Achieving the Goal Essay Example for Free

Achieving the Goal Essay How will I achieve the goal? There are many things going through my head when I think about the question, but there are only a few important ones that stick out the most. Achieving the goal would be for me to do everything in my power to do the very best I can in college so when I do finish I can become a physical therapist. For me to achieve my goal, I’m going to have to work hard and study even harder so I can get the very best grades while going to Victoria College. I know that college isn’t easy and sometimes it is going to be difficult, but I will not let that stop me from getting my goal. I also know that college is very different from high school. So that means that I’m going to need to work ten times harder than I did back then. I believe that by studying and giving my very best at everything I do in college, I will achieve my goal. I just have to remember that I can’t give up even when it gets hard because that will get me nowhere. Besides doing my best in college, I’m going to need to balance my job as a mother of three and the duties of a house wife. Balancing kids and keeping up with everything that comes with the responsibilities of a wife, home, and family is just another step on the path to achieving my goals. Having a family while also going to school full time can be tough. Sometimes when I get home I’m tired and really don’t feel like doing any homework, but I know that I have to. This sometimes can lead to procrastinating. I’ve gone to school before while having one child and managed just fine with school and work, so I know that I can do it again this go around of college too. Time management is the key though. Having a social life is something else I have to balance with college I believe that I can do all the things I want to with my friends and family and still be able to succeed in college. All I have to do is manage my time and keep my priorities straight. I have to think which is more important, hanging out and watching the football game with friends and family or studying for an upcoming test. Studying of course. I can do all the things I want to do with my family and friends as long as I don’t let it affect my school work. So when I finish my time at Victoria College, I want to transfer to University Houston-Victoria. It has always been my dream to go to a University and make my kids proud. It’s just another step in  achieving my goal. While I am at UHV, I want to succeed at everything I do so I can graduate with a Bachelor’s degree and then even go on to getting a Master’s degree as well. So hopefully when my time is done at UHV, I will have become a physical therapist. Something I have wanted to be for a while now. When it is all said and done with college and I do become a physical therapist, then I know that I have finally reached my goal for myself, my kids, and my husband. All I have to remember is that I can’t lose focus of my goals and dreams, because if I do then I will never achieve true happiness†¦my goal!

Infosys Technologies Ltd: SWOT and PESTLE

Infosys Technologies Ltd: SWOT and PESTLE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY We are using the term information technology or IT to refer to an entire industry. In actuality, information technology is the use of computers and software to manage information. In some companies, this is referred to as Management Information Services (MIS) or simply as Information Services (IS). The information technology department of a large company would be responsible for storing information, protecting information, processing the information, transmitting the information as necessary, and later retrieving information as necessary. History of Information Technology: In relative terms, it wasnt long ago that the Information Technology department might have consisted of a single Computer Operator, who might be storing data on magnetic tape, and then putting it in a box down in the basement somewhere. The history of information technology is fascinating! These Information Technology resources for information on everything from the history of IT to electronics inventions and even the top 10 IT bugs. Modern Information Technology Departments: In order to perform the complex functions required of information technology departments today, the modern Information Technology Department would use computers, servers, database management systems, and cryptography. The department would be made up of several System Administrators, Database Administrators and at least one Information Technology Manager. In India, the software boom started somewhere in the late 1990s. Most of the Indian software companies at that moment offered only limited software services such as the banking and the engineering software. The business software boom started with the emergence of year2000 problem, when a large number of skilled personnel were required to fulfill the mammoth database-correction demand in order to cope up with the advent of the new millennium. The profile of the Indian IT Services has been undergoing a change in the last few years, partly as it moves up the value chain and partly as a response to the market dynamics. Ten years ago, most US companies would not even consider outsourcing some of their IT projects to outside vendors. Now, ten years later, a vast majority of US companies use the professional services of Indian Software engineers in some manner, through large, medium or small companies or through individuals recruited directly. The market competition is forcing organizations to cut down on costs of products. The professional IT services on the other hand are becoming increasingly expensive. The offshore software development model is today where onsite professional services were ten years ago. There is a high chance (almost a mathematical certainty), that in less than ten years, the vast majority of IT services (software development being just one of them) from developed countries, will be, one, outsourced and two, outsourced to an offshore vendor. Despite the global economic slowdown, the Indian IT software and services industry is maintaining a steady pace of growth. Software development activity is not confined to a few cities in India. Software development centers, such as Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Calcutta, Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Vadodara, Bhubaneswar, Ahmadabad, Goa, Chandigarh, and Trivandrum are all developing quickly. All of these places have state of the art software facilities and the presence of a large number of overseas vendors. Indias most prized resource is its readily available technical work force. India has the second largest English-speaking scientific professionals in the world, second only to the U.S. It is estimated that India has over 4 million technical workers, over 1,832 educational institutions and polytechnics, which train more than 67,785 computer software professionals every year. The enormous base of skilled manpower is a major draw for global customers. India provides IT servi ces at one-tenth the price. No wonder more and more companies are basing their operations in India. The industry is in an expansion mode right now, with dozens of new offshore IT services vendors emerging every day, the industry has a high probability of being subjected to the 80:20 rule in not too distant a future. In perhaps another ten years, 80 percent of all outsourced offshore development work will be done by 20 percent of all vendors, a small number of high qualities, trusted vendors. Only a few select countries and only the most professional companies in those countries will emerge as winners. India will definitely be the country of choice for offshore software development. It has the potential to become and remain the country of choice for all software developments and IT enabled services, second only to the USA. The third choice could be far distant. India is among the three countries that have built supercomputers on their own. The other two are USA and Japan. India is among six countries that launch satellites and do so even for Germany and Belgium. Indias INSAT is among the worlds largest domestic satellite communication systems. India has the third largest telecommunications network among the emerging economies and it is among the top ten networks of the world. To become a global leader in the IT industry and retain that position, India needs to constantly keep moving up the value chain, focusing on finished products and solutions, rather than purely on skill sets and resumes. It also needs to be able to package its services as products, rather than offering them as raw material. It needs to be able to recognize and build up on its strengths and work on weaknesses. Another extension of the IT industry is the ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services) which is a sector dependent on IT sector. Information technology consulting (IT consulting or business and technology services) is a field that focuses on advising businesses on how best to use information technology to meet their business objectives. In addition to providing advice, IT consultancies often implement, deploy, and administer IT systems on businesses behalf. The PC industry is one of the strangest in the world. There is probably no other type of product that is so technologically sophisticated, sells for so much money, and yet is sold by so many companies for so little profit. The severe competition in the industry is the one reason why so many problems are encountered by those who deal with PC vendors. While I consider there to be absolutely no excuse for a company not treating its customers fairly, at the same time I think customers should have some idea of what vendors are up against in this demanding marketplace. PESTLE ANALYSIS There are many factors in the macro-environment that will effect the decisions of the managers of any organization. Tax changes, new laws, trade barriers, demographic change and government policy changes are all examples of macro change. To help analyze these factors, managers can categorize them using the PESTLE model. PESTLE stands for Political, Economical, Social, Technical, Legislative and Environmental. It is a strategic planning technique that provides a useful framework for analyzing the environmental pressures on a team or an organization. It describes a framework of macro environmental factors used in the environmental scanning component of strategic management. It is a part of the external analysis when conducting a strategic analysis or doing market research and gives a certain overview of the different macro environmental factors that the company has to take into consideration. It is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. PESTLE