Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Animal Farm: Communism Through The Eyes Of George Orwell Essay examples

Animal Farm: Communism Through The Eyes of George Orwell Throughout history, writers have written about many different subjects based on their personal experiences. George Orwell was the pen name of Eric Blair. He is one of the most famous political satirists of the twentieth century. He was born in Bengal, India in 1903 to an English Civil Servant and died in 1950. He attended Eton from 1917 to 1921, and served with the Indian Imperial Police in Burma from 1922 to 1927 before moving to Europe.Two of his most famous books, Animal Farm, written in 1946, and Nineteen Eighty-Four, written in 1949, were written about the political and social environment surrounding his life. "The driving force behind his two satires is an intense revulsion against totalitarianism, combined with an even stronger revulsion against its defenders among left-wing intellectuals."1 In most of George Orwell ¹s books and essays, there is a strong autobiographical element due to the fact that he spent many years living with Communists in northern Great Britain (a small number of people started to follow Communism in northern Great Britain when it started in Russia). George Orwell ¹s writing was affected greatly by his personal beliefs about Socialism, Communism, Fascism, and Totalitarianism, and by the revolts, wars, and revolutions going on in Europe and Russia at the time of his writings. George Orwell was a Socialist2 himself, and he despised Russian Communism3, and what it stood for. Orwell shows this hatred towards Communist Russia in a letter he wrote to Victor Gollancz saying, "For quite fifteen years I have regarded that regime with plain horror."4 Orwell wrote this letter in 1947, ten years after announcing his dislike of Communism. However, he had thought a great deal about Communism and what he disliked about if for a long time before he announced it to the public. Orwell "did not expect anything good from the Communist"5 and therefore Communism personally did not affect him, but "He was concerned with it (Communism) only because it was a problem for others."6 In Animal Farm, "an animal fable satirizing Communism,"7 Orwell uses farm animals in England to satirize Russian Communism and its leaders. One animal he uses is a pig named Napoleon, whose counterpart in the Russian Revolution is Joseph Stalin. After Napoleon takes charg... ...r, Alfred G. "Marx, Karl." World Book Encyclopedia.1988 ed. Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1949 Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1946 Stansky, Peter and Abraham, William. Orwell: The Transformation. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1979 Stansky,Peter. On Nineteen Eighty-Four. San Francisco, California: W.H. Freeman and Company, 1983 Wadsworth, Frank W. "Orwell, George" World Book Encyclopedia. 1988 ed. Woodcock, George. The Crystal Spirit a study of George Orwell. Boston, Massachusetts: Little, Brown and Company,1966 Voorhees, Richard J. The Paradox of George Orwell. New York, NY: Purdue Research Foundation,1961 "Stalin, Joseph." World Book Encyclopedia. 1988 ed. "Lenin, V.I." World Book Encyclopedia. 1988 ed.

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Diabetes :: essays research papers

Diabetes (diabetes mellitus) Diabetes is a disease characterized by excessive urination. Diabetes mellitus is caused by insufficient insulin production or lack of responsiveness to insulin, resulting in hyperglycemia (high blood glucose levels). There are 2 primary types of diabetes mellitus, type I (insulin-dependent or juvenile-onset), which may be caused by an autoimmune response, and type II (non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset). Diabetes insipidus is typically due to hormonal dysregulation. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder caused by an absolute or relative deficiency of insulin, an anabolic hormone. Insulin is produced in the pancreas by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans. Absence, destruction, or loss of these cells causes an absolute deficiency of insulin, leading to type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus [IDDM]). Most children with diabetes have IDDM and a lifetime dependence on exogenous insulin. Type 2 diabetes (non–insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus [NIDDM]) is a heterogeneous disorder. Patients with NIDDM have insulin resistance, and their beta cells lack the ability to overcome this resistance. Although this form of diabetes previously was uncommon in children, 20% or more of new patients with diabetes in childhood and adolescence now have NIDDM, a change associated with increased rates of obesity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Insulin is essential to process carbohydrate, fat, and protein. Insulin reduces blood glucose levels by allowing glucose to enter muscle cells and fat cells and by stimulating the conversion of glucose to glycogen as a carbohydrate store. Insulin also inhibits the release of stored glucose from liver glycogen and slows the breakdown of fat to triglycerides, free fatty acids, and ketones. Additionally, insulin slows the breakdown of protein for glucose production. Hyperglycemia results when insulin deficiency leads to uninhibited gluconeogenesis and prevents the use and storage of circulating glucose. The kidneys cannot reabsorb the excess glucose load, causing glycosuria, osmotic diuresis, thirst, and dehydration. Increased fat and protein breakdown leads to ketone production and weight loss. Without insulin, a child with IDDM wastes away and eventually dies from diabetic ketoacidosis. Information on mortality rates is difficult to ascertain without complete national registers of childhood diabetes, although age-specific mortality probably is double that of the general population. Particularly at risk are children aged 1-4 years who may die with DKA at the time of diagnosis. Adolescents also are a high-risk group. Most deaths result from delayed diagnosis or neglected treatment and subsequent cerebral edema during treatment for DKA, although untreated hypoglycemia also causes some deaths.

