100 countries. Energy Drinks For those with a high-intensity approach to life, Coca Cola’s brands of Energy Drinks contain ingredients such as ginseng extract, guarana extract, and caffeine and B vitamins. Juices/Juice Drinks We bring innovation to the goodness of juice in Coca Cola’s more than 20 juice and juice drink brands, offering both adults and children nutritious, refreshing and flavorful beverages Soft Drinks Coca Cola’s dozens of soft drink brands provide flavor and refreshment in a variety of choices.From the original Coca-Cola to most recent introductions, soft drinks from The Coca-Cola Company are both icons and innovators in the beverage industry. Sports Drinks Carbohydrates, fluids, and electrolytes team together in Coca Cola’s Sports Drinks, providing rapid hydration and terrific taste for fitness-seekers at any level Tea and Coffee Bottled and canned teas and coffees provide consumers' favorite drinks in convenient take- anywhere packaging, satisfying both traditional tea drinkers and today's growing coffee culture.Water Smooth and essential, our Waters and Water Beverages offer hydration in its purest form. Other Drinks So much more than soft drinks, Coca Cola’s brands also include milk products, soup, and more so you can choose a Coca Cola Company product anytime, anywhere for nutrition, refreshment or other needs. CONSUMER CHOICE AT A GLANCE Limca Common Fanta Basically Preferred by Maaza also Ladies and drink. Kids Sprite not clearly Kinley Soda Mostly those who defines consume liquor Factors affecting the strategic management issues of domestic and international operations of Coca-Cola Company.Language| English used as a second language| Use the local language in many situations required| Cultures| Relatively homogeneous| Quite diverse, both between countries and within countries| Politics| Unstable| Often volatile and of decisive importance| Economy| Underdeveloped| Wide variations among countries and among regions within countries| Governmental interferences| Reasonably Predictable| Often extensive and subject to rapid change| Labor| Skilled labors are not available| Skilled labors are often scarce, requiring trainings or redesigned of production methods| Financing| Moderately developed financial markets| Often poorly developed financial markets; capital flows subject to governmental control| Market Researc h| Data collect is not very easy| Sometimes data difficult and expensive to collect| Advertising| Media are available with some restrictions| Media limited; many restrictions; low literacy rates rule out of prints media in some countries| Money| | Must change from one currency to another| Transportations| It is not developed| Often Adequate| Control| Always a problem| A worse problem| Labor Relations| Collective bargaining, layoff of workers| Layoff of workers often not possible, may have mandatory participation in management; workers may seek political change rather than collective bargaining| Factors affecting the strategic management issuesThere are some factors which affect strategic of Coca-Cola Company in case of international operation. Language is one of the main considerations when it does business domestically, they generally domestic language. But when it does business outside the country it follows Polycentric policy that is it used different language in different countr ies. Side by side culture is relatively homogeneous in domestic operation and quite diverse, both between countries and within countries. Political stability and policy also be considered by the Coca-Cola Company. Control function is done by centrally in case of domestically but when it goes beyond outside, it must work a tightrope between over centralizing and losing control to much decentralizing.Labor is another consideration because their skills and collective bargaining that is labor relation differ from country to country. Advertising in domestic country is very easy because domestic cultures are known to them. But in case of international operation it faces many problems for advertising such as shortage of media, huge advertising cost and so forth. However economy is relatively uniform in domestic’s country but outsides, it faces wide variation among countries and among region within country. In case of Coco-Cola Company the market research data is easy to collect but when it goes to foreign sometimes face difficult and expensive to collect data.At last we see that government interference in case of domestically, it is minimal and reasonably predictable but in international operation it is often expensive and subject to rapid change. Strategic Alternatives of Multinational Companies Multinationals corporations typically adopt one of four strategic alternatives in their attempt to balance the three goals of global efficiencies, multinational flexibility, and worldwide learning. There four strategies are as follows— Home Replication Strategy In this strategy, a firm utilizes the core competency or firm- specific advantage it developed at home as its main competitive weapon in the foreign markets that it enters. That is, it takes what it does exceptionally well in its home market and attempts to duplicate it in foreign markets.Multi-domestic Strategy It is the second alternative available to international firm. A multi-domestic corporation vi ews itself as a collection of relatively independent operating subsidiaries, each of which focuses on a specific domestic market. Global Strategy It is the third alternative available for international firms. A global corporations views the world as a single marketplace and has as its primary goal the creation of standardized goods and services that will address the needs of customers worldwide. Transnational Strategy The transnational corporation attempts to combine the benefits of global scale efficiencies with the benefits of local responsiveness.Strategies