factors play an important role in the value creation opportunities of a strategy. However they are usually outside the control of the corporation and must normally be considered as either threats or opportunities. Kotler (1998) claimed that PESTLE analysis is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. The headings of PESTLE are a framework for reviewing a situation, and can in addition to SWOT and Porters Five Forces models, be applied by companies to review strategic directions, including marketing proposition. (P)olitical factors These refer to government policies such as the degree of intervention in the economy. What goods and services does a government want to provide? To what extent does it believe in subsidizing firms? What are its priorities in terms of business support? Political decisions can impact on many vital areas for business such as the education of the workforce, the health of the nation and the quality of the infrastructure of the economy such as the road and rail system, Government rules and regulations can also affect a business heavily. Rules and regulations such as environmental regulations, industry specific regulations, competitive regulations, consumer protection and various kinds of employment laws. (E)conomical factors These include interest rates, taxation changes, economic growth, inflation and exchange rates, governments spending levels, unemployment, job growth, tariffs, consumer confidence index and import or export rations. Economic changes can have a major impact on a firms behavior. Higher interest rates may deter investment because it costs more to borrow. A strong currency may make exporting more difficult because it may raise the price in terms of foreign currency Inflation may provoke higher wage demands from employees and raise costs Higher national income growth may boost demand for a firms products (S)ocial factors These often look at the cultural aspects and include health consciousness, population growth rate, demographics (age, gender ,race, distribution), career attitudes and emphasis on safety , lifestyle changes, population shifts, education trends, fads, diversity, immigration/emigration, housing trends, fashion, attitudes to work, leisure activities, occupations and earning capacity. Changes in social trends can impact on the demand for a firms products and the availability and willingness of individuals to work. Today the aging of population has become a huge problem. This has increased the costs for firms who are committed to pension payments for their employees because their staff is living longer. It also means some firms have started to recruit older employees to tap into this growing labour pool. The ageing population also has impact on demand: for example, demand for sheltered accommodation and medicines have increased whereas demand for toys is falling. (T)echnological factors Technological factors include ecological and environmental aspects and can determine barriers to entry, minimum efficient production level and influence outsourcing decisions. Technological factors look at elements such as RD activity, automation, technology incentives and the rate of technological change. New technologies create new products and new processes. MP3 players, computer games, online gambling and high definition TVs are all new markets created by technological advances. Online shopping, bar coding and computer aided designing are all improvements to the way we do business as a result of better technology. Technology can reduce costs, improve quality and lead to innovation. These developments can benefit consumers as well as the organizations providing the products. (L)egal factors These are related to the legal environment in which firms operate. In recent years in UK there have been many significant legal changes that have affected organizations behavior. The introduction of age discrimination and disability discrimination legislation, an increase in the minimum wage and greater requirements for firms to recycle are examples of relatively recent laws that affect an organizations actions. Legal changes can affect a firms costs (e.g. if new systems and procedures have to be developed) and demand (e.g. if the law affects the likelihood of customers buying the good or using the service). (E)nvironmental factors Environmental factors include the weather and climate change. Changes in temperature can impact on many industries including farming, tourism and insurance. With major climate changes occurring due to global warming and with greater environmental awareness this external factor is becoming a significant issue for firms to consider. The growing desire to protect the environment is having an impact on many industries such as the travel and transportation industries (for example, more taxes being placed on air travel and the success of hybrid cars) and the general move towards more environmentally friendly products and processes is affecting demand patterns and creating business opportunities. Introduction: Infosys Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: INFY) was started in 1981 by seven people with US$ 250. Today, we are a global leader in the next generation of IT and consulting with revenues of over US$ 4 billion. Infosys defines designs and delivers technology-enabled business solutions that help Global 2000 companies win in a Flat World. Infosys also provides a complete range of services by leveraging our domain and business expertise and strategic alliances with leading technology providers. Infosys offerings span business and technology consulting, application services, systems integration, product engineering, custom software development, maintenance, re-engineering, independent testing and validation services, IT infrastructure services and business process outsourcing Infosys pioneered the Global Delivery Model (GDM), which emerged as a disruptive force in the industry leading to the rise of offshore outsourcing. The GDM is based on the principle of taking work to the location where the best talent is available, where it makes the best economic sense, with the least amount of acceptable risk. Infosys has a global footprint with over 50 offices and development centers in India, China, Australia, the Czech Republic, Poland, the UK, Canada and Japan. Infosys has over 103,000 employees. Infosys takes pride in building strategic long-term client relationships. Over 97% of our revenues come from existing customers. In an increasingly globalised world, significant complexity and uncertainty is getting attached to the unprecedented economic crisis. The Indian economy has also been impacted by the recessionary trends, with a slowdown in GDP growth to seven per cent. The focus and exponential growth in the domestic market has partially offset this fall and insulated the country, resulting in net overall momentum. The IT-BPO industry in India has today become a growth engine for the economy, contributing substantially to increases in the GDP, urban employment and exports, to achieve the vision of a young and resilient India. During the year, the sector maintained its double digit growth rate and was a net hirer. This growth has been fueled by increasing diversification in the geographic base and industry verticals, and adaptation in the service offerings portfolio. While the effects of the economic crisis are expected to linger in the near term future, the Indian IT-BPO industry has displayed resili ence and tenacity in countering the unpredictable conditions and reiterating the viability of Indias fundamental value proposition. Consequently, India has retained its leadership position in the global sourcing market. The Indian IT-BPO industry is estimated to achieve revenues of USD 71.7 billion in FY2009, with the IT software and services industry accounting for USD 60 billion of revenues. During this period, direct employment is expected to reach nearly 2.23 million, an addition of 226,000 employees, while indirect job creation is estimated to touch 8 million. As a proportion of national GDP, the sector revenues have grown from 1.2 per cent in FY1998 to an estimated 5.8 per cent in FY2009. Software and services exports (including BPO) are expected to account for over 99 per cent of total exports, employing over 1.76 million employees. While the current mood is that of cautious optimism, the industry is expected to witness sustainable growth over a two-year horizon, going past i ts USD 60 billion export target in FY2011. While the industry has significant headroom for growth, competition is increasing, with a number of countries creating enabling business environments aimed at replicating Indias success in the IT-BPO industry. Hence, concentrated efforts are required by all stakeholders to address the current challenges, to ensure that India realizes its potential, and maintains its leadership position. Vision To be a globally respected corporation that provides best-of-breed business solutions, leveraging technology, delivered by best in class people. Mission To achieve our objectives in an environment of fairness, honesty, and courtesy towards our clients, employees, vendors and society at large. STP Analysis Segmentation Geographical regions: US, India, Australia, China, UK Psychographics: MNC, BFSI, Hospitality Sector Demographic: Population or Employee strength of consumer company: +5000 Targeting Infosys Technologies Ltd, which offers its core banking solution under the brand Finacle, is targeting regional rural banks to achieve higher growth. There are over 90 rural banks in India they have come up with a solution called The Finacle Bank in a Box for this segment. The expenditure that each rural bank would have to make would depend on its existing level of automation. IT service providers would benefit a great deal if more people from rural areas were included in the banking services, and Infosys has. The solution will be deployed by a third party who will do the banking transaction on behalf of different banks as the model is expected to be cost-effective Infosys BPO is targeting the hospitality industry for its outsources processes offering. The company has formed a strategic alliance with New York-based hospitality consultancy major HVS International The alliance will help Infosys BPO (formerly called Progeon) to target hotels and other customers in the hospitality industry. HVS is a well-known consulting firm in the hospitality segment. Positioning Infosys is seeking to move away from its image as a cheap Indian offshore service factory to that of a global business technology (BT) leader. The company is investing in measures to enhance its visibility and footprint across a wider group of client stakeholders and markets. The aim is to position Infosys as a prototype for