Bright Light Big City

What not to Do: Paper 2, Question 2 With almost every mistake made in life, there are lessons that can be learned from them. They can be minor changes in a person’s character or they can completely alter the way people live their lives. These decisions can be for the better or for the worst as well. In Jay McInerney’s Bright Lights, Big City, the character of You faces these very dilemmas. He made mistakes in his life that have altered the way he works, his social life, and, most importantly, the way he interacts with his family.It is almost as if he is a completely different person who simply wanted to fit into the in crowd. Throughout the book it is evident that the pretender makes his imagination reality, and he cannot keep up with it. This books entire plot should be a what not to do guide for every adolescent who is tempted by peer pressure, because it is a perfect image of what can happen in such a short amount of time, and how quick a person can forget who they r eally are. In the beginning of the novel, You are quoted, thinking, ‘You are not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning.But here you are, and you cannot say that the terrain is entirely unfamiliar, although the details are fuzzy. ’ (McInerney, Pg. 1) This quote would be one of the first and most major indicators that the character of You is pretending to be something that he is not. Inside the character of You, he knows that his actions and the people he is hanging around with is not the norm or does not fit who he is on the inside: a person with morals and respect for his family. He is pretending to be a person without morals about taking drugs, his actions toward others, or honesty in order to fit into the ‘In’ crowd.As the story develops, the reader gets to learn about You’s relationships, habits, and other personal details that could give hints to his self-destruction. The reader learns that You had recently been divorced from his model wife. They also learn that he is on the verge of losing his job, and his mother had passed away a year ago. However, in my opinion, the people that You began to associate himself with were the ones who changed his morals. After all the stress he had been under, people like Tad Allagash became a sort of easy way out of his situation.Instead of dealing with his stress in a healthy way, he decided to go out into the New York City night life, where he drank excessively and took various drugs like cocaine, ecstasy, and other pills. He managed to be able to avoid his family throughout his character change which included lying to them when he was forced to talk with them. For example, when You is asked about where his wife, Amanda, is by his brother Michael, he responds, â€Å"She’s shopping. † (McInerney, Pg. 157).However later, after being knocked out by his brother, he tells the truth, â€Å"‘Amanda isn’t shopping,’ you sa y. ‘She left me. ’ â€Å"(McInerney, Pg. 159). This transition from deceit to honesty when he is vulnerable shows that the character and morality of You is still inside of him, it has just been masked by the fabricated life that he had been living for the past year. At the end of the novel, You comes to the realization that the life he is living is not who he truly is on the inside, which is a person with morals and character that is above the pseudo life that is around him. ’I just realized something. ’ (You) ‘What’s that? ’ (Tad) ‘You and Amanda would make a great couple. ’ ‘I supposed that means that you get Odysseus all to yourself. ’ ‘Later, Tad. ’† (McInerney, Pg. 177-178). You realized that Tad is one of the main sources for his self-destruction. His attitude towards life and other people have been reflected on to You. You decided that he did not need to put up with his antics anymore and to simply dismiss Tad from his life.Leaving Tad behind begins You’s change for the better and at the very end of the novel, You strives for a familiar yet basic staple from his childhood: that being bread. He smells it in the city and bribes a man to give him some in exchange for his Ray-Ban sunglasses. â€Å"You get down on your knees and tear open the bag. The smell of warm dough envelops you. The first bite sticks in your throat and you almost gag. You will have to learn everything all over again. † (McInerney, Pg. 182). This final paragraph is the start of a new beginning for You.The symbol of giving up his sunglasses for something simple yet familiar shows that he is willing to move on from the events of his past and better himself for the future. In my opinion, the moral lesson in the novel Bright Lights, Big City is to be yourself and to not let the stress in your life open yourself up to people who may alter your morals. This novel is sort of a not to do b ook that shows how easily a person can be changed when they allow stress to overcome their life. Although it is not a true story, It can be taken as precautionary tale.I do not believe the McInerney wrote this novel in order to scare people and say that if events like these happen in your life, you will end up a coke head. However, I believe he wrote this book to show that when people are at certain points in their life where they don’t know what to do, they will turn to whatever is easiest. Although at the time what is easy may seem to work, over time it will end up tearing them apart further. Bibliography 1. McInerney, Jay. Bright Lights, Big City: A Novel. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 1984. Print.

