The election of Federico Peña Essay Example for Free

The election of Federico Peà ±a Essay Both the election of Federico Peà ±a as Denver City Mayor in 1983 and the campaign of Victor Morales for US Senate in 1996 were considered as historic firsts: Peà ±a was among the first Hispanics to be elected as mayor of a major US city; while it was also the first time that the senatorial candidate of a major political party in Texas was of Hispanic origin, in the case of Morales. Apparently, these two cases have given renewed interest on the study of participation of minorities in a pluralist democracy, such as in this case, the Hispanics in the US electoral exercises. Not only that Hispanics seldom ran for elected office, it was also the general observation that they were less politically active and were also reluctant to exercise their rights to vote as seen in the pattern of low voter turnouts across the US.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, the case of Peà ±a was historic not only because it was the first time that Denver had a Mexican American mayor, but also because of the record turnout in 1983. Peà ±a, as well as Morales, actively attempted to increase minority, particularly Hispanic voter turnout. To his credit, the high turnout which favored Peà ±a’s campaign did not consist solely of Mexican Americans, because he was able to build a liberal coalition of minorities which did not only include the ethnic and racial minorities but also cut across different socio-economic classes and interest groups. Morales, on the other hand relied heavily on the large Hispanic population in Texas. Even if the Morales campaign was able to encourage Hispanics to register – also at a record-high – only 45.4% of the registered Hispanic voters actually voted. Morales’ failure to lure more Hispanics to vote, compounded by his lack of appeal to the Anglo voters due to his disparaging racial remarks, resulted in his loss, albeit with a slim margin, to the incumbent re-electionist senator. On his part, Peà ±a was able to avoid a campaign divided on racial lines because his being active in Mexican American civic organizations and his stint as a legislator helped him project support to minority concerns without necessarily delving on racial issues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As such, experience had increased the quality of Peà ±a as a candidate, in contrast to Morales. Peà ±a is a lawyer and was a member of the state House of Representatives before he ran for the mayoralty race; while Morales, who is a public school teacher, only had his formal political experience when he became city councilman and a Democratic Party precinct chairman. Political experience had also tremendous impact on their organizational and coalition-building skills. Although they both operated their campaigns on relatively limited funds, Peà ±a in 1983, was able to use his strong ties with the labor sector, neighborhood organizations, environmentalists, young professionals and other sectors, and was able to come-up with a dynamic, well-organized campaign supported by endorsements of important societal groups, his clear positions on issues, and a large number of able volunteers. Wide knowledge on different issues also worked to Peà ±a’s advantage; while the lack of it had been a discredit to Morales, especially as it was also one of the reasons why he was not able to establish sustainable rapport with the free media. Moreover, Morales had not been a member of any local Mexican American organization which could have provided him with the necessary grassroots or volunteer support and fund-raising skills. Morales even shunned the Hispanic political elites when he missed a meeting of state Hispanic elected officials a very influential group who could have given him all-out support only because he is Hispanic. Morales also had poor organizational skills as his campaign was described to be supported by inexperienced and underfinanced staff that could not even return calls or answer simple questions about their candidate’s campaign, mainly due to insistence of Morales to decide on almost every matter. The lack of funds had also wasted a lot of campaign time for Morales who insisted on traveling in his truck instead of by plane to his campaign appearances in different locations in Texas. This and his reliance on volunteers, made him resort to the inexpensive but time- and energy-consuming â€Å"block walking† in his campaigns. The ordeal of walking or traveling on truck around a large US State, however, was not present in Peà ±a’s bid for city mayor; although like Morales, Peà ±a also preferred open and face-to-face interaction, as in the latter’s â€Å"town meetings†, which he often held when he was elected as mayor of Denver City. Morales’ difficulty in funding could also be attributed to his fund-raising principles. For one, he did not accept contributions from business political action committees or entities associated with the tobacco companies. He also believed that his amazing win in the Democratic primaries, wherein he spent only $15,000, would carry him through the state elections. He also probably expected the Democratic Party to fund his campaign, which in turn, did not support him because it did not believe that he stood a chance against the incumbent Senator who had been in the position for 12 years and was supported by a campaign machinery that was at least six times bigger than his. Morales should have accepted the importance of money in a state-wide campaign and realized that he could not run a city campaign headquarters with just $200 (his monthly budget allocation for his Houston office). Lastly, even if the Democratic Party did not support Morales’ campaign financially, his nomination helped him obtain the Democratic votes, which contributed to his close bid in the senatorial race, despite the apparent Republican character of the Texas state at that time. Denver’s mayoralty race in 1983, was however, nonpartisan because Peà ±a’s strong contenders were also democrats, His party membership only mattered in 1987 when he ran for re-election against a Republican candidate, to which he almost lost because many of his constituents were already disappointed for his failure to make Denver a â€Å"great city† after his first term, and because Peà ±a could not focus on specific minority concerns since he was constrained to form effective governing coalitions. Ironically, Morales’ campaign became a legacy not only because of his unquestioned status as an outsider in the political game, but also because he was overcame only by a slight majority even if he had to battle all the odds during his unusual campaign.

