Customers’ culture Essay Example for Free

Customers’ culture Essay Once, one of our teachers told us that in order to ensure the success of our business, we must associate our potential products with the culture of our target market. It is in fact better if we are able to make our products become part of the customers’ culture itself. This is because doing so may not only translate to higher sales upon our entry to the market but, also, to a good amount of loyal customers. The more you position a product as if it is part of the customers’ daily lives, the more they would use it, the more they would demand for it. This may be great news for the entrepreneurs out there but is it also great news for the market that they are trying to penetrate? Coca-cola is one of the companies that I admire in terms of their marketing strategies. In my opinion, they are one of the companies that best produce advertisements and promos that fit consumer interests. I am often amazed how they manage to tweak various situations and events and put Coke in the picture to become part of our lives. I commend them for being so effective in making us feel what they want us to feel. On the contrary, I dislike them for being able to do so. Coca-cola’s ability to effectively deliver messages through certain media also gives them the power to influence numerous people just in a few moments. That saying, it would only take Coca-cola or any other firm a few moments to change a part of our lives somehow the way they want to without us knowing. The 1950s commercial of the company in the Philippines clearly showed us various things about the country, the Filipinos, our culture, and how their product became part of us. It was reflected in the advertisement how the entry of foreign entities gradually changed our way of doing things. We became more civil in the eyes of the foreigners; however, we’ve became rude for forgetting a part of our culture. From having get together of villagers that is full of dances and accompanied by food and drinks to backyard gatherings wherein people just sit, talk and eat sandwiches and juices. From enjoying native Filipino sports such as Sepak Takraw to becoming a lover of western sports. Slowly we are embracing the culture that wasn’t ours but was just merely injected by the foreign entities that came to our country. A perfect depiction of this scenario was a painting done by Antipas Delotavo entitled â€Å"Ang Itak sa Puso ni Mang  Juan†. In his painting, a Filipino old m an can be seen standing, with his shoulders dropped, head slightly bowed down, and face looking sad. His posture and gesture resembles that of a man who has just surrendered and no longer has the power to continue the fight. On the background, the famous logo of Coca-cola can be seen. It was the tail of the company’s letter â€Å"C†, however, that made the painting more interesting. The tail of the letter â€Å"C† was shaped like that of a dagger and was pointed to the heart of the old man. The Coca-cola background shows how the Western companies have dominated us in a way that we are unaware of. They have become bigger and managed to penetrate our land and countrymen without us noticing it immediately. They showed us how better off we are and will be with them operating in our lands as they said in the commercial. The only difference now is that these foreign entities were able to restructure their strategies and sugar coated their way to us. The coming in of these foreign firms and other entities is like a dagger to us, our culture, and our country because although we could say that we are improving economically speaking; we are placed in a situation that endangers our identity as a Filipino citizen. Unfortunately, we are almost giving up.

Common Sense and Stereotyping in Social Work

Common Sense and Stereotyping in Social Work Diana Valle Social work and common sense Stereotyping, unfortunately, is how many people access and deal with the world; for better or worse, stereotypes inform us all, even though many of them are wrong or ignorant. A common stereotype involved in social work education is that schooling is useless, and all that one needs, as the legislator stated, is common sense and a good heart. Although one does need these characteristics to be a social worker, the practice is much more complicated than superficial stereotypes would assume. Unfortunately, this has also fueled anti-intellectualism discourses of theories not belonging to the real world of practice or being less important in practice. As found by various researchers, social workers analysis and decision-making is more often informed by practical and procedural knowledge than research and theory (Megele, 2011, p. 1). In fact, education is vital to social work, because much of what is done in the field has its basis in scientific methods, theoretical applications, sociology, and psychology, all of which must be learned in school, and do not simply come automatically or through intuition. Social work has a diverse knowledge base that can stand on its own, and also draws from other disciplines. This investigation works under the basic assumption that social work education has a vital role to play, and therefore seeks to provide opposition to the legislators dismissal of the professions status as academic. Despite its basis in ignorance and stereotypes, the legislators comment is worth considering, because it represents a common assumption the general public has regarding social work. Personally, however, I believe it is my duty to fight against such stereotypes and emphasize how educational resources prepare social workers to provide better services to the community, to help people more dynamically, and to invest in the future in the form of human capital more ably. Common sense, as I understand it, comes from a mixture of personal intuition and paying attention to the mores of society. For example, as children, we learn not to touch a hot pan on the stove, either by being told or through trial and error; not repeating this mistake then becomes common sense. Common sense is the opposite of educational knowledge, because it is expected to be automatically accessible through the society surrounding one and ones own intuition. Being a social worker, however, requires more than growing up in society and learning its mores. It requires training in specialized knowledge and techniques regarding how to best form the helping relationship with clients. It is a craft that is learned, not something automatic, like common sense that is simply picked up. To say that anything professional is 90% common sense is insulting. One could make this insult stick