Monday, September 30, 2019

Speech on Belonging

Belonging is usually defined as being accepted into and by members of a family, group, class, race, community or school. The term belonging means something different to everyone but most people will come up with the words acceptance, security and identity. In this speech I have chosen to talk about the aspects of belonging and not belonging in two of Peter Skrzynecki’s Poems, Migrant Hostel and 10 Mary Street and also in the 1997 film ‘Titanic’. In Peter Skrzynecki’s Migrant Hostel, he talks about the 2 years of his life that he and most of his family lived in a Migrant hostel in Parkes after coming to Australia after World War 2 from Poland and leaving most of his family and polish heritage behind. This poem gives the responder a sense of confusion about whether he belongs or not to this migrant hostel. Skrzynecki creates this confusion by contrasting the family’s sense of belonging to the hostel with the family’s confusion about whether or not they actually belonged to the Australian soil. Although the migrant hostel was their home for 2 years there was always so many people coming and going that it didn’t really feel like a home which made it really hard to create a sense of belonging as a community. Techniques used by Skrzynecki to create this sense of confusion about belonging are juxtaposition or contrast for example in the last stanza on the 6th line â€Å"Needing its sanction To pass in and out of lives That had only begun Or were dying† This can be referred to as when people arrive at the hostel their lives are just beginning as they have a second chance to start their lives over again and forget about the past and what has happened and concentrate on the future and then when they leave the hostel they feel lost because they are on unknown land and they feel they don’t really fit in with the Australian lifestyle as they have their own background and heritage to maintain. This uote could also mean the opposite when they leave they have a chance to start over and renew there lives again and when they are in the hostel they are trapped and don’t know what to do or who they are. Symbolism is another technique Skrzynecki uses in this poem. In ‘Migrant hostel’ he uses birds as a symbol of being trapped. For example the third stanza ‘For over two years We lived like birds of passage- Always sensing a change In the weather: Unaware of the season Whose track we would follow’ This example shows how the people in the hostel where hardly allowed outside, which shows that they were basically trapped inside and away from everyone else. Another technique Skrzynecki uses is rhetorical device; this technique shows the confusion of the people inside the hostel, for example in the first stanza 6th line â€Å"That left us wondering who would be coming next. † This example shows the confusion the people had, and how uncertain things were for them, they didn’t know who was going to come through the gate next or who was going to leave. Also in this poem Skrzynecki uses an extended metaphor. In this poem the bird symbol is also used as the extended metaphor. In this poem he uses refers to a homing pigeon to deepen the sense of instinctual behavior for example in the second stanza 1st line ‘Nationalities sought Each other out instinctively Like a homing pigeon Circling to get its bearings’ this example shows how the people are coming together and finding each other through their background and where they came from. The last technique that Skrzynecki uses in this poem is similes. For example n the last stanza 4th line ‘As it rose and fell like a finger’ this particular simile refers to the gate out the front of the hostel, it shows how they were isolated from the rest of the country by that gate and that they had no control over when that gate opened or closed. It makes the hostel sound like a jail. In Skrzynecki’s poem ‘10 Mary Street’ he is describing his life in his fir st ever home on Australian soil, this poem has a greater sense of belonging as he is more comfortable in Mary street, and he has a greater sense of belonging to his family, his home, his school, his community and is comfortable with his migrant past. Skrzynecki and his family lived at 10 Mary Street for 19 years before the house got knocked down. During this poem Skrzynecki has no sense of doubt or uncertainty about who he is or where he is going. This poem gives a strong sense of happiness and content within his life as the language is light and joyful, as he remembers certain things about that house and life within it. Skrzynecki uses techniques such as personification

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Coke Wars Case Study

Coke Wars Case Analysis: Competition, Strategy, and Implications Webster University Summer 2012 INTRODUCTION The rivalry between Coca-Cola & Pepsi can be deemed as legendary, â€Å"the top soft drink competitors in the world spend millions of dollars yearly to try and convince you that their version of soft drink is better† (Dotson pg 1).Over the past century, it seems they have feuded over everything from who has superior taste, to the pursuit into space, and more recently over NASCAR and the social media race. Regardless of who is ahead in the competition, the battles between Coca-Cola & Pepsi demonstrate important strategic adaptations that the corporations must execute so as to thrive in the constantly changing realms of customer satisfaction, business environments and technology.This paper will: 1) review the strategic issues presented in the â€Å"Coke Wars† case through the use of the Strategic Management Model as applied to both Coca-Cola & Pepsi; 2) highlight fundamental strategies & tactics so as to analyze the inherent competition between both corporations; and finally 3) discuss implications of concepts presented in the case for the middle manager so as to grasp lessons learned for future application.STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT MODEL (SMM) The