Oscilloscope The most useful instrument

Oscilloscope The most useful instrument INTRODUCTION Cathode Ray Oscilloscope (CRO): An oscilloscope is easily the most useful instrument available for testing circuits because it allows you to see the signals at different points in the circuit. The best way of investigating an electronic system is to monitor signals at the input and output of each system block, checking that each block is operating as expected and is correctly linked to the next. With a little practice, we will be able to find and correct faults quickly and accurately. The symbol for a CRO: The screen of a CRO is very similar to a TV, except it is much simpler. We will not go into the similarities except to say that the picture tube on a TV and the screen on a CRO are both a special type of valve called a Cathode Ray Tube. It is a vacuum tube with a cathode (negative electrode) at one end that emits electrons and anodes (positive electrodes) to accelerate the electron beam up/down and left/right to hit a phosphor coating at the end of the tube, called the screen. The electrons are called cathode rays because they are emitted by the cathode and this gives the oscilloscope its full name: Cathode Ray Oscilloscope or CRO. CRO IN DETAIL The main part of the C.R.O. is a highly evacuated glass tube housing parts which generates a beam of electrons, accelerates them, shapes them into a narrow beam, and provides external connections to the sets of plates for changing the direction of the beam. Internal Components K, an indirectly heated cathode which provides a source of electrons for the beam by boiling them out of the cathode. P, the anode (or plate) which is circular with a small central hole. The potential of P creates an electric field which accelerates the electrons, some of which emerge from the hole as a fine beam. This beam lies along the central axis of the tube. G, the grid. Controlling the potential of the grid controls the number of electrons for the beam, and hence the intensity of the spot on the screen where the beam hits. F, the focusing cylinder. This aids in concentrating the electron beam into a thin straight line much as a lens operates in optics. X, Y, deflection plate pairs. The X plates are used for deflecting the beam left to right (the x direction) by means of the ramp voltage. The Y plates are used for deflection of the beam in the vertical direction. Voltages on the X and Y sets of plates determine where the beam will strike the screen and cause a spot of light. S, the screen. This is coated on the inside with a material which fluoresces with green light (usually) where the electrons are striking. As well as this tube, there are several electronic circuits required to operate the tube, all within the C.R.O. along with the tube: A power supply, operated from the 110 volt 60 cycle per second electrical mains. This supply provides all the voltages required for the different circuits within the C.R.O. for operation of the tube. A sawtooth, or ramp signal generator which makes the spot move left to right on the screen. External controls for this circuit allow variation of the sweep width, and the frequency of the sweep signal. Because of the persistence of our vision, this sweep is often fast enough that what we see on the screen is a continuous horizontal line. Amplifiers for the internally generated ramp signal, and for the unknown signal which we hook up to the C.R.O. for the purpose of displaying it. Shift devices which allow us to control the mean position of the beam; up or down, or left to right. The synchroniser circuit. This circuit allows us to synchronise the unknown signal with the ramp signal such that the resulting display is a nice clear signal like a snapshot of the unknown voltage vs. time. C.R.O. Operation: Typical front-panel controls Front Panel On-off switch. INTENS. This is the intensity control connected to the grid G to control the beam intensity and hence the brightness of the screen spots. Dont run the intensity too high, just bright enough for clear visibility. Always have the spot sweeping left to right or the beam may burn a hole in the screen. FOCUS allows you to obtain a clearly defined line on the screen. POSITION allows you to adjust the vertical position of the waveform on the screen. (There is one of these for each channel). AMPL/DIV. is a control of the Y (i.e. vertical) amplitude of the signal on the screen.