generally, as well; it is not even specific enough to social work, or demonstrated through any kind of example by the legislator. However, there are many examples of social workers using their education by being able to better assist in helping clients with recovery, advocating more effectively for social justice, and even engaging in independent research. Social work has a vital place in society as a profession, but unfortunately, it is looked down upon by people like the legislator. The sociologists at LSE saw themselves as the scientists of sociology and social workers as technicians. This thinking in turn influenced the amount of investment and research in social work. Though this image has improved in recent years, the difference in status and misconceived perceptions still persists today (Megele, 2011, p. 1). Social workers need training if they are going to help clients, impact legislation, and make a better future for children and families. These are not things that people know how to do automatically, or through widely available societal cues: they must be trained to be effective. In many cases, though, people still look down on social workers, and it is often because of their own ideological perspective about the welfare state, rather than any realistic knowledge about what a social work education is actually like. Social wor kers are a vital part of the safety net that keeps people in our society from slipping through the cracks of an out of control system. The NASW code of ethics states that, Social workers ethical behavior should result from their personal commitment to engage in ethical practice. The code of ethics reflects the commitment of all social workers to uphold the professions values and to act ethically (NASW, 2007). Social workers learn this code; it does not come to them automatically from having a good heart, or common sense. If all it took to become a social worker was a good heart and common sense, then once a person accomplished these credentials, they would have trouble dealing with complicated client issues such as transference and confidentiality, understanding how policy is reflected in various sociological and psychological theories, or changing the system by finding ways to affect legislative policy on a grassroots level. Accomplishing these tasks requires learning how to implement change through studying prior knowledge. The knowledge base of social work is found through marking the point of delineation between theory and reality, or scientific study. An understanding of principles of research methodology also does not come naturally, as common sense and a good heart. In addition, a good heart is not always a guarantee of ethical behavior; studying the NASW code of ethics as a social work student, on the other hand, is much more likely to produce results in this regard. The process of education is integral, because Professional ethics are at the core of social work. The profession has an obligation to articulate its basic values, ethical principles, and ethical standards. The code is relevant to all social workers and social work students, regardless of their professional functions or the populations which they serve (NASW, 2007, p. 1). Professional social workers need knowledge that they can only find in school; it helps if they have a good heart and common sense coming into the educational process from society, but they also need knowledge and experience-based learning that can only be accomplished through formal education. The NASW code of ethics states, Social workers understand that relationships between and among people are an important vehicle for change. Social workers engage people as partners in the helping process. Social workers seek to strengthen relationships among people in a purposeful effort to promote the well being of individuals (NASW, 2007, p. 1). Learning how to be an effective social worker requires study of NASW and other documents, such as sociology and psychology textbooks. Social workers generally should adhere to commitments made to employing organizationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Social workers should be diligent stewards of the resources of their employing organizations, wisely conserving funds w here appropriate and never misappropriating funds or using them for unintended purposes (NASW, 2007, p. 1). The knowledge of social workers is not automatic and intuitive: it comes from scientific study that is based on building on the precedents of the past. These precedents can only be learned through diligent and careful study, and the acquisition of foundational social work knowledge is something that is selected, not automatic. For example, one does not intuitively understand what the ecosystems perspective to social work is; one has to study, and then see how the theory can be applied to productive reality. The ecosystems perspective has enabled social workers to enhance the psychosocial focus through the use of a systemic lens that does not separate the person from the environment but requires that they be seen in interaction (Meyer and Mattaini, 1998, p. 38). Social work is also based on processes of gathering scientific evidence, and the rules and procedures for doing these tasks are also not automatic. Evidence-based practice is a new paradigm that promotes more effective social interventions by encouraging the conscientious, judicious, and explicit use of the best available scientific evidence in professional decision making. Pedagogically, evidence-based practice involves teaching students the values and skills they need to identify, critically appraise, and apply practice-relevant scientific evidence over the course of their professional careers (Howard et al., 2003, p. 234). If a social worker were not educated, in addition, they would arguably not be competent to practice, or at least, they would be much more likely to be incompetent without any effective training or knowledge about best practices. Competence has been a key concept in the literature on the education of adults and is central to many theories of human behavior (Holde n et al., 2011, p. 2). In conclusion, this report has argued against the legislators comments that all one needs to be a social worker is common sense and a good heart. On the contrary, social work requires study. Social work focuses on people in their cultural environments, whether these families were new immigrants in the tenements of ethnic communities or constructed families (Lowery, 1998). Social work is a complex activity in a complex world. Professionals in the field need to understand theoretical issues like the forces of