successful companies in a globalized market environment. While Infosys can justifiably point to its ongoing business growth as a major success story, its corporate positioning suffers from inconsistencies in its underlying messaging. Furthermore, its product positioning continues to mainly focus on technology and cost-related benefits, which represents a disconnect with Infosys corporate ambitions. Leadership Style: Infosys believes that leadership is one of the most essential ingredients of organizational success which is provided by its Chairman, N R Narayanmurthy. Leadership is based on high business vision and predominantly supportive styles. There is emphasis on developing leadership qualities among employees. For this purpose, it has established Infosys Leadership Institute. Top management emphasizes on open door policy, continuous sharing of information, takes inputs from employees in decision making, and builds personal rapport with employees. As we have seen over last few years, we have seen smooth transition from N R Narayanmurthy to Nandan Nilakeni and from Nandan Nilakeni to Kris Gopalkrishnan without any adverse effects on the company outlook and each one has proved to be an able leader taking company forward. Staff (Human Resources): Since Infosys is in knowledge-based industry, it focuses on the quality of the human resources. Out of total personnel, about 90 per cent are engineer s. At the entry level, it emphasizes on selecting candidates who find the companys meritocratic culture satisfying, superior academic records, technical skills, and high level of learn ability. The company emphasizes on training and development of its employees on continuous basis and spends about 2.65 per cent of its revenues on up gradation of employees? skills, and around 50% as employee costs. In spite of thousands of people joining every month, Infosys has been able to maintain its training standard mostly due to its highly matured processes capabilities and investment in infrastructure. SWOT Analysis (S)TRENGTHS: Leadership in sophisticated solutions that enable clients to optimize the efficiency of their business. Proven Global delivery model Commitment to superior quality and process execution Strong Brand and Long-Standing Client Relationships Ability to scale Innovation and leadership. (W)EAKNESSES: Excessive dependence on US for revenues, 67 % of revenues from USA. Weak player in domestic market. Only 1 % of revenues from India low as compared to peers. Low R D spending as compared to global IT companies only 1.3 % of total revenues. Low expertise in high end services like Consultancy and KPO. (O)PPORTUNITIES: Domestic market set to grow by 20%. Expanding into new geographies Europe, Middle East etc. Infosys is cash rich (Around US $ 1 Billion). Acquiring companies to increase expertise in Consultancy, KPO and package implementation capabilities Opening offices and development centers in cost advantage countries such as those in Latin America and Eastern Europe. (T)HREATS: Global economic slowdown may continue for several years hence low IT spending globally. US Govt. against outsourcing. Shrinking margins due to rising wage inflation, Rupee-dollar movementaffects revenue and hence margins. Increased competition from foreign firms like Accenture, IBM etc. Increased competition from low-wage countries like China, Indonesia etc. Strategy: Infosys has adopted a client-focused strategy to achieve growth. Rather than focusing on numerous small organizations, it focuses on limited number of large organizations throughout world. In order to cater its clients, the company emphasizes on custom-built softwares. Another differentiating factor for Infosys is that it commands premium margins. Company does not negotiate over margins beyond a certain limit and some time prefers to walk-out rather than compromise on quality for low-cost contracts. This has helped in building an image for quality driven model rather than cost-differentiating model. Increase business from existing and new clients: Infosys has focused on expanding the nature and scope of engagements for the existing clients by increasing the size and number of projects and extending the breadth of its service offerings. For new clients, it provides value added solutions by leveraging its in-depth industry expertise. It increases its recurring business with clients by providing software re-engineering, maintenance, infrastructure management and business process management services which are long-term in nature and require frequent client contact. Expand geographically: Infosys plans to establish new sales and marketing offices, representative offices and global development centers to expand its geographical reach. It plans to increase presence in China through Infosys China, in the Czech Republic and Eastern Europe directly and through Infosys BPO, in Australia through Infosys Australia and in Latin America, through Infosys Mexico. Enhance solution set: Infosys focuses on emerging trends, new technologies, specific industries and pervasive business issues that confront our clients Pestle of Infosys: (P)olitical: Political stability: Indian political structure is considered stable enough expect the fact that there is a fear of hung parliament (no clear majority). U.S. government has declared that U.S companies that outsource IT work to other locations other than U.S. will not get tax benefit. Government owned companies and PSUs have decided to give more IT projects to Indian IT companies. Terrorist attack or war. (E)conomic: Global IT spending (demand) Domestic IT Spending (Demand): Domestic market to grow by 20% and reach approx USD 20 billion in 2008-09 NASSCOM Currency Fluctuation Real Estate Prices: Decline in real estate prices has resulted reducing the rental expenditures. Attrition: Due to recession, the layoffs and job-cuts have resulted in low attrition rate. Economic Attractiveness: Due to cost advantage and other factors (So)cial: Language spoken: English is widely spoken language in India, English medium being the most accepted medium of education. Thus, India boasts of large English speaking population. Education: A number of technical institutes and universities over the country offer IT education. Working age population (T)echnological: Telephony: India has the worlds lowest call rates (1-2 US cents). Expected to have total subscriber base of about 500 million by 2010. ARPU for GSM is USD 6.6 per month. India has the second largest telephone network after china. Teledensity 19.86 % Enterprise telephone services, 3G, Wi-max and VPN are poised to grow. Internet Backbone: Due to IT revolution in 90s India is well connected with undersea optical cables. New IT Technologies: Technologies like SOA, web 2.0, High definition content, grid computing, and innovation in low cost technologies is presenting new challenges opportunities for Indian IT industry. Internet Backbone: Due to IT revolution of 90s, Indian cities and India is well connected with undersea optical cables. New IT technologies: Technologies like SOA, Web 2.0, High-definition content, grid computing, etc and innovation in low cost technologies is presenting new challenges and opportunities for Indian IT industry. (L)egal: IT SEZ requirement: IT companies can set up SEZ with minimum area of 10 hectares and enjoy a host of tax benefits and fiscal benefits. Contract / Bond requirements: Huge debates surrounding the bonds under which the employees are required to work, which is not legally required. IT Act: Indian government is strengthening the IT act, 2000 to provide a sound legal environment for companies to operate esp. related to security of data in transmission and storage, etc. Companies operating in Software Technology Park (STPI) scheme will continue to get tax-benefit till 2010. (E)nvironmental: Energy Efficient processes and equipments: Companies are focusing on reducing the carbon footprints, energy utilization, water consumption, etc BIBILIOGRAPHY http://www.businessballs.com/pestanalysisfreetemplate.htm http://www.alacrastore.com/storecontent/datamonitor-premium-profiles/ http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/careersintechnology/p/ITDefinition.htm http://www.wikipedia.com

Cannabis Sativa: Why Hasnt It Been Legalized? :: essays research papers

What if we were able to legalize a drug that works more efficiently on some diseases than any legal drug on the market today? This drug can help to aid such notorious diseases as AIDS and glaucoma. The name of this drug is cannabis sativa, or its more well-known name, marijuana. Cannabis sativa should be legalized for its medicinal uses. This paper will state the different types of diseases that marijuana may be used for, the current steps towards the legalization of this drug for medicinal purposes, the reasons for the use of this drug not to be exploited, the positive and alleviating effects of its use, and the non-addictive attributes of the drug itself. There are many reasons to show why the illegal drug, marijuana, should be legalized solely for its medicinal uses and benefits. Marijuana can be used for such things as glaucoma, controlling seizures, arthritis, the side effects of cancer chemotherapy, such as vomiting and nausea, asthma, anxiety, convulsions, AIDS and depression (Cohen, 1985). "In glaucoma, it reduces the pressure in the eye, for instance, and it also causes a slight increase in appetite in people suffering from AIDS wasting or those undergoing chemotherapy" (Medical Experts, 1997). Marijuana has been widely touted as a treatment for the drastic weight loss associated with AIDS (Levine, 1997). Cannabis sativa reduces the vomiting and nausea caused by chemotherapy, and alleviates pretreatment anxiety. It reduces the muscle pain and spasticity caused by the disease, but it may also help some patients with bladder control and the relieving of tremors (Facts & Stats, 2001). There are a number of peopl e who have severe mental illnesses. When they feel like they are becoming mentally ill, they start self-medicating with cannabis to help them to relieve the symptoms of the illness they are having (Jamaica, 1997). In the study on rats, a research team from Complutense University and Autonoma University in Madrid found that marijuana's active ingredient, called THC, killed tumor cells in advanced cases of glioma, a quick-killing cancer for which there is currently no effective treatment. The team reports that the treatment works by stimulating the cancer cells to commit suicide in a natural process called apoptosis. The effect occurs in cancer cells but not in normal ones and, they say, "could provide the basis for a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of malignant gliomas". (Rea, 2000) But anytime there is an upside, there is always a downside.