for Coca Cola Company These four strategy are shown in the following figure— Home Multi-domestic Replication Strategy Strategy v Transnational Global Strategy Strategy From these four strategies Coca-Cola Company follow the Multi-domestic strategies. They produce their products independently in different countries. All countries product are not same. They produce their products by following different strategy for differ ent countries, based on the internal and external environment of the country. Coca-Cola Company developed their strategy by considering the nature of the people of different county’s people, culture, status and so many other related factors.Behind the reasons of following of this strategy may be that, different countries’ economies of scale for production, distribution, and marketing are low, side by side cost of coordination between the parent corporation and its various foreign subsidiaries is high. Because each subsidiary in a multi-domestic corporation must be responsive to the local market, the parent company usually delegates considerable power and authority to managers of its subsidiaries in various host countries. Levels of Strategies followed by Coca-Cola Company There are three levels of strategies followed by Coca-Cola Company. This may be stated as the following Figure: Levels of Strategies Corporate Level Strategy Corporate level strategy attempts to defin e the domain of business the firm intends to operate.Corporate level strategy fundamentally is concerned with the selection of businesses in which the company should compete and with the development and coordination of that portfolio of businesses. A firm might adopt any of three forms of corporate strategy: †¢ A single business strategy †¢ Related diversification strategy and †¢ Unrelated diversification strategy. Coca-Cola Company follows related diversification strategy that is calls for the firm to operate in several different but fundamentally related businesses. Each of its operations linked to the others Coca-Cola characters, the Coca-Cola logo, and a theme of wholesomeness and a reputation for providing high quality family products.Coca-Cola Company follows this strategy because it has several advantages. At first, the firm depends less on a single products so it is less vulnerable to competitive or economic threats. Secondly, related diversification may produ ce economies of scale for a firm. Thirdly, related diversification may allow a firm to use technology or expertise developed in one market to enter a second market more cheaply and easily. Corporate level strategies of Coca-Cola Company is following Business Unit Level Strategy A strategic business unit may be a division, product line, or other profit center that can be planned independently from the other business units of the firm.Corporate strategy deals with the overall whereas business strategy focuses on specific business, subsidiaries or operating units within the firm. Business seeks to answer the question â€Å"how should we compete in each market we have chosen to enter? † The firms develop unique business strategy for each of its strategic business units, or it may pursue the same business strategy for all of them. The three basic business strategy are differentiation, overall cost leadership and focus. Coca-Cola Company uses the differentiation strategy effectivel y. Functional Level Strategy The functional strategies attempts to answer to question â€Å"How we manage the function? The functional level of the organization is the level of the operating divisions and departments. The strategic issues at the functional level are related to business processes and the value chain. Functional level strategies in marketing, finance, operations, human resources, and R;D involve the development and coordination of resources through which business unit level strategies can be executed efficiently and effectively. Functional units of an organization are involved in higher level strategies by providing input into the business unit level and corporate level strategy, such as providing information on resources and capabilities on which the higher level strategies can be based.Once the higher-level strategy is developed, the functional units translate it into discrete action-plans that each department or division must accomplish for the strategy to succeed . E-COMMERCE OF COCA-COLA COMPANY Good points of Coca-Cola Company †¢ Brand Promotion †¢ Attractive products selection †¢ Look and feel 8 †¢ Provision of multimedia product, catalogue pages †¢ Personal attention †¢ Community relationships Weak points of Coca-Cola Company †¢ Performance and service: that is not easy navigation, shopping and purchasing, and prompt shipping and delivery. †¢ Discount pricing is not being offered. Developing International Strategies Developing international strategies is not a one-dimensional process.. Simply put, put strategy formulations deciding what to do and strategy implementation is actually doing it.Firms generally carry out international strategic management in two broad strategies- Strategy Formulation In strategies formulation, a firm establishes its goals and strategic plan that will lead to the achievement of their mission goals. In international strategy formulation, managers develop, refine, and agre e on which markets of enter (or exit) and how best to compete in each. Strategy Implementation A firm develops the tactics for achieving the formulated international strategies is known as strategy implementation. Strategy implementation is usually achieved via the organization’s design, the work of its employees, and its control systems and processes. Every Multinational Companies are developing their international strategies so that they can survive in the complex business situation.Now the modern market is fully globalized and as a result it’s really