globalization- economic, ecological and social to connect with their international colleagues, and to represent themselves in an informed fashion in international circles. This applies whether they are delivering direct services to immigrants, refugees or those displaced and traumatized by famine, war, terrorism or natural disasters (Hare, 407). I am not trying to say that social work is exclusive or that it can be only understood through study. Communities of all kinds present s ingular opportunities for participation, democratic citizenship, and collective action for social justice. At the same time, communities can be just as exclusionary, oppressive, and conservative as any other social structure (Kemp, 1998, p. 38). However, it is important to take any conversation further than shallow stereotypes, to the substance beneath. References Hare, I. (2012). Defining social work for the 21st century: The International Federation of Social Workers revised definition of social work. International Social Work 47(3): 407-424. Holden, G., Meenaghan, T., Anastas, J. Metrey, G. (2002). Outcomes of social work education: The case for social work self-efficacy. Journal of Social Work Education, 38, 115-133. Howard, M., C. McMillen and D. Pollio (2003). Teaching Evidence-Based Practice: Toward a New Paradigm for Social Work Education. Research on Social Work Practice, 13(2): 234-259. Kemp, S. (1998). Practice in communities. The Foundations of Social Work Practice. Mattaini, Lowery, Meyer, eds. Washington, DC: NASW Press. Lowery, C. (1998). Diversity, ethnic competence, and social justice. The Foundations of Social Work Practice. Mattaini, Lowery, Meyer, eds. Washington, DC: NASW Press. Megele, C. (2011). Social work must embrace theory if Munro ideas are to succeed: A tendency to disregard theory could damage implementation of Professor Munros report. http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2011/09/08/social-work-must-embrace-theory-if-munro-ideas-are-to-succeed/ Meyer, C. and M. Mattaini (1998). The Ecosystems Perspective. The Foundations of Social Work Practice. Mattaini, Lowery, Meyer, eds. Washington, DC: NASW Press. NASW Code of Ethics (2007). https://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/default.asp

Analysis and Comparison of Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi

Analysis and Comparison of Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi Summary Abstract The complete quality discussion of two organizations products are going to be discussed here. The products are diet-coke and diet Pepsi of soft drinks. The Diet Pepsi versus Diet Coke argues has been increasing in now days. The people are looking easiest way to fewer calories in their diet and fight against obesity in a meaningful way; the world largest soda companies are changing their diet brands.Iam going to give a report of coke and Pepsi company quality systems. Introduction of the Organization Coke-diet Diet coca-cola and Coca-cola light also Coke light is the other names of Diet Coke. This is a soft drink with sugar-free and introduced by the Coca cola Company which is located in United States of America. Diet Coke introduced on 9th of August, 1982 in the United States of America. Diet Coke contains some saccharin to extend shelf life. History of Diet-Coke 1982-Diet Coke-largest selling low calorie 1986-Diet cherry- American markets 1992-Diet Coke 10th anniversary 1997-Diet Coke changes its logo 2001-Diet Coke -lemon 2002-Diet Vanilla Coke 2004-Diet coke with lime 2005-Diet Coke with sweet splendid 2006-Diet Coke Black Cherry Vanilla 2007-Diet Coke Plus The slogan of Diet Coke Love it light Debate on Diet Coke Diet Coke distributed commonly with aspartame which has been noted as a toxic material by internet rumours and sensational media coverage. Finally aspartame is the best intensively scrutinized food actions .American medical association has been deemed it as well as World Health Organization. Quality systems of Coke Diet Coke has advanced plant control system and it was developed by Sumitomo metals. It is mainly constructed by two main control functions. That is, coal blending ration control system to accomplish target coke quality under the planned operating circumstances. Another one is coke oven temperature control system to achieve the target pushing-out coke temperature under the charged blended coal and coking time. The Diet Coke Quality is being controlled by the goal programming method and by using a theoretical coking model and an online coal dilatation sensor. Temperature of coke is being controlled by a heat transfer model in the coke chamber and a world class regulator based on an autoregressive model. Bottling of coke The strong bottling system developed that coca-cola company became the world-wide familiar brand it is today Market. Technology led to world economy, the seller who sold coke merged and evolved into global mega chains. So that like customer required a new approach. Result of that, coca cola introduced small and medium sized bottlers consolidated to better serve giant global customers. Coca cola Company encouraged and invested in many of bottler consolidations to assure that is largest bottling partners would have ability to lead the system in running with world retailers. Marketing Channel of Diet Coke The coca cola company has three primary delivery systems for its business channels, Huge delivery for the channels of big supermarkets and mass merchandisers and club stores Advanced sale delivery convenience stores and Drug stores and small supermarkets and on-premise fountain accounts. Coke-diet Supply Chain Coca cola company produces the concentrates and bottling partners manufacture and packaging as well distribute the product, coca cola suppliers used the include sugar ,citrus and coffee and kind of flavours, water (2008,coca cola). The ingredients for concentrate syrups are provided by the suppliers of those companies. The Coca Cola Company changed their supply chain system in 2004 to increase greater efficiencies (2004 Foley).The coca cola company had to spent the better part of a year gathering three business units in North America to create another more efficient integrated unit and which is streamlined information technology , obtainment process and supply chain actions (2004 Foley). Coca Cola Company had to change in 2006 when it was beginning deliver it products to Wal- mart Warehouses for the following complaints form wal mart those bottlers were not keeping those shelves stocked (2006-supplychannier.com). The coca cola company had to change their 100 year old operational approaches (2006-supplychannier.com). The world biggest singer