text describes strategic management as â€Å"the set of decisions and actions that result in the formulation and implementation of plans designed to achieve a company’s objectives† (Pearce, Robinson pg 3). With this definition in mind then, the Strategic Management Model can be considered as a very useful framework by which managers plan and implement business strategies.More importantly, in today’s global business environment â€Å"firms need perfect processes that respond to increases in the size and number of competing firms; to the expanded role of government as a buyer, seller, regulator, and competitor in the free-enterprise system; and to greater business involvement in int ernational trade† (pg 3). Furthermore, while â€Å"businesses vary in the processes they use to formulate and direct their strategic management activities†¦the basic components of the models used to analyze strategic management operations is similar† (pg 9).In reaction to internal and external environmental business/economic pressures Coca-Cola & Pepsi have manipulated the SMM in various ways so as to remain viable/powerful competitors in their respective industry. Coca-Cola Model Application According to the Coca-Cola Company’s Annual Report 2011, they are â€Å"the world’s largest beverage company†¦with more than 500 nonalcoholic beverage brands†¦own the world’s top five nonalcoholic sparkling beverage brands†¦products bearing their trademarks, have been sold in the United States since 1886, and are now sold in more than 200 countries† (pg 1).Coca-Cola’s report to shareholders reveals that they are continuing to r emain competitive in the beverage/snack industry due to a multitude of intelligent strategic decisions. When analyzing Coca-Cola from the Strategic Management Model perspective one can determine that while the internal/external environment will always remain unpredictable, the development of viable plans/processes can assist a corporation in remaining flexible and responsive to necessary change. Coca-Cola’s Mission is â€Å"to refresh the world†¦inspire moments of optimism and happiness†¦create value and make a difference† (Annual Report Mission, Vision, and Values).Their current goals are â€Å"to use company assets—brands, financial strength, unrivaled distribution system, global reach and the talent and strong commitment of management and associates—to become more competitive and to accelerate growth in a manner that creates value for shareholders† (pg 1). Overall, the mission statement is quite powerful and accurately â€Å"describes the company’s product, market, and technological areas of emphasis in a way that reflects the values and priorities of the strategic decision makers† (Pearce, Robinson pg 10).With respect to Internal Analysis, the corporation has identified its â€Å"operating structure as the basis for financial reporting† and is broken down into 7 different operating groups (Annual Report pg 2). The method for financial reporting is important because this is where/how investors and executives alike assess the â€Å"quantity and quality of the company’s financial, human, and physical resources†¦and contrasts company’s past successes and traditional concerns with the company’s current capabilities† (Pearce Robinson pg 11).Coca-Cola’s Annual Report is well designed, informative, and relatively easy to read as well. An important internal analysis factor of note is that of leadership—CEO’s and Board members alike must adequately analyze the direction/vision of the corporation so as to not become â€Å"fixated upon past glories†¦instead embracing new opportunities† (Ward pg 3). The External Environment that the company experiences is one full of pressures to include: extreme competition, distribution system management challenges, and social responsibility struggles.Additional competitive factors include those of â€Å"but not limited to pricing, advertising, sales promotion programs, product innovation, increased efficiency in production techniques, the introduction of new packaging, new vending and dispensing equipment, and brand/trademark development & protection† (Annual Report pg 8). Concerning Strategic Analysis and Choice, Coca-Cola can be considered as â€Å"effective at building sustainable competitive advantage based on key value chain activities and capabilities† (PR pg 11) and have identified their bottling operations as equity method investments.The â€Å"investments a re intended to result in increases in the unit case volume, net revenues and profits at the bottler level, which in turn generate increased concentrate sales for the company concentrate and syrup business†¦when this occurs both the corporation and the bottling partners benefit from long-term growth in volume, improved cash flows, and increased shareholder value† (AR pg 7). The Long-Term Objectives should reflect areas such as â€Å"profitability, return on investment, competitive position, technological leadership, productivity, employee relations, public responsibility, and employee development† (PR pg 11).According to the provided case materials, the company has strong goals for the future and â€Å"has transformed into a more innovative, risk taking company†¦becoming more adventurous in responding to changes in the beverage market for healthier alternatives† so as to respond to customer desires, technology, and competitive environment (Ward pg 3). Co ca-Cola’s Generic Strategy is that of differentiation, making their products superior to those in the industry, â€Å"by stressing the attribute above other product qualities, the firm attempts to build customer loyalty† (PR pg 158).Their Grand Strategies can be defined as concentrated growth, market development, product development, innovation, vertical integration, turnaround, and strategic alliances. Coca-Cola is increasingly globalized and their Generic and Grand strategies seem to be creating valuable success for the corporation â€Å"and is transforming into a more innovative, risk-taking company† (Ward pg 2). Short Term