Symptoms, Causes and Treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder :: Post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD

Introduction Throughout history the world as we know it has introduced several chapters of natural disasters, terror and wars. To name a few recent events: the war in Iraq, the terror attack â€Å"9.11† and the earth quake on the island Haiti. People who have been involved in one of these kinds of events often seem to develop a set of common symptoms in spite of the different events they have experienced. This has caused scientists and psychologists to study whether these people develop the same disorder based on their experience. Empirical data and studies involving these questions have lead researchers to believe that critical events may lead to a disorder called Post- traumatic stress disorder (Hyer, 1994). This disorder has in the past years become one of today’s most common disorders. This project will involve and debate the following questions: Why do people develop post-traumatic stress disorder? Why is it that so many soldiers are exposed to this disorder? 1. Symptoms Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) first became a diagnostic category due to problems many of the Vietnam veterans experienced after they returned from battle. Stress reactions to events in battle had already been discovered in previous wars such as WWI and WWII; however, the veterans of the Vietnam War seemed particularly affected by the disorder. A majority of the veterans developed commons symptoms in spite of their personality, age and earlier experiences. The major symptoms include (1) feeling numb to the world, with lack of interest in former activities and a sense of estrangement from others, (2) reliving the trauma repeatedly in memories and dreams, and (3) sleep disturbance, difficulty concentrating, and over-alertness. Some people even felt guilt, being a survivor among deceased fellow soldiers. These symptoms lead to what we today call Post-traumatic stress disorder (Aasgaard & Dahl, 1997) A survey (1988) calculated that 15 percent of Vietnam veterans have suffered from PTSD since their return from war. The study also supports that among the survivors a majority suffered with alcohol related problems, trouble in social situations and fainting unexpectedly. Among the veterans, 16 % of the 713 tested, had been arrested for breaking the law, and approximately 40 percent suffered with war related nightmares and memories that they where unable to leave behind (Atkinson m. fl., 1996). â€Å"The war is over in history. But it never ended for me† (Marbly, 1987, from Atkinson, 1996) Anger and aggression is another common reaction to a stressful event.

The Universal Soul in The Parable of the Chariot, Katha Upanishad 3.3-3

The Universal Soul in The Parable of the Chariot, Katha Upanishad 3.3-3.12 The word â€Å"Atman† is translated into English as â€Å"soul† or â€Å"self.† Yet Atman in Hinduism has a much richer meaning than our standard western concept of soul. For example, Atman is understood as divine and equivalent to Brahman, the ultimate reality. Each person’s Atman is the same, and each is identical with Brahman. Therefore Atman could also be translated, â€Å"Universal Soul,† â€Å"Eternal Soul,† or â€Å"All-Soul.† The Katha Upanishad speaks at length about the nature of Atman, how one might attain to it and thereby attain to Brahman. Attainment to Atman is dependent on the control of those aspects of the person that are transitory and not eternal like Atman; these include the body, the mind, the intellect and the senses. The parable of the chariot in the Katha Upanishad illustrates the nature of Atman by means of an allegory. According to this parable, the way to Brahman is through Atman; the way to Atman is through control of the body, the senses, the mind, and the intellect. Each of these aspects of the person, including Atman itself, is likened to some part of the chariot. It is thus shown that Atman or the soul is what gives the body purpose and life, and that control of the mind and the senses results in a knowledge of the universal soul and, likewise, ultimate reality. The parable of the chariot begins simply with a basic comparison between two opposite aspects of a person, body and soul (Katha Upanishad, 3.3): Know thou the soul (atman, self) as riding in a chariot, The body as the chariot. In this passage the soul is not only shown in control of the body but also protected by it and dependent on it for its interaction with the world... ...hings, That Soul (Atman, Self) shines not forth, But He is seen by subtle seers With superior, subtle intellect. The parable of the chariot shows that Atman is the supreme entity among the many parts that make up the person, yet it also shows that the various parts have relationships with and dependencies on one another. Through the subordination of the many parts to Atman, we may come to know Atman, the royal passenger in the chariot. All the aspects of the person which are not Atman (body, mind, etc.) give us the impression that we are unique individuals. Only by subordinating these things to Atman do we see otherwise. We all suffer from the illusion that we are distinct, yet when we begin to see that we all are in fact the same, then we begin to know Atman and therefore Brahman as well.

Coca Cola/Pepsico Strategy Analysis

16/10/2012 Saxion University of Applied Science Module International Business Plan – Mr. J. Oude Rengerink IBMS Project 6 – Gr. C1 Analysis International Strategy; Part 1 – Second Version Tim Herbers (153139) Angelika Kuhn (147613) Sebastiaan Prins (112381) Luc Zijlmans (149689) Saxion University of Applied Science Module International Business Plan – Mr. J. Oude Rengerink IBMS Project 6 – Gr. C1 Analysis International Strategy; Part 1 – Second Version Tim Herbers (153139) Angelika Kuhn (147613) Sebastiaan Prins (112381) Luc Zijlmans (149689) | Coca Cola & Pepsi| Analysis International Strategy|Coca Cola & Pepsi| Analysis International Strategy| Index 1. Analysis International Strategy3 2. The Coca-Cola Company & PepsiCo4 3. Marketing5 3. 1 Marketing mix of Coca Cola5 3. 2 Marketing mix of Pepsi7 3. 3 Brand differentiation8 3. 4 Coca-Cola & Pepsi Worldwide8 4. Management9 4. 1 Management Coca-Cola9 4. 2 Management PepsiCo11 4. 3 Management co mpared12 5. Financial Position12 5. 1 Profitability13 5. 2 Liquidity14 5. 3 Solvency15 6. Production16 6. 1 Comparison Production17 7. Research and Development18 7. 1 Research and Development & Sustainability20 8. In Overall21 9. Coca-Cola Company or PepsiCo21 0. References22 1. Analysis International Strategy Before it could be determined whether the Coca-Cola Company or PepsiCo is most suitable for entering a new market, a thorough examination and evaluation of their current (internal) strategy has be performed. Several variables will be researched upon, including Human Resource Management, sustainability and ethics, management aspects (financial part of the business plan), and strategic international marketing position. During this first part we will be answering the question ‘What are the strengths and weaknesses of the companies Coca-Cola and PepsiCo? . 2. The Coca-Cola Company & PepsiCo The Coca-Cola Company Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink that is sold in stores, re staurants, and vending machines available in more than 200 countries throughout the world. Nowadays it is rather difficult to think of a country where it is not available. With a portfolio of more than 3,500 beverages, from diet and regular sparkling beverages to still beverages such as 100 per cent fruit juices and fruit drinks, waters, sports and energy drinks, teas and coffees, and milk-and soy-based beverages, their variety spans the globe.The company has 146,200 employees around the world and operates its business for 126 years respectively. Its headquarters is located in Atlanta, USA. In financial circles, Coca-Cola has been one of the strongest and most reliable trading stocks, showing a steady return in all of its years of existence but one. However, Coca Colas market share has slipped, but still dominates in much of Europe and South America. PepsiCo The carbonated soft drink producer sells its products in nearly 200 countries throughout the world. Their product assortment i ncludes 22 brands that each generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales.The company employs 297,000 people around the globe and is twice as much as that of Coca Cola and sells its products under the name of Pepsi Cola since 1898. Its headquarters is located in Purchase, USA. Pepsi mostly dominates in Asian markets as compared to Coca Cola. In financial circles, Pepsi is known to provide a steady growth when it comes to sales revenue as well as profit. Their sales revenue in 2011 is one third higher than that of 2008 and a disruption in that trend is not expected by sales forecasts. 3. Marketing 3. 