difficult for every multinational organization in the right track. In such aspect the importance of strategy formulation and strategy implementation played an important role. Side by side there is some important process which helps in international strategy formulation. Developing International Strategies in Aspects of Coca-Cola Company TCCQS is the Coca-Cola system’s branded quality management system. It helps c oordinate and guide our activities to ensure quality in everything they do. For entering in to a new market and be survive in the market it always ready to cope with change. Different government policy, economic condition, political situation, barrier and ban are associated with different market.Coca-Cola Company’s basic strategies are to develop a mission statement for entering a new market depending on a fully fledged market survey. Identifying external and internal environment strength, weakness, opportunity, and threats is the next management strategies. Depending on the scope and opportunity the company will go forward as well as try to resolve the weakness and threats. After entering into a new market Coca-Cola Company try to achieve strategic goals and guide its daily activities with proper observation. Lastly this company establishes a control framework for controlling the managerial and organizational systems and process as well. This company believes that, for takin g a position in a new country is fully depends on the good formulation strategies and keeping it.To do business outside the local market is depending on the quality control of the product and quality ensures the customer perception and the choice for consuming this products. Through this model, we see that the company is first take the response of customers and consumers through market survey. Then the management accumulates the best quality resources for making their products. This process includes- †¢ Skilled employee involvement for production and quality control †¢ High quality materials for production †¢ Up to date technology for quality control †¢ Effective methods and newly developed strategies They will follow some sequential steps in developing the international strategy formulation.Those steps help the Coca- Cola Company to enter and establish their business in multinational base. They are following multi-domestic strategies for their produced product a s well as their marketing system. The analysis of different levels of strategic formulating of Coca-Cola Company is given below. Developing the Mission Statement Coca-Cola Company begins the international strategic planning process by creating a mission statement, which clarifies the organization’s purpose, value, and directions. The mission statement is often used as a way of communicating with internal and external constituents and stakeholders about the firm’s strategic direction. Mission statement of Coca-Cola CompanyThis company focused on driving growth in of their business in selected profitable and emerging categories. To develop, implement and continuously improve the integrated management systems in a culture of continuous improvement which: †¢ Directs the continual up-gradation for efficient and environment friendly manufacturing technology. †¢ Monitor and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of all business processes. †¢ Promotes professi onal and flexible work environment, teamwork and innovation through employee participation and process ownership. †¢ Drives customer orientation at all levels within the organization. †¢ Monitor and economize the Cost of Quality.Comments on mission Statements (In terms of how they support the strategies) The vision statement of this company supports the existing strategies that are (generic strategy) that Coca Cola needs to pursue is that of differentiation. In their current vision and mission statements, the company says it aims to be a low cost leader, yet through their analysis of the strategic direction, the company needs to adopt a generic strategy of differentiation. This will allow Coca cola to do two things; 1. Increase unit sales 2. Gain buyer loyalty However, at the expense of sounding simplistic, it is necessary that the company communicate its differentiation to its customers, otherwise these two advantages will not avail themselves.Initially Coca cola will nee d to adopt a focused differentiation approach, which means that they should selectively choose which markets will profit them the most and then target only those markets until such provisions are in place from where the company is able to expand its target base. After which they should opt for a broad differentiation generic strategy. COCA-COLA COMPANY, THE SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT ANALYSIS The Coca-Cola Company (Coca-Cola) is a leading manufacturer, distributor and marketer of Non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, in the world. Coca-Cola has a strong brand name and brand portfolio. Business-Week and Inter brand, a branding consultancy, recognize Coca-Cola as one of the leading brands in their top 100 global brands ranking in 2008.The Business Week-Interbred valued Coca- Cola at $67,000 million in 2008. Coca-Cola ranks well ahead of its close competitor Pepsi which has a ranking of 22 having a brand value of $12,690 million The Company’s strong brand value facilitates cus tomer recall and allows Coca-Cola to Page 37 38. Strategic Management Issues of Coca-Cola Company penetrate markets. However, the company is threatened by intense competition which could have an adverse impact on the company’s market share. Analyzing the primary competitor and identifying their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT Analysis) help determine target markets, marketing plan, and customer service, sales forecasting and sales planning.Examining the following will assist in the competitive