(There is one of these for each channel). AC/DC switch. This should be left in the DC position unless you cannot get a signal on-screen otherwise. (There is one of these for each channel). AB/ADD switch. This allows you to display both input channels separately or to combine them into one. +/- switch. This allows you to invert the B channel on the display. Channel A input Channel B input X POSITION these allow you to adjust the horizontal position of the signals on the screen. LEVEL this allows you to determine the trigger level; i.e. the point of the waveform at which the ramp voltage will begin in time base mode. ms/ µs This defines the multiplication factor for the horizontal scale in timebase mode. (See 15 below.) MAGN The horizontal scale units are to be multiplied by this setting in both timebase and xy modes. To avoid confusion, leave it at x1 unless you really need to change it. Time/Div This selector controls the frequency at which the beam sweeps horizontally across the screen in time base mode, as well as whether the oscilloscope is in timebase mode or xy (x VIA A) mode. This switch has the following positions: (a) X VIA A In this position, an external signal connected to input A is used in place of the internally generated ramp. (This is also known as xy mode.) (b) .5, 1, 2, 5, etc. Here the internally generated ramp voltage will repeat such that each large (cm) horizontal division corresponds to .5, 1, 2, 5, etc. ms. or  µs depending on the multiplier and magnitude settings. (Note also the x1/x5 switch in 14 above.) The following controls are for triggering of the scope, and only have an effect in timebase mode. A/B selector. This allows you to choose which signal to use for triggering. -/+ will force the ramp signal to synchronise its starting time to either the decreasing or increasing part of the unknown signal you are studying. INT/EXT This will determine whether the the ramp will be synchronised to the signal chosen by the A/B switch or by whatever signal is applied to the EXT. SYNC. input. (See 21 below.) AC/TV selectors. Ive never figured out what this does; find whichever position works. External trigger input INTRODUCTION FUNCTION GENERATOR A function generator is a device that can produce various patterns of voltage at a variety of frequencies and amplitudes. It is used to test the response of circuits to common input signals. The electrical leads from the device are attached to the ground and signal input terminals of the device under test. Most function generators allow the user to choose the shape of the output from a small number of options. Square wave The signal goes directly from high to low voltage. Sine wave The signal curves like a sinusoid from high to low voltage. Triangle wave The signal goes from high to low voltage at a fixed rate. The amplitude control on a function generator varies the voltage difference between the high and low voltage of the output signal. The direct current (DC) offset control on a function generator varies the average voltage of a signal relative to the ground. The frequency control of a function generator controls the rate at which output signal oscillates. On some function generators, the frequency control is a combination of different controls. One set of controls chooses the broad frequency range (order of magnitude) and the other selects the precise frequency. This allows the function generator to handle the enormous variation in frequency scale needed for signals. The duty cycle of a signal refers to the ratio of high voltage to low voltage time in a square wave signal. FUNCTION OF FUNCTION GENERATOR Analog function generators usually generate a triangle waveform as the basis for all of its other outputs. The triangle is generated by repeatedly charging and discharging a capacitor from a constant current source. This produces a linearly ascending or descending voltage ramp. As the output voltage reaches upper and lower limits, the charging and discharging is reversed using a comparator, producing the linear triangle wave. By varying the current and the size of the capacitor, different frequencies may be obtained. A 50% duty cycle square wave is easily obtained by noting whether the capacitor is being charged or discharged, which is reflected in the current switching comparators output. Most function generators also contain a non-linear diode shaping circuit that can convert the triangle wave into a reasonably accurate sine wave. It does so by rounding off the hard corners of the triangle wave in a process similar to clipping in audio systems. The type of output connector from the device depends on the frequency range of the generator. A typical function generator can provide frequencies up to 20 MHz and uses a BNC connector, usually requiring a 50 or 75 ohm termination. Specialised RF generators are capable of gigahertz frequencies and typically use N-type output connectors. Function generators, like most signal generators, may also contain an attenuator, various means of modulating the output waveform, and often the ability to automatically and repetitively sweep the frequency of the output waveform (by means of a voltage-controlled oscillator) between two operator-determined limits. This capability makes it very easy to evaluate the frequency response of a given electronic circuit. Some function generators can also generate white or pink noise. More advanced function generators use Direct Digital Synthesis (DDS) to generate waveforms. Arbitrary waveform generators use DDS to generate any waveform that can be described by a table of amplitude values. REFERENCE http://www.doctronics.co.uk/scope.htm http://www.9h1mrl.org/workshop/CRO-Ebook-1/html/CRO-P1-Intro.html http://denethor.wlu.ca/pc200/scope/oscilloscope.pdf http://cnx.org/content/m11895/latest/

The SWOT Analysis: Pepsi