1 Marketing mix of Coca Cola ProductThe Coca-Cola Company’s products consist of beverage concentrates and syrups, with the main product being the finished beverages and can be seen as both business and consumer products. The type of consumer product the Coca-Cola Company creates is convenience product. Convenience products normally require a wide distribution in order to sell sufficient quantities to meet profit goals In addition, the Coca-Cola Company often pays a certain amount to retail stores to resell their product. Therefore the Coca-Cola Company products can be considered a business product.The Coca-Cola Company has a fairly large product mix which contains about 400 brands, including diet and light beverages, waters, juice and juice drinks, teas, coffees, energy, and sports drinks. Since 1960 they have increased their product mix continuously. Place Coca Cola is sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. The headquarter is located in Atlanta, Georgia. Promotion Advertising According to Gary Armstrong and Philip Kotler, â€Å"Advertising is any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, or services by an identified sponsor. Coca-Cola has used advertising to build an image for its company. Here are some of the types of advertising that Coca-Cola uses: * Television commercial; ga in good marketing coverage by appealing to consumer's senses. * Magazines; geographically and demographically select consumers that it wants to target. * Outdoor advertising; strategic placements achieve high repeat exposure. * Internet; allows customers to become interactive through various games, contests, shopping. Public Relations Coca-Cola handles public relations by including a press centre on its website.This section of the website allows consumers to view press releases, executive speeches, and statements made by the company regarding current information. In the statements, Coca-Cola can address law suits, rumours, stories, new products, and activities. Personal Selling Coca-Cola has many salespeople, who are individuals representing the company to communicate, sell, service, and build relationships with customers. These individuals form close relationships with the customers and visit them not unusual many times per week. Sales promotionCoca-Cola often runs sales with store s to quickly increase sales. Coke gives its product to the retailer for a lower price, and in-turn the retailer sells the product on sale. To advertise for these sales, the retailer generally runs an ad in their store sales circular at attract consumers. Direct Marketing Coca-Cola uses direct marketing in many ways. First, the company partners with various restaurants, movie theatres, etc. to carry its product. This way, when a customer orders a drink, the only brand they are offered is Coca-Cola, which forces them to buy a drink from that brand.By doing this, Coke forces out other competition, and keeps the restaurants, or other businesses, purchasing their product over and over again. Price Average price in the capitals for one can 350ml (2011): Greece, Spain, Belgium: $1. 74 Switzerland:$1. 72 United Kingdom:$1. 54 United States:$0. 79 Russia:$1. 07 India:$0. 36 China:$0. 26 3. 2 Marketing mix of Pepsi Product The Pepsi-Cola drink contains basic ingredients found in most other si milar drinks including carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, colourings, phosphoric acid, caffeine, citric acid and natural flavours.The caffeine free Pepsi-Cola contains the same ingredients but no caffeine. Pepsi’s most popular product range include Diet Pepsi, Gatorade, Mountain Dew, Thirst Quencher, Tropicana, Aquafina Bottled Water, Sierra Mist, Fritos Corn chips, Cheetos, Ruffles Potato Chips, Lays Potato Chips, Tostitos, Doritos. Place Pepsi is sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in nearly 200 countries. The headquarter is located in Purchase, New York. Promotion Advertising Likewise Pepsi has used advertising to build an image for its company. * Television commercial; gain good marketing coverage by appealing to consumer's senses. Magazines; geographically and demographically select consumers that it wants to target. * Outdoor advertising; strategic placements achieve high repeat exposure. * Internet; allows customers to become interactive t hrough various games, contests, shopping. Public Relations Pepsi gets involved in Public Relations via social networks like Facebook. Community services as well as social campaigns are addressed on the company’s internet page. Personal Selling In order to keep up with the core competition, Pepsi’s salespeople are inevitable building similar relationships with customers like Coca Cola.Sales promotion Sales promotion is similar to that of Coca Cola. Direct Marketing The direct marketing strategy is equally to that of Coca Cola. Price Average price in the capitals for one can 350ml (2011): United Kingdom:$0. 38 United States:$0. 79 Canada:$1. 02 Egypt:$0. 66 India:$0. 12 China:$0. 10 3. 3 Brand differentiation Brand differentiation takes place after understanding what the customers wants and therefore meeting the core need. Pepsi and Coca-Cola are popular black soft drinks and mostly contain sugar and water with a slightly difference in taste.Although the ad campaigns run by both companies would have people think otherwise, the soft drink similarities are striking. A study found that 80 per cent of people cannot differentiate a sample of Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) from a sample of Pepsi. In essence, it does not matter how the DNA of the product looks like, but how it is presented. On the one hand there is Coca-Cola, the secret inventor of cola, the original product since the establishment on the market. Pepsi, on the other hand, was born a few years after Coke and stands for something new. It markets its product being committed for a new generation.Pepsi does have a slight advantage over Coke in diversification. Pepsi has snack food brands such as Frito-Lay and Quaker. They also own the brands that make beverages such as Gatorade, Tropicana and Naked Juices. While Coke hasn’t tapped the snack food market, they do have some beverage diversification. Dasani bottled water, PowerAde and Minute Maid juices are all part of Coca-Cola. 3. 4 Coca-Cola & Pep si Worldwide The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo both have very successful drinks. Although Coca-Cola is greater than PepsiCo as a company as well as the amount of brands/drinks, their drinks are quite similar and therefore comparable.They also have a wide range of promotional activities. They use practically all communication mediums there are and invest huge amounts in building customer relationships. Coca Cola and Pepsi are sold in around the 200 countries worldwide. Both headquarters are located in the United Stated. The price of Coca Cola is more expensive than Pepsi in most countries. Since most people cannot taste the difference between the two, the difference in price lies with that Coca Cola is more known and wins from Pepsi on image. It is seen as a slightly ‘better' brand. . Management 4. 1 Management Coca-Cola Management Every company needs a strategy, to ensure that everything goes well within the firm. Strategic management affirms the company being well organized a nd no detail being left out. It is essential to make sure that the company is doing well internally. Business start up Coca-Cola was first introduced by John Smyth Pemberton. The distribution took place by carrying the product in a jig down the street to Jacob’s Pharmacy, where people were buying the drink for five cents at the soda foundation. StrategyNowadays, the Coca-Cola Company operates in more than 200 countries and markets more than 500 brands. Hereunder, four of the world’s top five soft drinks brands, which explains the enormous success and makes them to the world’s largest beverage company. The unique brand is consistently offering products of the highest quality and delivers creative and innovative marketing programs worldwide. The global availability and ongoing innovation, continually provides its consumers with new product offerings, with each country having its own unique needs and requirements.Mission * To refresh the world†¦ * To inspire m oments of optimism and happiness†¦ * To create value and make a difference. | Vision * People: Be a great place to work where people are inspired to be the best they can be. * Portfolio: Bring to the world a portfolio of quality beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy people's desires and needs. * Partners: Nurture a winning network of customers and suppliers, together we create mutual, enduring value. * Planet: Be a responsible citizen that makes a difference by helping build and support sustainable communities. Profit: Maximize long-term return to shareowners while being mindful of our overall responsibilities. * Productivity: Be a highly effective, lean and fast-moving organization. | Values * Leadership: The courage to shape a better future * Collaboration: Leverage collective genius * Integrity: Be real * Accountability: If it is to be, it's up to me * Passion: Committed in heart and mind * Diversity: As inclusive as our brands * Quality: What we do, we do well Structu re The Coca-Cola’s primary business consists of manufacturing and selling beverages.The company sells their concentrates and syrups to bottling partners, which have the authorization of manufacturing, distribution and selling branded products to consumers around the globe with supreme quality and service. The relationship with its bottlers worldwide is a key source of strength and is referring to ‘the Coca-Cola system’. Culture The organizational culture describes the way a business does things, including patterns of behaviour and relationships. Therefore, the employees of the Coca-Cola Company are the most important asset, highlighting teamwork and empowerment.Not only employees, but also customers and bottling partners feel valued in this friendly, trustful and innovative culture and their motivation provides the engine that drives the Company’s growth. Based on relationships, The Coca-Cola Company provides a number of open communication channels as mont hly leadership team meetings and employee team briefing sessions and surveys to monitor employee views and feelings. 