bottler is coca cola Company in which the coke company have owned a 35% share. Coca cola Enterprises Coca Cola Company has achieved the first service delivery team to the coca cola quality system and ISO 9001:2001 (TCCQS). The globally recognised registrars have checked of ISO9001:2000 Of Coca cola TCCQS adopted the ISO policies and extended the well-structured core with their own specific business requirements. The continual act improvement to offer high quality service to consumers customers. Implication Needed The Complete management system required to enhance scope apart from manufacturing to frame closer running relationships with service providing functions and carry the coca cola company philosophy of whole customer refreshment and constant improvement. It needs a modernized, global structure reaching very quick implementation straightened to world standard. Quality Assurance of Coke To satisfy the world thirst, Coca Cola Company is making people enjoy 1.6 million supplying of our beverages. Coca Cola Company has a greater responsibility to every one of those people as well support life increasing experiences. Coke Company rule main product and cover quality attributes to make sure their beverage items in the marketplace confirmed company needs and consumer expectations. Coke products of consistency and reliability are being urgently important for its products to meet world regulatory needs and company standards. TCCMS for Coke The coca cola management system ensures (TCCMS) the cokes consistency and reliability and coca cola company system. The quality management system is integrated module, which sticks all of company operations system wide to the constant standards for manufacturing and distributing of coca cola beverages. TCCMS guides cokes products safety and quality by merging and aligning business and quality targets with constant metrics to control performance Strength of Coke-Diet Coke has internationally recognition Coke has strong brand name Coke has effective advertisement Coke has categorical taste Weakness of Coke Coke has health issues Coke can not stop certain gender by using it. Coke has not individuality. Revenues of Coke: The coca cola enterprises have earned $21.65billion with net income of $173 million in 2009 and in the quarter of 2010 Coke Company have earned $5.88 billion. Recommendations I would like to add few recommendations for Coca Cola Company and its industry. They are: Coke should stimulate healthcare and should ensure their products will not give any health problems to the consumers. Coke should improve the products what they have doing now so it will make satisfaction to their buyer. Coke should try to find ways for decreasing its prices without having cost problems. Coke must try to give new products that do not involve in beverages so it will increase its revenues. Pepsi-Diet Pepsi-Diet is a carbonated cola with fewer calories and introduced to the world in 1964 as variety of Pepsi drinks with free sugar. The current formula of Pepsi diet is artificial sweeteners aspartame. Pepsi is also known as Pepsi Light. It contains caffeine with amount of 35mg/12 fl oz. Different Flavours of Pepsi-Diet Wild cherry Vanilla Lemon Lime The Slogan  of Pepsi-Diet Light .Crisp. Refreshing Organizations and Background Pepsi produces major carbonated soft drinks and beverages also snack foods. Pepsi Cola Company is the division of beverage. It makes markets and bottles of famous brands of soft drinks in USA and worldwide. Pepsi also produces Aquafina bottled water also sport athletic drinks. Operations Quality in Pepsi Company Many of the sales are done the companys own straight line store distribution (DSD) systems, where they genuinely take the products to stores and place them on the shelf. These systems catch up hundreds of thousands of outlets, from the very small liquor stores to the powerful club store. The DSD systems supply the company the power to merchandise its products for maximum interest to consumers. Pepsi company is adjoin new platforms for growth, which strong the companys portfolio and increase its key important innovation potentiality For instance, January 2001 the company received most of the South Beach Beverage Company, whose So be line of drinks counts to the Pepsi-Cola portfolio some of the speed-growing brands in the fastest-growing segment of the industry, non-carbonated beverages. From another instance, is the aimed merger with the Quaker Oats Company, which is anticipate completing in the second quarter of 2001. This is without question the important step to make sure the bright future of growth for PepsiCo. The merger will form PepsiCo an even more talent competitor in the extending market for useful foods and beverages. It adds two very famous brands to its portfolio, Gatorade and Quaker, and makes new chances for each PepsiCo division. The joined enterprise will align among the worlds five biggest consumer product companies. Pepsi Company has got $383 million worth of goods and services from youth-owned and women-owned suppliers in the year of 2000. The Womens Business Enterprise National Council called the company among Americas Top Corporations for Womens Business Enterprise. Pepsi company young and women business improvement programs were ranked among the top-10 nationally by the National Minority Supplier Development Council. The company give supports conservation, recycling and energy utilize programs that advance clean air and water and reduce landfill. In 2009, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration named two more Pepsi Company facilities to its top STAR status as part of the agencies Voluntary Protection Program. Distribution Channel of Pepsi-Diet Strengths of Pepsi-Diet Pepsi has extensive product line and superior reputation. Collaboration of Quaker Oats produced coactions across the board. Pepsi Record revenues and increasing market share. Lack of capital forces (chance of large free cash flow). Great brands, strong distribution, innovative capabilities Number one maker of snacks, such as corn chips and potato chips Pepsi sells three products through the same distribution channel. For ex :Joining the production capabilities of Pepsi, Gatorade and Tropicana is a great opportunity to less costs, improve efficiency and smooth out the effect of seasonal variance in demand for particular product Failure of Pepsi -Diet Pepsi oppose to attract vision and direction for the global company. Pepsi is considerably away from leader Coca-cola in the global market demand is highly bouncy. Coke-Diet is the best competitor Fear of Pepsi-Diet Food Beverage department industry is mature. Pepsi is accused