Objectives for the corporation involve effective marketing strategies that appeal to existing customers and new clientele as well.They have embraced social media, the health craze and more recently the 2012 Olympics to successfully reach an increasingly global audience. In fact, â€Å"Coke’s strongest performance has been experienc ed in emerging markets in Russia, China, and Brazil, and has also improved its position in North America and Europe as well† (pg 3). Action Plans are incorporated and employed globally by executives and managers alike at Coca-Cola and those plans are laid out in the Annual Report.Everything from distribution systems, bottling methods, responses to competition, raw material acquisition, and investment plans are outlined which provides exact methods by which the corporation plans to remain a viable player in the industry. In sum they plan to â€Å"use the Company’s assets—brands, financial strength, unrivaled distribution system, global reach and the talent and strong commitment of management and associates—to become more competitive and to accelerate growth in a manner that creates value for shareholders† (Annual Report 2011 pg 1).Functional Tactics used by the corporation to achieve short term goals and attain competitive advantage include adoption of marketing strategies that appeal to not only health conscious customers but to a global audience. In fact â€Å"Coke is bringing out mid-calorie versions of some of its brands like Sprite and Fanta, and is teaming up with Grammy award winner Mark Ronson for its 2012 London Olympics anthem† (Hernandez pg 1).Additionally, Coke â€Å"continues to focus on selling soft drinks globally and even vows to rebuild Coke sales in the US market† through focusing upon non-carbonated sports drinks such as PowerAde, Aquarius, and Fuze (D’Altoro pg 2). Coca-Cola absolutely has Policies That Empower Action as demonstrated by the information contained in the Annual Report and via their website: â€Å"Work Smart: Act with urgency, remain responsive to change have the courage to change course when needed, remain constructively discontent, and work efficiently† (Coca-Cola Website pg 2).The â€Å"work smart† mentality allows for decisions to be made whenever possible at the lowest level of the corporation. Organizational Structure is segmented into the following areas: â€Å"Eurasia and Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, Pacific, Bottling Investments, and Corporate† (Annual Report pg 2). Coke is predominantly organized into an international area structure that allows for operational efficiency and regional competitiveness.However Coca-Cola faces the additional struggle of remaining socially responsible to societies and environments in which it operates and has faced several legal implications with respect to human rights issues in South American Bottling plants (FRONTLINE). Nonetheless Coca-Cola reiterates that â€Å"despite the volatile environment, the company and its bottling partners have maintained operations and worked to provide safe, stable economic opportunities† for the people in nations that they operate in (FRONTLINE).Strategic Control and Continuous Improvement is facilitated by Coca-Cola’s organizat ional structure, leadership, and 2020 Vision campaign. In fact their website reiterates that in order â€Å"to continue to thrive as a business over the next 10 years and beyond, they must look ahead, understand the trends and forces that will shape their business in the future and move swiftly to prepare for what is to come† (Coca-Cola Website).This statement reveals that the corporation is committed to â€Å"detecting changes and making necessary adjustments†¦in strategy that allows their organization to respond more proactively and timely to rapid developments that† inherently affect ultimate success. Pepsi Model Application Much like Coca-Cola, Pepsi’s Mission statement is very clear, concise and purposeful â€Å"Captivate consumers with the world’s most loved and best-tasting convenient foods and beverages through the use of its strengths: Brand Image, Positioning, Innovation, Distribution Capabilities, Productivity Focus, Human Capital and Pur poseful Performance† (Pepsi Annual Report).Pepsi also reiterates that being socially responsible is of utmost importance and â€Å"commitment to do right for the business by doing right for people & the planet† effectively creates a â€Å"catalyst for business growth and innovation, enabling them to be financially successful and globally responsible† (Pepsi Annual Report). As covered in the Letter to Shareholders the CEO, Indra Nooyi, reveals the Internal Analysis of Pepsi Co. to be that of â€Å"strong progress and on a core basis net revenue was up 14% for 2011† (Pepsi Annual Report). This success was due to improvements n the following areas: â€Å"investment in emerging markets, brand management, research and development, differentiation, efficiency and global operating structure to fully leverage the scale of PepsiCo† (Pepsi Annual Report). PepsiCo is most certainly proud of their improvements and strategic focus but also realizes that the crea tion of â€Å"an adaptive team and culture—one that can continually renew itself and thrive on change†¦performing today while transforming for tomorrow† is necessary for success into the future and believes that their â€Å"best days are yet to come† (Pepsi Annual Report).Pepsi experiences similar External Environmental conditions to that of Coca-Cola. Intense competition, globalized marketplace, social responsibility, and economic conditions all affect the strategies that PepsiCo decides to implement. Additionally, Pepsi must allocate its attention to not only the beverage industry but to their global snack line as well; which while designed to be complimentary can prove to have possible negative effects when considering the volatility of each of these industries.The Strategic Analysis and Choice, that Pepsi has selected, much like Coca-Cola can be considered as effective. In order