analysis: Identify the level of rivalry among competing sellers in the industry Review strategies of companies to encourage customers to switch from a competitor Analyze ease of entry for new competitors Determine bargaining power for suppliers of key materials and components Determine bargaining power for buyers of the product SWOT Analysis represents the analysis of the following four things— STRENGTHS Distribution network: The Company has a strong and r eliable distribution network. The network is formed on the basis of the time of consumption and the amount of sales yielded by a particular customer in one transaction. It has a distribution network consisting of a number of efficient salesmen, 700,000 retail outlets and 8000 distributors.The distribution fleet includes different modes of distribution, from 10-tonne trucks to open-bay three wheelers that can navigate through narrow alleyways of Indian cities and trademarked tricycles and pushcarts. Strong Brands: The products produced and marketed by the Company have a strong brand image. People all around the world recognize the brands marketed by the Company. Strong brand names like Coca-Cola, Fanta, Limca, and Maaza add up to the brand name of the Coca-Cola Company as a whole. The red and white Coca-Cola is one of the very few things that are recognized by people all over the world. Coca-Cola has been named the world's top brand for a fourth consecutive year in a survey by consul tancy Inter brand. It was estimated that the Coca-Cola brand was worth $70. 45billion.Low Cost of Operations: The production, marketing and distribution systems are very efficient due to forward planning and maintenance of consistency of operations which minimizes wastage of both time and resources leads to lowering of costs. WEAKNESSES Low Export Levels: The brands produced by the company are brands produced worldwide thereby making the export levels very low. In India, there exists a major controversy concerning pesticides and other harmful chemicals in bottled products including Coca-Cola. Small Scale Sector Reservations Limit Ability To Invest And Achieve Economies Of Scale: The Company’s operations are carried out on a small scale and due to Government restrictions and ‘red-tapism’, the Company finds it very difficult to invest in technological advancements and achieve economies of scale. OPPORTUNITIESLarge Domestic Markets: The domestic market for the produ cts of the Company is very high as compared to any other soft drink. Coca-Cola India claims a 58 per cent share of the soft drinks market; this includes a 42 per cent share of the cola market. Other products account for 16 per cent market share, chiefly led by Limca. The company appointed 50,000 new outlets in the first two months of this year, as part of its plans to cover one lakh outlets for the coming summer season and this also covered 3,500 new villages. In Bangalore, Coca- Cola amounts for 74% of the beverage market. Export Potential: The Company can come up with new products which are not manufactured abroad, like Maaza etc and export them to foreign nations.It can come up with strategies to eliminate apprehension from the minds of the people towards the Coke products produced in India so that there will be a considerable amount of exports and it is yet another opportunity to broaden future prospects and cater to the global markets rather than just domestic market. Higher In come among People: Development of India as a whole has lead to an increase in the per capita income thereby causing an increase in disposable income. Unlike olden times, people now have the power of buying goods of their choice without having to worry much about the flow of their income. The beverage industry can take advantage of such a situation and enhance their sales. THREATSImports: For example: As India is developing at a fast pace, the per capita income has increased over the years and a majority of the people is educated, the export levels have gone high. People understand trade to a large extent and the demand for foreign goods has increased over the years. If consumers shift onto imported beverages rather than have beverages manufactured within the country, it could pose a threat to the Indian beverage industry as a whole in turn affecting the sales of the Company. Tax and Regulatory Sector: The tax system in India is accompanied by a variety of regulations at each stage o n the consequence from production to consumption.When a license is issued, the production capacity is mentioned on the license and every time the production capacity needs to be increased, the license poses a problem. Renewing or updating a license every now and then is difficult. Therefore, this can limit the growth of the Company and pose problems. Slowdown In Rural Demand: The rural market may be alluring but it is not without its problems: Low per capita disposable incomes that is half the urban disposable income; large number of daily wage earners, acute dependence on the vagaries of the monsoon; seasonal consumption linked to harvests and festivals and special occasions; poor roads; power problems; and inaccessibility to conventional advertising media.All these problems might lead to a slowdown in the demand for the company’s products. COCA-COLA COMPANY, THE PEST ANALYSIS A scan of the external macro-environment in which the firm operates can be expressed in terms of th e following factors: †¢ Political †¢ Economic †¢ Social †¢ Technological The acronym PEST (or sometimes rearranged as â€Å"STEP†) is used to describe a framework for the analysis of these macro environmental factors. A PEST analysis fits into an overall environmental scan, which consists of significant political, economic, social and technological analysis for a firm to reach their desirable position or to attain the goals and objectives.For operating a business worldwide it