for pesticide residues in their products in one of their most possibility emerging market (India). Pepsi has competition with Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola, and Kraft foods due to the broader product line, which are well-run and financially key competitors. Pepsi is a big company so which leads to demand various marketing programs. Achievements of Pepsi Pepsi Company bounces back its Pepsi Challenge advertising attack. Challenge includes Pepsi Diet and Diet Coke also regular cola. Pepsi associated with yahoo Inc., the world largest web navigation company, in a  multimedia marketing campaign target at teens and young adults. Tropicana, in a joint shared gamble with Galaxy Foods Co., bring forward an icy smoothie soy milk-and-fruit drink, made with juice, fruit puree along with soymilk and soy protein. Pepsi made water bottle branded with aquafina became the best-selling brand of single-serve bottled Water in US retail channels Timeline of achievements: Pepsi Company established Dole single-serve juices in vending machines, coolers  and other retail outlets throughout the United States of America in the year 2000. Pepsi introduced the brave new Mountain Dew Code Red nationwide in United Sates in year of 2001. Pepsi Company launched Pepsi-twist in the year 2001 which led to enter diet version of coke in the USA markets. Pepsi introduced in Italy as orange brand caller Miranda. Pepsi created Marathon Kids, a television program that encourages kids and their families  to be more physically active and it got huge success in world wide (2002). Pepsi Company introduces Sierra Mist nationally 2(003) PepsiCo introduces Get Active/Stay Active program (2003) Quaker Chewy launched Quaker Chewy Wholesome Favourites and Quaker  Chewy Trail Mix. (2003) Pepsi signed an exclusive four-year sponsorship deal with the Canadian  Hockey Association made Pepsi the official soft drink (2003) Pepsi announced four-year sponsorship bond with the UK Football  Association (2003). In 2004 Pepsi trademark turned 100 years old. In 2004 Pepsi Vanilla is launched in the United States. In 2004- Frito-Lay Introduced Doritos Black Pepper Jack Pepsi introduced Pepsi Edge, the first full-flavoured cola with 50% less sugar,  carbohydrates and calories than regular cola. In 2005 -PepsiCo Celebrates 40th Anniversary. In 2005 PepsiCo introduced Quaker Milk Chillers. In 2005 Tropicana introduced All Fruit Smoothies. In 2005 Frito-Lay Launches Quaker Oats in India. In 2005 Pepsi Foods Introduced Weight Control Instant Oatmeal. In 2005Pepsi Lime and Diet Pepsi Lime Lanced. In 2005 Tropicana Twister Soda introduced in April In 2005 PepsiCo international and Lipton came into agreement and introduced new Lipton Original Iced Tea and New Lipton Iced Tea. In 2005 Tropicana Fruit Wise Campaign introduced. PepsiCo Health Wellness Launches Everyday Smart Moves Magazine. In 2005 Pepsi Celebrated 20th Consecutive Super Bowl With New Diet Pepsi Campaign In 2006 Pepsi introduced Pepsi lemon in Peru In 2007 Pepsi made Fortune magazines 100 Best MBA Employers list. In 2007, Pepsi won two awards which was Best Environmental /Wildlife Campaign and Best Cause Marketing Event at Fifth Annual Cause Marketing Halo Awards. Revenues of Pepsi: In the year of 2009, Pepsi have earned $13.3 billion and it was increased of 4.7% form 2008 and in quarter of 2010, Pepsi have earned $9.4 billion. Comparison of Pepsi and Coke: Comparison COKE PEPSI Taste Original cola Little different with coke carbonation more less Marketing approach Coke side of life Hot stuff Advertisings Models Christina Aguilera Britney Spears Key revenues Carbonated drinks Non carbonated drinks World wide share high low Global foot print high low Diversified product offering high low Quarterly Earnings $5.88 billion $9.4 billion Product delivery Service delivery Performance Friendly service with customer Features Speed Reliablity Accuracy of information Conformance Technical knowledge Durability Quality of customer service Serviceability Control and access over dealings with staff Safety Flexible Recommendation to act Innovation and changes and competitions There are 6 steps to analyze the quality of an organization and improvement, Identify the product you create the service Identify the customers for our product Identify strategic target Describe the process for offering service Error -proof the process and delete waste Make sure continuous improvement by calculating, researching and controlling the improvement process. To measure the quality operations, Management must need to set and monitor company targets for continuous improving the process of operation. Identify the following things to measure quality operations, Customer paying for the product Shareholders in the company giving the service Employees working to make the service Suppliers providing the materials to produce the service Benchmarking Analysis Planning determine and indentify critical factor as well critical advantages Analysis know the best practices within the company Response- identify performance measures, current capacity and goals Monitor-construct understanding process of company at all level Improve-review and adjust benchmark Indicatation of assignment I have noticed from above assignment research past many years coke company stock significantly surpassed Pepsi. Really from 2005 cokes stock price was 35% gain while Pepsi was 3% gain. If you consider dividend payments, coke had to deliver a 52% return to investors and Pepsi was 13%. In this decade, most of them on Wall Street believe that the situation is now turning in supporting of Pepsi. Cokes market cap is now 33% greater than Pepsis (eDividendStocks.com). Pepsi now gives over 40% more incomes than coke and coke and Pepsi both offering same dividend gains of 3%. Coke trades at 16* unity 2010 earnings calculation and Pepsi company shares less than 15* 2010 eps unities. As long as both coke and Pepsi continue to benefit form resumption in consumer spending, it shows that coke and Pepsi has very good fundamentals. Conclusion Based on above research, Pepsi surpassed coke with more diversified operational managements systems and Pepsi does better growth potential and more attractive valuation. Coke should stimulate healthcare and should ensure their products will not give any health problems to the consumers and Pepsi should find ways to less price of its product by their effective operations. Operation management of Pepsi company is very effective than coke so that Pepsi Diet sells in market very well. Coca Cola Company should review their distribution channel in emerging countries by doing that they can make more revenues.