4. 2 Management PepsiCo Business start up Pepsi was first introduced as ‘Brad’s Drink’ by Caleb Bradham in 1893. The drink was produced and sold in his drugstore. StrategyThe company operates in more than 200 countries. PepsiCo has competitive advantage in the beverage industry  because of big brands, proven innovation and differentiated products. Their strong brand, socially responsible employees and corporate beliefs continues its stance as one of the most powerful companies in the world. Mission Our mission is to be the world's premier consumer products company focused on convenient foods and beverages. We seek to produce financial rewards to investors as we provide opportunities for growth and enrichment to our employees, our business partners and the communities in which we operate.And in everything we do, we strive for honesty, fairness and integrity. Vision â€Å"PepsiCo's responsibility is to continually improve all aspects of the world in which we operate – environment, social, economic – creating a better tomorrow than today. † Our vision is put into action through programs and a focus on environmental stewardship, activities to benefit society, and a commitment to build shareholder value by making PepsiCo a truly sustainable company. Goals and Values Ensure high levels of associate engagement and satisfaction compared with other Fortune 500 companies * Foster diversity and inclusion by developing a workforce that reflects local communities * Encourage our associates to lead healthier lives by offering workplace wellness programs globally * Ensure a safe workplace by continuing to reduce lost time injury rates, while striving to improve other occupational health and safety metrics through best practices * Support ethical and legal compliance through annual training in our code of conduct, whic h outlines PepsiCo's unwavering commitment to its human rights policy, including treating every associate with dignity and respect Structure This adaptive organization is continuously seeking for improvement and keeping new ideas in the marketplace. PepsiCo has a decentralized organizational structure. Operational decisions are being made within the separate business units while being governed by policies at the corporate level. Culture PepsiCo offers a culture that encourages initiative, risk taking and access to decision makers.Employees have superior opportunities to pursue their goals. The company considers their culture as fairly uniform. â€Å"Extremely competitive and very focused†. Trust, respect, fairness and teamwork are being valued. Managers must be able to attract, retain and develop talents in order to achieve efficient and effective results, which are significant for PepsiCo’s expectations. Benefits as bountiful retirement packages, tuition reimbursement and legal assistance programs are being praised by their employees. 4. 3 Management compared Each company tries to outdo each other and tries to produce the best product. The battle of the two companies gives life to the industry.Both companies have a long history and have been tried and tested. The two are showing social responsibility in the community and have invested heavily in recycling programs. However, The Coca Cola Company is the market leader. It has built internal and external structures to support the delivery of its business goals. It has the best structure of supporting growth, allowing attention to local requirements and building on a clear strategic direction from the centre at the same time. To build its growth on, the company has a firm foundation of relationships and open communication channels. 5. Financial Position What is the financial position of PepsiCo?The last year’s PepsiCo has been a very financially healthy company. But like many companies also P epsiCo suffered a bit from the financial crisis. If we first look at the income statement of PepsiCo we can see that PepsiCo is now recovering from the blow they took from the financial crisis and are increasing their revenue and profits. They are recovering by spending more money on their marketing in their home market and also doing more investments then the years before. In 2009 investments were only 2. 1 billion and in 2011 their 3. 4 billion. This strategy is helping them to get back on track. We can see this strategy back in their cash flow statement and in their balance sheet.What is the financial position of Coca-Cola Company? The Coca-Cola Company has always been market leader with their coke and has always been a very strong company, not just financially but also their brand name is very strong. Even though they have a very strong brand name they took a blow in 2008 with the economic crisis and had to cut their costs and investments substantially. In 2011 their managed to get their revenue up by 11 billion but their profit stayed the same as in 2010. This was because they started to invest more; this is something that the competitor PepsiCo did as well. So both companies are recovering and doing well. 5. 1 Profitability PepsiCo Inc. , profitability ratios   | Dec 31, 2011| Dec 25, 2010| Dec 26, 2009| Dec 27, 2008| Dec 29, 2007|   | Return on Sales| | Gross profit margin| 52. 49%| 54. 05%| 53. 51%| 52. 95%| 54. 30%| | Operating profit margin| 14. 48%| 14. 41%| 18. 61%| 16. 09%| 18. 19%| | Net profit margin| 9. 69%| 10. 93%| 13. 75%| 11. 89%| 14. 33%|   | Return on Investment| | Return on equity (ROE)| 31. 29%| 29. 86%| 35. 38%| 42. 47%| 32. 83%| | Return on assets| 8. 84%| 9. 27%| 14. 92%| 14. 29%| 16. 34%| Coca-Cola Co. , profitability ratios |   | Dec 31, 2011| Dec 31, 2010| Dec 31, 2009| Dec 31, 2008| Dec 31, 2007|   | Return on Sales| | Gross profit margin| 60. 86%| 63. 86%| 64. 22%| 64. 39%| 63. 4%| | Operating profit margin| 21. 82%| 2 4. 06%| 26. 56%| 26. 44%| 25. 13%| | Net profit margin| 18. 42%| 33. 63%| 22. 02%| 18. 18%| 20. 73%|   | Return on Investment| | Return on equity (ROE)| 27. 10%| 38. 09%| 27. 52%| 28. 37%| 27. 51%| | Return on assets (ROA)| 10. 72%| 16. 19%| 14. 02%| 14. 33%| 13. 82%| In the table’s you can see the most important profitability ratios for PepsiCo and Coca-Cola Company. The gross profit margin indicates the percentage of revenue that is used to cover operating and other expenses. For the last years Coca-Cola always had the better profit margin ratio because they do not have such a diverse product range as PepsiCo does.PepsiCo also works in other markets like cereal and potato chips where the gross profit margins are usually lower. This accounts for all of the return on sales ratios. The return on investments are not very different for both companies but PepsiCo did some major investments in equity the last few years and they still managed a very high return on equity which a good result. Both companies have good returns on their investments. We can clearly see that Coca-Cola has a higher profitability; a big difference is the net profit margin where they score much better then PepsiCo. But both companies are doing very well profitability wise. 5. 2 Liquidity PepsiCo Inc. , liquidity ratios   | Dec 31, 2011| Dec 25, 2010| Dec 26, 2009| Dec 27, 2008| Dec 29, 2007| | Current ratio| 0. 96| 1. 11| 1. 44| 1. 23| 1. 31| | Quick ratio| 0. 62| 0. 80| 1. 00| 0. 79| 0. 89| | Cash ratio| 0. 24| 0. 40| 0. 47| 0. 26| 0. 32| Coca-Cola Co. , liquidity ratios |   | Dec 31, 2011| Dec 31, 2010| Dec 31, 2009| Dec 31, 2008| Dec 31, 2007| | Current ratio| 1. 05| 1. 17| 1. 28| 0. 94| 0. 92| | Quick ratio| 0. 78| 0. 85| 0. 95| 0. 62| 0. 58| | Cash ratio| 0. 58| 0. 61| 0. 67| 0. 38| 0. 33| The current ratio of PepsiCo is a shock because looking at this number they have serious liquidity problem. It took a major blow from the economic crisis looking at numbers from 2007 and 2008 when the current ratios were at a much more healthy level.Also Coca-Cola’s current ratio’s is much lower than it used to be but when we look at the current ratio in 2008 and 2007 the ratio was lower than it is now so it might be that this is not an unusual position to be in for Coca-Cola . The quick ratio shows if a company can currently pay back their current liabilities. Both companies are not able to do this but for big companies like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo this is a normal quick ratio and they do not have something to worry about. The Cash ratio of PepsiCo is much lower than Coca-Cola this might also be the cause for their low current ratio they do not have a lot of cash on their bank but they use it mostly for investments. Overall the liquidity position of Coca-Cola is better and Pepsi might need to reconsider to improve their liquidity position. 