is too much important, because its analysis represent the overall environmental scanning as shown in the following diagram: Environmental Scan / External Analysis Internal Analysis / Macro environment Microenvironment | P. E. S. T. Coca-Cola Company’s perform/ operate their business unit in different country based on the developing of the PEST analysis. The PEST analysis of Coca-Cola Company is as following— Political Factors It is one of the significant parts of a compa ny where, in which country they operate their business unit. Political factors include government regulations and legal issues and define both formal and informal rules under which the firm must operate. Some examples include: †¢ tax policy †¢ employment laws †¢ environmental regulations †¢ trade restrictions and tariffs political stability Economic Factors Another most imperative element for PEST analysis is economic factors. Economic factor affects the purchasing power of potential customers and the firm's cost of capital. The following are examples of factors in the macro-economy: †¢ economic growth †¢ interest rates †¢ exchange rates †¢ inflation rate Social Factors Social factors include the demographic and cultural aspects of the external macro environment. These factors affect customer needs and the size of potential markets. Some social factors include: †¢ health consciousness †¢ population growth rate †¢ age distributio n †¢ career attitudes †¢ emphasis on safetyTechnological Factors Technological factors can lower barriers to entry, reduce minimum efficient production levels, and influence outsourcing decisions. Some technological factors include: †¢ R;D activity †¢ automation †¢ technology incentives †¢ rate of technological change Develop Strategic and tactical goals and plans of Coca-Cola Company After completion of SWOT and PEST analysis as context, international strategic planning is largely framed by the setting of strategic goals. Based on different market situation as well as customers response this company will set up their tactical goals for being a strong position in the global market place.Strategic goals are the major objectives that the Company wants to accomplish through pursuing a particular course of action. The basic objective of set up this strategic and tactical plan and goals is to exploit the firm’s strengths and environmental opportunitie s, neutralize external threats and overcome the firm’s weakness. Depending on those vital factors this Coca- Cola Company is develop a Control Framework for their overall controlling of management. Through this framework managerial and organizational systems are observed, monitor, and processed. Findings By preparing this report about the strategic management issues of multinational companies (MNCS), the case study on the Coca-Cola Company, we get some important things.These findings are as follows— †¢ Coca-Cola Enterprises is the world's largest marketer, producer and distributor of Coca-Cola products. †¢ Coca-Cola was first introduced by John Smyth Pemberton, a pharmacist, in the year 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia when he invented caramel-colored syrup in a three-legged brass kettle in his backyard. †¢ It operates in 46 U. S. states and Canada, and is the exclusive Coca-Cola bottler for all of Belgium, continental France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Monaco a nd the Netherlands. Coca-Cola is the nonalcoholic bottled beverages. †¢ The company owns or licenses more than 400 brands, including diet and light beverages, waters, juice and juice drinks, teas, coffees, and energy and sports drinks. The company operates in more than 200 countries †¢ Strategic management integrates the knowledge and experience gained in various functional areas. †¢ 3 Major Criteria in decision Making are—the concept of Maximization, the concept of satisfying, the concept of instrumentalism. †¢ The vision of Coca-Cola Company is to refresh the world in body, mind and spirit †¢ Bringing to the world a portfolio of quality beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy people's desires and needs. †¢ Coca-Cola Zero ® has been one of the most successful product launch hes in Coca-Cola’s history †¢ It has soft drinks, energy drinks, juice drinks, sports drinks, tea and coffee, water and other drinks. †¢ Coca-Cola Comp any follows the multi-domestic strategy for operating their business. After entering into a new market Coca-Cola Company try to achieve strategic goals and guide its daily activities with proper observation. †¢ Good points of Coca-Cola Company are brand promotion, alternative products selections, Provision of multimedia product, catalogue pages and so on. CONCLUSION Being in such a tense competition (just like the brand Coca- Cola), Coca-Cola should not take the direct and tough attack upon it. There is no good to either side. The best way is to keep a peaceful relationship with it and always compare with others; we should find their disadvantages and show our advantages on this aspect. Then by and by, the people would think ours is betted Of course the most important rule is to improve ourselves to meet the consumers.An organization’s strategic thinking is governed by the situation prevalent in its external environment. The external environment comprises of the strategi c moves adopted by the organization’s competitors. The organization has to carefully study these moves and accordingly devise strategies to gain competitive advantage. For the same, the organization needs to conduct an industry and competitive analysis. The paper discusses the steps and processes involved in the same. In formulating business strategy, managers must consider the strategies of the firm's competitors. While in highly fragmented commodity industries the moves of any single competitor may be less important, in concentrated industries competitor