The Internet :: Internet Web Cyberspace

The Internet In 1973, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) initiated a research program to investigate techniques and technologies for interlinking packet networks of various kinds. The objective was to develop communication protocols which would allow networked computers to communicate transparently across multiple, linked packet networks. This was called the Internetting project and the system of networks which emerged from the research was known as the "Internet." The system of protocols which was developed over the course of this research effort became known as the TCP/IP Protocol Suite, after the two initial protocols developed: Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP). (I got my information for the history of the internet at www.isoc.org In 1986, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) initiated the development of the NSFNET which, today, provides a major backbone communication service for the Internet. With its 45 megabit per second facilitie s, the NSFNET carries on the order of 12 billion packets per month between the networks it links. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Department of Energy contributed additional backbone facilities in the form of the NSINET and ESNET respectively. In Europe, major international backbones such as NORDUNET and others provide connectivity to over one hundred thousand computers on a large number of networks. Commercial network providers in the U.S. and Europe are beginning to offer Internet backbone and access support on a competitive basis to any interested parties. One positive issue about the internet is that it is so much easier to buy or even sell things like on eBay. If you find something that you want to sell you don’t have to put it in the news paper you can put it on the web where you would have a much better chance of selling it. My resource for this is www.ebay.com Another positive thing is if you need to talk to somebody on the phone that is another state and you don’t want to pay long distance billing and if they got the internet you can just get onto a chatroom and talk for free. My resource for this is www.msn.com. Plus another positive issue about the internet is you can meet new people. I know a girl who met a guy on the internet and they have been dating now for over 2 years and plan to get married. Some bad issues about the internet is that if you do happen to meet a person online you never really know who they are unless you meet them in person because the internet can only allow you to talk to them: it can’t let you meet them.

Essay --

Fahrenheit 451 Argumentative Essay Was meeting Clarisse good or bad for Montag? In the book Fahrenheit 451 the main character, Montag, meets Clarisse someone he has recently known. She changes and adjusts his whole life. Clarisse brings valuable and wonderful effects upon Montag, but she also brings disastrous effects upon him too. In the society where Montag lives a firefighter’s job is to burn books. Montag is a fireman. Montag burned books for a living, but he has never questioned why the fireman's job is to burn books. Clarisse comes along making Montag realize there is more truth behind his regular, dull life. She always asks him odd questions that Montag has to ponder into his thoughts to answer them truthfully. Meeting Clarisse was good for Montag because she is the reason for motivation that urges Montag forward in his journey of self-realization, she helps him realize that his life has particularly been a lie, and she helps him recognize what he really feels on certain topics. Clarisse brings out a different side inside of Montag, and she brings him out of the little shell he has lived in. Montag is awed by Clarisse's curiosity and questioning. Because she is an person who has her own soul and makes her own decision. Clarisse helps Montag realize this by proving she is beneficial for Montag. For example in the book Clarisse asks Montag, â€Å"Do you ever read any of the book you burn?† and Montag replies by laughing, â€Å"That’s against the law!†. She is not afraid to ask questions that no one would dare to ask. Montag is always intrigued by her. She is unafraid to express her ideas and she challenges Montag by asking him why he is a fireman, burning books. When Montag goes to burn books at someone's home he always thinks about w... ...ds him in discovering his true feelings towards various things in his life. In conclusion Clarisse and Montag meeting was good for Montag because his life changed forever in a positive way even though there were some hassle. I believe that in the future Montag will never forget about Clarisse and always will be thankful for her when he reads books and becomes closer with Granger's group of book readers. Clarisse helped bring out a different side and perspective of Montag that had hidden behind his mind. He started breaking the rules and "living off the edge". Therefore meeting Clarisse was good for Montag because she acknowledges to him the absence of love, satisfaction, and happiness in his life, she helps him realize that his life has been mostly a lie, and she helps him recognize what he really feels on certain topics. She is a very positive influence on him.