5. 3 SolvencyPepsiCo Inc. , debt and solvency ratios |   | Dec 31, 2011| Dec 25, 2010| Dec 26, 2009| Dec 27, 2008 | Dec 29, 2007| | Debt to equity| 1. 30| 1. 18| 0. 47| 0. 68| 0. 24| | Debt to capital| 0. 57| 0. 54| 0. 32| 0. 40| 0. 20| | Interest coverage| 11. 32| 10. 12| 21. 35| 22. 41| 35. 12| Coca-Cola Co. , debt and solvency ratios |   | Dec 31, 2011| Dec 31, 2010| Dec 31, 2009| Dec 31, 2008| Dec 31, 2007| | Debt to equity| 0. 90| 0. 76| 0. 48| 0. 45| 0. 43| | Debt to capital| 0. 47| 0. 43| 0. 32| 0. 31| 0. 30| | Interest coverage| 28. 43| 20. 43| 26. 20| 18. 14| 18. 37| PepsiCo finances their company more with equity and capital than Coca-Cola Company does.You can see this when you look at the debt to equity and debt to capital ratio which are much higher in the case of PepsiCo especially the debt to equity this is because of the big investments in equity that PepsiCo did this year and last year. Even though the Coca-Cola Company is financed more by loans, this is not a problem for Coca-Cola because their interest coverage ratio is very high and their profits have been an in stable grow th as where PepsiCo has a much lower interest coverage ratio which is declining every year since the start of the economic crisis. 6. Production Intangible resources Coca-Cola is the absolute leader in the carbonated soft-drink market and is recognised as the most valuable brand worldwide. The company? greatest strengths are in its intangible resources. Because of the great reputation and image, they differentiate themselves from competitors like Pepsi. Coca-Cola can be bought in almost every country worldwide and is available in practically all snack shops, supermarkets, train stations, and so on. This success exists because the huge investments in marketing and Coca-Cola's distribution systems. Customers of Coca-Cola are generally very loyal, more loyal than the Pepsi customers. Coca-Cola also gains competitive advantage by excelling in their brand image (strategy). They invest a lot in marketing and brand awareness, (Coca-Cola is a lifestyle†).Another competitive advantage is the 400 licenses and patents on different formulas (ingredients Coca-Cola) and other drinks and brands which fall under the Coca-Cola Company. PepsiCo is also operating on a global basis. The competition between the two is heavy and just like Coca-Cola, Pepsi drinks are available in almost every nation, in almost every food and drink store. Although fulfilling a similar position as Coca-Cola in their market, PepsiCo has a rough opponent with Coca-Cola. The past several years, PepsiCo is not as profitable as before and has more and more trouble with competing with Coca-Cola, also because of the high investments of Coca-Cola in marketing. Therefore, their brand equity is developing negatively. Also PepsiCo’s intellectual property is great.Coca-Cola is more seen as a phenomena than a brand, and this is a competitive advantage for PepsiCo as well. Many establishments over the world offer Cola, and provide customers with PepsiCo mainly because this is less expensive. As already mentioned earlier, most people cannot distinguish Coca-Cola from PepsiCo, therefore gains PepsiCo competitive advantage at the expense of Coca-Cola. Human Capital The whole Coca-Cola Company has over 140,000 employees worldwide. Remarkable is that PepsiCo around the 30% greater workforce has, although their market share is considerably smaller. Unless the efficiency rate per employee of PepsiCo is much higher than that of Coca-Cola, this causes the company to have very large expenses in labour terms.To safeguard future long-term objectives, the companies both choose to keep a diverse workforce. Employees get relatively much responsibility (empowerment) and are encouraged, inspired and challenged to learn, be innovative, be original, and to promote themselves within the company. This creates extra value for both companies because employees are more loyal. Physical capital The physical capital of Coca-Cola is huge. The Company owns over many facilities in more than 200 countries worl dwide where the bottling, canning, syrup manufacturing, and administrative aspects are being dealt with. Only the bottlers where the products are manufactured and distributed mounts up to 275 facilities over the world.All those facilities are brought under five geographic operating segments (North America, Africa, Asia, Eurasia and the Middle East, and Latin America) and one corporate segment. The bottling partners are local companies, totally integrated and operating in line with their local markets. Also PepsiCo’s distribution system covers a wide range of certified bottlers, selling products in over 200 countries on six continents to businesses and institutions, including retail chains, supermarkets, restaurants, small neighbourhood grocers, sports and entertainment venues, schools and colleges, etc. 6. 1 Comparison Production These good resources ensure overall quality, flexibility and responsiveness in respect to local markets.They are integrated in their market worldwid e with continuous supply. Brand image and human capital are aspects which safeguards profitable future prospects with a sustainable competitive advantage. Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi have a massive amount of employees working for the company worldwide. This is also necessary because the employees contribute for a large part to business successes. Remarkable is the 30% greater workforce of PepsiCo. This is an alarming situation because the expenses of labour is large. Because they are both very successful and such immense companies, brand image, presence in geographical markets, distribution systems are all well-organised and difficult to compare.The end results of Coca-Cola in financial-, as well as non-financial aspect are better than those of PepsiCo on almost every terrain. 7. Research and Development How sustainable is PepsiCo? (Continuous improvement/New flavours) PepsiCo is a company with a wide variety of products and in all their market segments they are an A brand. When it com es to research and development you can see that PepsiCo is one of the best. They have multiple research and development facilities especially in the United States with many highly skilled scientists working there every day trying out new flavours and new products. The company even has its own university to train their staff.At this university which was opened in 2011 the scientist of PepsiCo receive training about 8 main items which are: packaging, Nutrition, Food Safety and Regulatory, Ingredient Application Science, Human Research and Science, Experience Design, Product Development and Process Engineering. They create new flavours every day and they launch a new flavour a couple times a year. They carefully create their flavours for specific markets so they meet the exact needs of the customers in that country. Another thing that PepsiCo strives to do is continuously improve their existing product and their existing processes. They do this for instance by giving training to their employees and giving their mangers goals to make sure they improve every year. How sustainable is the Coca-Cola Company? Continuous improvement/New flavours) Coca-Cola might not have as many R;D facilities as PepsiCo but their output of new products and new flavours is bigger than PepsiCo. This mostly caused by the fact that the Brand Coca-Cola is much more than just a brand. They also sell T-shirts and other product of their brand that they develop. Things like vending machines and packaging are things that Coca-Cola focuses on with their R;D while PepsiCo is more focussed on their product range. Coca-Cola is so settled as a brand that the most of their R;D is almost marketing. Like new cloth lines and new packaging for their products and off course new vending machines which will not only benefits the customers but also carries a message.Of course Coca-Cola Company also develops new flavours and new product they do this the same way as PepsiCo they look at the specific needs of th e inhabitants of a country and create a new flavour or product based on those needs. Coca-Cola also PepsiCo strives to do is continuously improve their existing product and their existing processes. They do this for instance by giving training to their employees and giving their mangers goals to make sure they improve every year. Does PepsiCo have a green vision? PepsiCo is fully committed to protecting the earth's natural resources through innovation and the efficient use of land, energy, water and packaging in all our operations.As a global business, they rely on the earth's natural resources. And as they grow, they strive to use only methods and tools that are, socially responsible and economically sound. PepsiCo has multiple categories where they are becoming more and more sustainable, the first category in which they have goals for improvement is water usage. PepsiCo's goal to improve water-use efficiency by 20 per cent per unit of production by 2015 . PepsiCo has already impro ved water-use efficiency by 18. 