The SWOT Analysis: Pepsi PEPSI is an international player in the soft drink market and operation across the world. In 1893, PepsiCo started its manufacturing in 1893. It got a new name as Pepsi-Cola on August 28, 1898. Then in 1961, it was ultimately named as Pepsi. Initially it was marketed as Brads Drink. The substitutes available in the same market are as follows: 1) Coca-Cola 2) Cola Turka 3) Big Cola 4) RC-Cola In every segment of the target market, Pepsi is highly favorable. Due to its wise spread use at homes, ceremonies and during travels, it has been chosen for this project. Problem Statement In these days, management at the company has observed a significant delay in the sales of their product, Pepsi in this case. The demand for the particular has also declined with time. These business managers have proposed different factors affecting this problem. For instance: 1) A relatively good taste of Rival Products 2) Improvedvalue of Competitors Products 3) Low Price Rival Product 4) BetterPremeditatedDevelopment of Rival Companies Consequently Company Managers have comprehended the need of RE-FINANCING STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PLAN. It evaluated the company processes on the followings fators: SWOT ANALYSIS PEST 5 Cs (company/collaborators/customers/climate/competitors) 4/7 Ps-product,price,place,promotion,people,process,physical Environment. Market Analysis In the cold drink market, some of the players were: Distributers Retailers Customers Suppliers and Competitors With the entrance of other players into the market, there can have threats or benefits. In the case of Pepsi, this was of a significant value. We will analysis these factors as entrance to barriers on the SWOT basis. SWOT ANALYSIS:PEPSI Strengths Branding The premier brand of PepsiCo is Pepsi. In 2008, it got ranked at the 26th position out of 100 top brands of the world. The value of annual sales is $15000 million Other brands of the company include Diet Pepsi, Gatorade Mountain Dew and have the presence in over 200 countries. In the US beverage industry, it has a market share of 39% and 26% in the Snacks Industry. A large proportion of the sales is accumulated through these brands. Diversification The diversification includes the aspect that each top 18 brands of PepsiCo generates approximately $1000 million of annual sales. Distribution The wider distribution network of Pepsi works such that the manufactured product is delivered to warehouses, then to customers ware houses and then to retailers. Weaknesses Overdependence on Wal-Mart PepsiCos largest customer is Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart operates through low price themes which indirectly put pressures on Pepsi to lower down its prices in accordance with its biggest customers. Overdependence on USMarkets The US market generates around-+ 52% of Pepsis total revenues. Low Productivity Low productivity is evident from the fact that in 2008, the revenue that it generated was $219,439 per employee. It was significantly lower than its rivals in the market. Opportunities Expansion of Product Base PepsiCo is pursuing to cope with one of its major weakness: enslavement on US markets by getting Russias topJuice Company, Lebedyansky, and vwwater in the UK. In this way, it would be able to increase its product base in a more competitive market. International Expansion Currently PepsiCo is expanding by making investment in China ($1000 million) and India ($500 million). This points out towards the fact that it is trying to increase its international base and lower its dependency on the US market. The future plans include expansions in Brazil and Mexico through huge investments. Growing Savory Snack and Bottled Water Market in US There is a huge potential for PEPSICO to capitalize on the expanding bottle water market which is expected to have a $24 billion volume by 2012. Threats Sharp Decrease in the Sales of Carbonated Drinks The sales of soft drinks have decreased significantly.Though PepsiCois experiencing diversification but it projected that it would be facing the impact of this decrease. Possible Negative Influence of Government Regulation PepsiCo can be negatively affected as the state and central laws would hinder its operations in marketing, sales and manufacturing. Powerful Competition The one major competitor of PepsiCo in the market is Coca-Cola. Nestle and Marina is also counted as its rivals. The intensive, edge to edge competition in the market can affect pricing policies, marketing, sales and other promotion strategies put forward by the company. For instant the sales of juice has significantly increased for Coca-Cola as compared to Pepsi. Potential Commotion Due to Labor Unrest Pepsi Co is susceptible to strikes and other labor disputes. For example, a strike in India in 2008 had prevented the manufacturing for almost a month. These can exacerbate problems for the company. PEST ANALYSIS: PEPSI A particular business is dependent on an environment to get its revenues for the goods and services that it provides. These environments can both be external or internal. Political