Harrington: Cost and Variable Costs

Harrington Case Analysis Issue Stagnant sales performance has caused Harrington Collection to explore new avenues for improved performance, including the launch of a new active-wear line. Recognizing an emerging trend of low price and rapid style turnover in the women’s apparel market, along with tremendous growth in the active-wear segment, Harrington needs to work strategically to capture this profitable market opportunity. After careful analysis, it was determined that Harrington should implement a new active-wear line. Financial AnalysisWhile doing the financial analysis it is important to calculate the unit price first. Using the wholesale price rather than the retail price, the calculated unit price is $95. Next, we sum up the start-up costs and operating costs, both fixed and variable, and use these numbers to calculate the breakeven units. After calculation, the breakeven point is 289,846 units. Appendix A shows the details of our process. Active-wear sales are expecte d to double by 2009, and 40% of those sales are expected to be classified as ‘better’ active-wear.Assuming that Harrington Vigor maintains their 7% market share, we can deduce that Vigor can expect to sell 420,000 units of active-wear in its first year. Over half of all apparel purchased is sold â€Å"on sale. † We accounted for these markdowns by assuming that half the units will be sold for full price, and the other half will be sold at a discount. A sensitivity analysis was conducted by calculating the discount rates at 20%, 40% and 60% separately. From Appendix B, we can see that even for the 60% discount rate, the profit margin is still up to 21%, which is quite attractive.Therefore, Harrington has strong financial forecast to support its new launch in active-wear segment. Market trend After the economic downturn in the early 2000s, the trend of price-sensitive and more than 50% discount sales volume drive the mature market to a low-cost and outsourcing comp etition area. Thus, majority of apparel companies choose to outsource their production in low-cost labor areas such as China. Another trend is the fast growing needs for the superior styling, fresh, and fashionable active-wears. Quality strengths and OpportunitiesHaving established their brand in the1960s, Harrington became well known for its superior quality, knowledgeable sales staff, and designer styles. With fairly high loyalty customers, Harrington possesses premium brand reputation. In addition, donning Harrington labels represents an instant status upgrade and the cutting edge of fashion. Generally speaking, the active-wear market is a rapid growth field with a relatively small segment in the â€Å"better† category. In order to seize the opportunity for diversity in its marketshare, Harrington should enter the market as soon as possible.Considering its brand influence and exceptional quality and styling, together with its cutting-edge technology, Harrington has a subst antial opportunity to become a critical player in this profitable segment. Channel conflicts and Challenges By 2007 specialty stores and department stores are still the main retailing channels in the women’s clothing market. Department stores may benefit by the lucrative inventory turnover rate produced by Harrington’s extensive national advertising.Alternatively, department stores could be weary of stocking the active-wear products since this is a relatively new market and could mean more risk for the retailers. Harrington will need to rely on their relationships with the retailers and expertise in marketing to diminish this potential conflict. From the survey, the possibility to cheapen Harrington’s brand is really trivial by launching a new active-wear line. Recommendation Despite the conflicts and challenges, Harrington has a significant opportunity to advance their business into the active-wear segment.By upscaling the active-wear into the â€Å"betterâ₠¬  category, Harrington could apply the comfort and fashion image which the Vigor division has already formed into the new segment. In addition, by outsourcing the production in Mexico, it can not only decrease costs, but also provide the possibility to respond more swiftly to changes in demand. With this in mind, it is strongly suggested that Harrington launches a new active-wear line. Appendix A Start Up Costs:| | | Start-up Costs (Pants Plant)| $ 1,200,000 | | Start-up Costs (Hoodie and Tee-shirt Plant)| $ 2,500,000 | | Equipment (Pants Plant)| $ 2,000,000 | Equipment (Hoodie and Tee-shirt Plant)| $ 2,500,000 | | Launch-PR, Advertising| $ 2,000,000 | | Fixtures for Company Stores| $ 2,500,000 | Total Start-up Costs | $ 12,700,000 | Annual Depreciated Start-up Costs | $ 2,540,000 | | | | Annual Ongoing Operating Costs-Fixed:| | | Overhead (Pants Plant)| $ 3,000,000 | | Overhead (Hoodie and Tee-shirt Plant)| $ 3,500,000 | | Rent (Pants Plant)| $ 500,000 | | Rent (Hoodie and Tee-sh irt Plant)| $ 500,000 | | Management/Support| $ 1,000,000 | | Advertising| $ 3,000,000 | Total Fixed Operating Costs| $ 11,500,000| | |Direct Variable Costs:| Hoodie| Tee-shirt| Pants| | Sew and press| $ 3. 25| $ 2. 00| $ 2. 85| | Cut| $ 1. 15| $ 0. 40| $ 0. 70| | Other variable labor| $ 3. 20| $ 2. 40| $ 3. 05| | Fabric| $ 9. 10| $ 2. 20| $ 7. 50| | Findings| $ 3. 85| $ 0. 50| $ 2. 