to gain a sustainable competitive advantage Pepsi is â€Å"pursuing specif ic strategic investment and productivity initiatives to build a stronger, more successful company through global brands, innovation, and advertising/marketing campaigns† (Pepsi Annual Report). As mentioned earlier, the following areas are of importance in Pepsi’s strategic analysis/choice: Brand Image, Positioning, Innovation, Distribution Channels, Productivity, Human Capital and Social Responsibility.As the report outlines, Pepsi’s Long-Term Objectives support increasingly globalized operations, global brand recognition, public responsibility, and industry leadership in beverages and snacks. In fact Pepsi was the first to realize the customer shift to healthier lifestyles and responded before Coke â€Å"to changes in the beverage market as consumers shifted from fizzy drinks to healthier alternatives† (Ward pg 3). Furthermore â€Å"Pepsi’s new strategy: Better-For-You Products—comes down to health concerns and being socially responsible wh ere†¦lifestyles have changed†¦and Pepsi has modified its products† (D’Altorio pg 1).Pepsi’s Generic Strategy, like that of Coca-Cola, is that of differentiation. This is why the Cola Wars have been so pervasive and prevalent—they both are striving to make their products superior to those of the competition. Their Grand Strategies can also be identified as concentrated growth, market development, product development, innovation, vertical integration, turnaround, joint ventures, divestiture and strategic alliances.Additionally, Pepsi is becoming more globalized in nature and their Generic and Grand strategies reflect this: â€Å"they are a $66 billion global powerhouse focused upon two complementary businesses with attractive growth margins and returns—global snacks and global beverages† to achieve global nutrition achievements worldwide† (Pepsi Annual Report). Pepsi’s Short Term Objectives are focused upon investment in their global brand management and streamlining distribution methods so as to attain measurable efficiency.In fact last year three brands—Diet Mountain Dew, Brisk and Starbucks ready to drink beverages—had each grown to more than $1 billion in annual retail sales, expanding PepsiCo’s portfolio of billion dollar brands to 22† (Pepsi Annual Report). Their distribution methods remain largely â€Å"unmatched†¦and in 2011 they successfully changed distribution for Gatorade products in the US in the convenience and other channels from a warehouse-delivered-go-to-market system to DSD, in order to more efficiently serve customers† (Pepsi Annual Report).Much like Coca-Cola, Pepsi’s Action Plans are employed globally and specific intentions are revealed in the Annual Report. The difference is however that Pepsi has two industries upon which it has to contend with: beverages AND snacks. Their action plan for 2012 and beyond stresses five imperatives : â€Å"1) build and extend macro-snacks portfolio globally; 2) sustainably and profitably grow its beverage business worldwide; 3) build and expand the nutrition business; 4) increase and capitalize on the high coincidence of snack and beverage consumption; 5) ensure prudent and responsible financial management† (Pepsi Annual Report).Functional Tactics used by Pepsi so as to achieve its short term goals/competitive advantage include marketing strategies and socially responsible business practices that reach a more global audience. Adopting the responsibility of â€Å"Global Nutrition† demonstrates Pepsi’s commitment to a healthier population and have â€Å"developed new strategies with new soft drinks which will catch on to part of the public that is the new health craze† (Dotson pg 2).The development of products such as Gatorade G2, which is low in calorie than the regular sports drinks, and Propel demonstrate that Pepsi in focused upon innovative produ cts that cater to the health conscious customer needs/wants. As revealed by the Annual Report, Policies That Empower Action for Pepsi begins with the â€Å"Power of One concept†¦operating as one company to connect with consumer†¦innovating globally, delighting locally†¦ and performance with purpose† to achieve sustained growth and success.While Pepsi has many difficulties to confront with respect to competition, multiple industries, and internal/external economic stressors; they are continuing to adapt to their environments and reiterate that â€Å"the challenge to renew a successful company is one that they embrace† (Pepsi Annual Report). Pepsi’s Organizational Structure is segmented â€Å"into four business units: 1) PepsiCo America’s Foods; 2) PepsiCo America’s Beverages; 3) PepsiCo Europe; 4) PepsiCo Asia, Middle East, Africa† (Pepsi Annual Report).Pepsi’s structure allows for certain control and efficiencies both n ationally and globally in the beverage and snack industries. In addition Pepsi has standardized the reportable segments of each business so as to allow for appropriate analysis and competitive advantage measurement by region. With respect to Strategic Control and Continuous Improvement, Pepsi’s organizational structure, leadership, and Power of Pepsi campaign reveal that the corporation is committed to remaining a sustainable competitor well into the future.Furthermore, â€Å"as they look ahead they are positioning their company for sustainable growth by building its brands around the globe, bringing innovative products to the marketplace, capitalizing on the coincidence of consumption of snacks and beverages, unleashing the full potential of its global scale and ensuring that PepsiCo continues to be a best place to work† embodies ways in which Strategic Control and Continuous Improvement are going to be accomplished. ANALYSIS & IMPLICATIONS FOR MIDDLE MANAGERSThe stra tegic models that each corporation adopts are similar but produce different levels of success for each organization. Both Coke and Pepsi have adopted aggressive marketing strategies and have struggled amongst one another to develop superior products and attain customer share maximization. Competition, while at times can be frustrating for the organization, in this case has allowed for the creation of better products and increasingly globalized operations resulting in inherent successes for both organizations.The Cola-Wars have been existent for quite a while, but as this point in time it can be said that Coca-Cola is the leader in the beverage industry segment â€Å"Pepsi was knocked into third place behind Coca-Cola and Diet Coke†¦Coca-Cola sold 1. 