7 per cent for foods manufacturing, and 17. 8 per cent for beverage manufacturing. These conservation efforts translate to a water savings of nearly 13. 8 billion litres.Also waste management is very important for them. In 2010, PepsiCo generated an estimated 1. 25 million metric tons of solid waste from the manufacturing facilities. Of that total, only 15. 4 per cent was discarded to a landfill, and 84. 6 per cent of waste generated was sent off-site for beneficial use, such as recycling. In the future they are still looking to improve those numbers. Also they keep a close eye on their carbon emission. They have multiple on-going projects in many different countries that will help them decrease their Co2 emission and their effect on the global climate change. They have set 4 worldwide goals for their company. * Reduce carbon intensity in our operations Invest in carbon reduction technologies, including renewable fuel technology and clean development mechanisms * Reduce fugitive emissions * Work with supply-chain partners to reduce their emissions You can see that PepsiCo is company that has very sustainable supply chain and is still trying to improve their sustainability and decrease their emissions. Does the Coca-Cola Company have a green vision? Coca-Cola company is the largest beverage producer in the world and because of that they feel that they have responsibility to make the world a little bit better. They invest a huge amount of money in project on sustainability all over the world.Every year they also create a sustainability report about all they project and what they have achieved that year, also they describe their new project and they set goals for the coming year. In the figure to the right can be seen that they have created a visual concept of the Coca-Cola lifecycle which perfectly shows the way they work on their sustainability. 7. 1 Research and Development & Sustainability Both companies are constantly working on a better position in the market, improve the production and distribution processes, become more sustainable through innovation and participation onto the market. As it comes to sustainability PepsiCo is far behind on Coca-Cola even tough PepsiCo is already a very sustainable company Coca-Cola is really trying to make the world a better place.In total we can see that Coca-Cola is a more sustainable company than PepsiCo, and gives more back to the community. This is also one point why Coca-Cola is a brand which more people adore. 8. In Overall Although the Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo seem to be quite similar in operating, distributing, production, marketing, and naturally the drinks themselves, they differ from each other on several aspects. Below, a table which gives an overview of important differences between the two competitors. | Strength| Weakness| Coca-Cola| 1. Over 500 brands in product line2. Strong global presence3. Excellent brand recognition4. Industry leader in marke t| 1. Negative publicity2. Supply is restricted3.Low profits in strong areas4. Decline in cash flow| Pepsi| 1. Company Image2. Quality Conscious3. Market Share4. Sponsorships| 1. Decline in taste2. Short term approach3. Weak distribution4. Low consumer knowledge| 9. Coca-Cola Company or PepsiCo We have seen all the strong and the weak points of both companies in all the analyses in this project. We have decided to go on with the Coca-Cola Company. This is mainly because of better financial position that Coca-Cola Company has over PepsiCo. Especially profitability and liquidity wise they have a much better position than PepsiCo does and we think this will be an advantage when we are going to write a business plan.PepsiCo also has a more diverse product mix than Coca-Cola because PepsiCo also has brands in markets like breakfast cereal and potato chips whereas Coco-Cola is only active in markets like soft drinks and sports drink where they have a lot of experience. We think that exper ience that they have because the specialized in drink markets only will be a huge advantage over PepsiCo when they are going to enter a new market. These are the two main differences between the very similar companies that made us decide that Coca-Cola Company is the better option to attack a new market. 10. References http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/ourcompany/mission_vision_values. html http://www. pepsico. com/annual11/downloads/PEP_AR11_2011_Annual_Report. pdf http://www. ehow. com/about_5089164_business-resources-definition. html http://premiumwritingservice. om/attachments/article/491/CocaColaInternalAnalysis. pdf http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/ourcompany/pdf/COBC_English. pdf http://www. scribd. com/doc/28092994/Comparative-Analysis-of-Pepsi-and-Coke http://www. pepsi. com/ http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/ourcompany/mission_vision_values. html ——————————————â€⠀œ [ 1 ]. http://www. pepsico. com/annual11/downloads/pep_ar11_2011_annual_report. pdf [ 2 ]. http://www. stock-analysis-on. net/ [ 3 ]. http://www. stock-analysis-on. net/ [ 4 ]. http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/ourcompany/innovation_marketplace. html [ 5 ]. http://www. pepsico. com/Purpose/Environmental-Sustainability/Climate-Change. html

Personal Finance Essay

Personal finance addresses the way an individual or families earn, budget, save, and spend money gained from employment, loans, or gifts. As a college student, my personal finances are based upon money I have obtained, seasonal employment and parental support. In creating my budget, I had to realize that my income was not the same each month so I had to make sure I had enough money to pay for my gas, phone bill, and entertainment. Sometimes I would go over budget due to unexpected bills so I would ask for help from my parents. I use a debit card through my bank City National Bank. I chose this bank because my parents also bank there and it’s a small personal bank. It makes it easier if I need my mom to transfer money to my account in case of an emergency. I do not use checks only my debit card and occasional cash, the debit card pulls money out of my account somewhat like a check. I do check my account online, and my statement looks similar to the on in The Money 101 Student Workbook. The format is a little different, but the same kind of information is given. I do not keep a register much to my mother’s dismay. Every Christmas, she gives me a register to keep track of my spending but I fail to use it. I do track my spending through balance inquiries that I receive via the ATM, as well as online. If I wanted to change banks, I would choose a bank that would be in Marshall and has the small town feel to it. I would also want one that might offer interest on my account. I didn’t find any new information concerning debit cards, but I do prefer a debit card to a credit card because it takes money out of your account instead of possibly spending what you don’t have. You can also abuse a credit card and use it unnecessarily. I did check on annualcreditreport. com to see if I had a credit report, but I do not because I don’t have any accounts in my name. The best card deal I found was on chase. com because if I put my name on my parents account then I could also have their 8. 99% interest rate. There were lots of credit card offers that had 0% introductory rates, but since I have no credit, then the interest rate would rise dramatically. Some insurance policies that would be important for personal finance would be disability insurance, car insurance, and health insurance. Identity theft insurance would probably be a good insurance protection. The thing that stuck out to me when Mike Brady came and spoke was the concept of â€Å"full coverage† insurance for your car, he said that it’s only an interpretation and not something that is written down, he also stated that there is no such thing as â€Å"full coverage. I would probably put my savings in the savings account in my bank since I would have access to it. My retirement plan would be to match whatever my company is putting into my 401K and putting money into stock that I can draw from when I actually do retire. The test that we took in the back of the booklet was fairly easy after looking through this so many times I answered a credit card would be the one to hurt you the most when in fact it says the student loans would affect your credit score more. My parents educated me very well on a lot of these subjects especially budget and checking account, my mom has preached to me about having a budget for as long as I can remember. The thing I learned from this unit, just to point one out, was the savings and retirement planning I didn’t realize it was such a priority because at my age you really don’t think about those things but I’ve learned that I do need to start early.