30| Total Variable Cost| $ 20. 55| $ 7. 50| $ 16. 40| | | | | Direct variable costs translated into â€Å"unit† cost| Hoodie| Tee-shirt| Pants| | Total Variable Cost| $ 20. 55| $ 7. 50| $ 16. 40| | * measure| 0. 5| 1. 5| 1. 0| | Unit Cost| $ 10. 28| $ 11. 25| $ 16. 40| Indirect variable costs:| | | Wholesale â€Å"unit† price| $ 95. 00 | Total variable costs as % of wholesale price| 40%| Indirect variable costs per â€Å"unit†| $ 8. 64 | | | | | Direct variable costs per â€Å"unit†| $ 37. 93 | | Indirect variable costs per â€Å"unit†| $ 8. 64 | Total variable costs pe r â€Å"unit†| $ 46. 56 | | | | Contribution:| | | Wholesale price per â€Å"unit†| $ 95. 00 | | Less total variable costs per â€Å"unit†| $ 47. 00 | | Contribution per â€Å"unit†| $ 48. 00 | | | | Breakeven:| | | Fixed annual costs(operating and depreciated start up)| $ 14,040,000 | | Contribution per â€Å"unit†| $ 48. 00 | | = Breakeven Units| $ 289,846 | Appendix BUnit Price = $95. 00, Unit Quantity = 210,000 * ((7,500,000 * 2 * 0. 4 * 7%) / 2) Profit Margin*| | | | | Discount Rate (40%)| Discount Rate (20%)| Discount Rate (60%)| Revenue| $ 31,920,000| $ 35,910,000| $ 27,930,000| less fixed annual costs| $ 2,540,000| $ 2,540,000| $ 2,540,000| less total variable costs| $ 19,555,410| $ 19,555,410| $ 19,555,410| Profit before tax| $ 9,824,590| $ 13,814,590| $ 5,834,590| Profit margin before tax| 30. 78%| 38. 47%| 20. 89%| * Assumes half of inventory is sold at full price, and other half is sold at subsequent discount rates. |

The Effects of Price Control In Japan

If supply is greater than demand, the price of a product will decrease. If demand is greater than supply, the price of a product will increase. This is a simple rule that determines the price of almost all consumer goods. But what happens if the price is too high. What happens if there is a massive shortage or if a war breaks out and the price of everyday products such as sugar or bread skyrockets. Who will protect the consumer? And vice versa, who will protect the seller. This is where the government steps in and imposes price controls. Price controls are imposed to help or protect particular parts of the population which would be treated unequally by the unfettered price system. With today's technology, many farmers around the world find themselves producing far more than they can sell or a surplus and this drives down prices. Therefore to support the farmers, many governments have created price floors to increase the income of their farmers who without them would fail to make a living profit. Japanese agricultural policy so far has focused on maintaining agricultural income by price controls. During the 1960s, Japan was in a stage of extraordinarily rapid growth. But Japanese farmers still produced more crops, namely rice, then they could sell, and this drove prices down and dwindled their profits. All the while, the industrial sector began creating massive profits. As a result, the income gap between the two was widening. Politicians knew that social and political unrest would result if the situation worsened. And so they began to resort to price controls to protect agriculture. To increase the farmers' income, the government placed price floors or price supports on rice and other crops. Therefore, the price of rice would not be determined by the free market but by this set price. The Japanese government set the price floor higher than the equilibrium price or the price of rice in the free market. By doing this they were sure to increase the income of farmers. But this policy had its drawbacks. The price policy impaired the basic market mechanisms. The increased price drew away buyers, resulting in an excessive surplus of rice. In fact, rice surplus amounted to approximately seven million tons in storage, and that required three trillion yen of tax money for its disposal. Although this policy helped farmers, it became a great strain on the government and taxpayers. The Japanese government began to implement a new policy. The only way to avoid surplus under such a high price policy is to limit production. Hence, a policy to cut back on rice acreage was introduced. But this policy also ran into problems. Reduced production was forced onto the producers and served only to dampen their motivation to produce and to hinder their drive. Another hindrance in price control is a segregated overseas and domestic market. The only way for the government to retain this kind of price policy and maintain agricultural income is by closing off its borders form imports. With this price control the government ran into many problems. It therefore abolished the Food Staple Control Act which implemented this price policy and replaced it with the New Food Staple Control Act in November 1995. This new act liberated distribution and limited the government's role to just the purchase and management of rice reserves. In conclusion, Japan's price control policy was created with the best intentions to improve agriculture income. While it succeeded in that aspect, the government and its people were hurt more by this policy. Even the farmers themselves who had their production limited became unmotivated. We see from this case scenario that sometimes the government needs to take a step back and play a limited role in the economy or practice laissez-faire economics.