6 billion cases of regular soda and 927 million cases of diet soda, while Pepsi sold only 892 million cases† (WIKIPEDIA). However, Pepsi is still remaining competitive globally through the realization that there are other ind ustries upon which to capitalize and ensure sustainability into the future.In fact, â€Å"as far as Pepsi is concerned the cola wars are over and needs to focus on convincing investors that it has the right focus in the new health kick† (D’Altorio pg 2). While Pepsi is focusing upon â€Å"Global Nutrition† they still need to realize that â€Å"carbonated beverages still produce much of the company’s sales and are still a key to Pepsi’s financial health† (D’Altorio).Into the future both Coca-Cola and Pepsi will prove to be viable competitors as revealed by their strategies/mission statements contained in their Annual Reports. The real key however, will be whether consumer demand remains in the carbonated beverage industry†¦if the tides somehow change, Pepsi will emerge as the victor due to their diversification strategy†¦one that has crossed channels and decided to create advantages with both beverages and snacks.The Cola War s bring up important implications for middle managers in the form of strategic analysis, implementation, and adaptation. Organizational success depends ultimately upon the ability of the organization to connect with consumers by providing an array of options so as to meet consumer desires, needs and lifestyles and these principles are largely motivated by corporate leadership and direction.Furthermore, the talent of employees must be empowered by management so as to execute goals and objectives effectively. A corporations’ assets —brands, financial prowess, distribution systems, global influence and the talents of employees must be effectively employed so as to become more competitive and to influence accelerated growth in manners that create value for customers, shareholders, and the company itself. CONCLUSIONThe Coca-Cola/Pepsi â€Å"conflict has raged on for decades† and has even been dubbed as the â€Å"Battle of the Century† but has revealed in the p rocess two corporations that have been successful in adopting strategies and processes so as to survive in the constantly changing, volatile business and economic environments representative of the current times. Coca-Cola and Pepsi will continue to face challenges into the future in the realms of economics, technology, and an increasingly globalized business environment.In effect, the corporation that is able to effectively exploit the new social media front of marketing strategy into the future will most likely end up as the frontrunner in most any industry†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Coke and Pepsi are amongst a multitude of companies buying into social media’s ability to strengthen their brands†¦consumers are 55% more likely to recall ads that include social media components than non-social ads†¦consumers today are incredibly empowered and what used to work to get their attention now needs a bit more thoughtfulness† (USA TODAY).This paper: 1) reviewed the strategic issue s presented in the â€Å"Coke Wars† case through the use of the Strategic Management Model as applied to both Coca-Cola & Pepsi; 2) highlighted fundamental strategies & tactics so as to analyze the inherent competition between both corporations; and finally 3) discussed implications of concepts presented in the case for the middle manager so as to grasp lessons learned for future application.Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi are on the right track as far as determining appropriate strategies to thrive in the environments in which they operate but the challenge into the future will be the appropriate analysis and adaptability in which to adequately respond to customer needs, economies of scale, and the dynamic business environment. CASE STUDY MATERIALS/REFERENCES 1) Frontline. Coca-Cola’s union troubles in Columbia; http://www. pbs. org/frontlineworld/fellows/colombia0106/; Retrieved: 3 July 2012. 2) Coca-Cola Annual Report. http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/investors/annual_ other_reports. html http://www. hecoca-colacompany. com/ourcompany/mission_vision_values. html 3) PepsiCo Annual Report. http://www. pepsico. com/Investors/Annual-Reports. html; Retrieved 4 July 2012. 4) Wikipedia. The Cola Wars; http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Cola_wars; Retrieved 2 July 2012. 5) Terhune, Chad. Coca-Cola trying to renegotiate its syrup contract with bottlers; â€Å"Soda Rebellion: A Suit by Coke Bottlers Exposes Cracks in a Century-Old System; Serving Wal-Mart Is at Issue, But Spat Shines Spotlight On Local Businesses' Role; The Brownes' 84-Year History†; Wall Street Journal (Eastern edition). New York, N. Y. : Mar 13, 2006. p. A. Document URL: http://proquest. umi. com. library3. webster. edu/pqdweb? did=1001778801&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=30323&RQT=309&VName=PQD Copyright (c) 2006, Dow Jones & Company Inc. 6) Ward, Andrew. Can Coca-Cola recover? ; â€Å"Last Stand of Coke’s Old Guard Don Keough, 79, Seeks One More Year on the Board†; Financial Tim es; London, England; 19-Apr-2006. 7) Ward, Andrew. Can Coca-Cola recover? ; â€Å"Coke on Upward Path†; Financial Times; London, England; 20-Apr-2006. 8) Pearce, Robinson. Management and Strategy; MNGT 5650; Webster University St Loius, MO; McGraw Hill: Copyright 2012. 9) Dotson, Horace.Pepsi vs Coke: The Battle of a Century; Yahoo; http://voices. yahoo. com. Retrieved: 07 July 2012. 10) Diaz, George. NASCAR Cola Wars Spark Frosty Fireworks at Daytona; http://articlesorlandosentinel. com/2012-07-06/sports/os-george-diaz-daytona-coke-pepsi-0. Retrieved 06 July 2012. 11) Hernandez, Karin. Pepsi vs. Coke: The Cola Wars. http://seekingalpha. com/article/600021-pepsi-vs-coke-the-cola-wars. Retrieved: 06 July 2012. 12) Snider, Mike. Social Media is Latest Front of Cola Wars; USA Today 30 April 2012. http://www. usatoday. com/tech/news/story/2012-04-30/pepsi-coke-social-media/54631902/ Retrieved 12 July 2012.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Human Resource Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Human Resource Management - Assignment Example No human would be willing to work with frustrated aspirations or stunted and suppressed feelings. Thus it becomes incumbent on an organization to nurture and develop the feelings, aspirations, emotions of its employees. This is the traditional function of the human resource management function in any organization. Present day literature, however lays more emphasis on strategic human resource management wherein the human resource management function is aligned in such a manner that fulfilling human resource management function automatically ensures reaching strategic objectives of the organization. In short the human resource management function is woven with in the overall strategy of the organization. Strategic approach to human resource management implies putting in place a set of internally consistent policies and practices that ensure that organization's human capital (skills, combined knowledge of employees and abilities) contributes to organizations strategic objectives. Wherea s a bare approach to Human resources management is a self explained concept without its strategic orientation. It refers to all those activities that are undertaken consciously or unconsciously, internally or externally to an organization whereby human resources of the organization are developed and utilized in a manner to maximize achievement of organizational goals. One important precept of entire human resources' management exercise is the recognition of the fact that the most valuable resource for any organization is its human factor; it is the only live factor and thus the only truly mouldable factor. Therefore human resource management (HRM) is a term used to represent that part of an organization's activities concerned with the recruitment, development and management of its employees (Wood & Wall, 2002). This paper examines the case study of an organization where the human resources management function has been in disarray and the same has been manifested in the form of sever al outcomes like employees' dissatisfaction or lack of motivation, desire to change jobs, feeling of discrimination, poor and anomalous pay structure, poor performance etc; all of which has resulted in the organization presenting itself for a complete overhaul of its human resource management function. The paper would begin by describing in short the important case facts which will be followed by corrective suggestions as drawn from literature concepts and review. The Case Facts Loxley Swimming Pool and Loxley Tennis Club are the two leisure facilities that have recently been privatized and have moved from the control of the Loxley District Council to a company called Happy Leisure Company. This by itself is a situation which is a change management situation. Already there are employees who are not happy with the change to such an extent that they wish to remain redundant under the new dispensation. Other set of employees were so unhappy with the change that they decided to leave their jobs. Thus presenting the new owner with an employee turnover that may even affect essential staffing. District council control was characterized by poor and inadequate funding and separation of the organization of the swimming and tennis facilities. The new private

Friday, September 27, 2019

Fake Brands Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fake Brands - Case Study Example As promulgated in different copyright laws in various countries, intellectual property rights ought to be observed. In terms of the right to produce and distribute certain products, only firms with patents have the right to do so (Kotler & Armstrong, 2010). Essentially, the aim of each business is to make profits and the interests of different businesses can only be protected by different copyright and intellectual property laws that are designed to protect the interests of individual companies. These laws help to prevent other unscrupulous people from reaping profits where they did not sow in the first place. The sale of counterfeit products is regarded as a form of high degree fraud and also classified as a serious offence. Luxury brands are in most cases the victims of counterfeit trade mainly as a result of the fact that they have premium prices that are beyond the reach of many people. In most cases, counterfeit trade is intentional but it has spiral impacts on the original producers of goods that are imitated. The companies will end up failing to realise their envisaged profits as a result of the fact that the consumers will prefer to buy affordable copycats at the expense of the producers of original brands. On the other hand, unsuspecting consumers can also be defrauded since they are hoodwinked into believing that they are buying original brands only to realise that they are fake when they have been delivered. Counterfeit trade is a problem of serious concern across the whole globe. According to The Gurdian (28 April, 2014), â€Å"A specialist police unit has shut down more than 2,500 websites selling counterfeit goods believed to be worth tens of millions of pounds.† This shows the extent to which this problem is a serious cause of concern in different parts of the globe. Trade of counterfeit goods is a bad product though some people may justify it