Environment: Pepsi To run a successful business, PepsiCo is dependent on the public policy as it is one of the largest multi nation companies in the world. Thus an active participation is essential for the company towards the deliberations of public policy. Political Involvement Policy Citizens Fund (CCF) is the respective entity of PepsiCo that gets voluntary employee assistances to make political campaign contributions to Federal and state political parties, PACs and electoral candidates. These actively help the company to take part in the democratic process in the country. Economic Environment: Pepsi The Primary responsibility of the company, PepsiCo, is to take the necessary measures to preserve the sustainability of the environment in which it works for instance ecological environment, social and economic. Pepsi Co is aware of the critical role that agriculture plays towards different aspects of the business operations. Pepsi Co also recognizes the dangers emerging out of the shortage in food supply and the respective food security threats. Social Environment: Pepsi The unique social environment at Pepsi Co is very desirable where its people are working together for a sustainable present of prosperity. This, in turn, would be beneficial for Pepsi itself. Its promise is to provide the localize versions of its products by keeping in mind the preferences of the local communities in which the business is operating. Technological Environment: Pepsi Technological advancements have helped PepsiCo to enhance its production capacity. Therefore it is making full use of the new technology. PepsiCo is getting a key help through advancements in IT. Situation Analysis: Pepsi It is very necessary for a company to satisfy the needs of its customers while maintaining the profitability through sales. This can be achieved if company keeps track of all the internal and external factors in that environment. 5Cs provide the Situation Analysis for a particular firm operating in a particular market. These are as follows Company Product line Image in the market Technology and Experience Goals Culture Collaborators Distributers Suppliers Coalitions Customers Market size and growth Market Segments Retail channel-where does the consumer actually purchase the product? Consumer Information Sources-where does the customer obtain information about the product? Rate of Purchase, seasonal factors Quantity purchased at a time Trends-how consumer needs and preferences change over time Competitors Real or Potential Direct or Indirect Products Positioning Market Shares Strengths and Weaknesses of competitors Climate or Context The climate or macro-environmental factors are: Political and Regulatory Environment: Which specific policies affect the company Economic Environment: business cycle, inflation rate, interest rates, and other topics Social/Cultural Environment: Trends and fashions in a particular society Technological Environment: The relationship between demand and the impact of technology 7 Ps -Product,Price,Place,Promotion,People,Process, Physical Environment: Pepsi 7 Ps are called Marketing Mix and help in meeting marketing objectives for a company. Pepsi-Product The cola drink includes the ingredients such as carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, colorings, phosphoric acid, caffeine, citric Acid and natural flavors. Following are the popular brands of PepsiCo: Pepsi Twist, Pepsi Tarik, Pepsi Samba, Mountain Dew, etc. Coke v/s Pepsi-Product Pepsi and Coke are the major rivals in the market and compete against a verity of products in the market: COKE PEPSI 1) The dark colored Cola drink initiated the rivalry with Pepsis carbonated drink 1) Pepsi too has a cola version of carbonated drink which competes against the coke 2) Vaultwas released by the Coca-Cola company in June 2005. It is a carbonated drink. 2) Mountain Dew MDXis the version released under Mountain Dew in 2005 after a new marketing campaign 3) Spriteis a clear lemon- time flavored soft drink manufactured by the coca-cola company. 3) 7 UP is a lemon carbonated drink competing with Sprite 4) Diet Coca-Colais a sugar free soft drink produced and distributed by the Coca-Cola Company 4) Diet Pepsiis a low-calorie carbonated cola. 5) Fantais a soft drink citrus brand owned by The Coca-Cola Company. 5)Mirindais soft drink brand owned by PepsiCo and it competes with Fanta Table : Coke v/s PEPSI Price Price is the monetary value of a good in a particular currency. Pricing is the major portion of the marketing mix. Before the entrance of PepsiCo in the market, Coke was the only player in the market nd it directed the price of the cola drink. The competition emerged after the entrance of Pepsi. Now the price is determined on the basis of competition between Coke and Pepsi. Pepsi portrays a flexible attitude and cut downs its prices at times. This has also incurred some loses for Pepsi due to the risks attached. Though the lowered prices would attract more customers, it also badly affects the production cost which becomes difficult to cover. This was an early phase situation for Pepsi but now it has recovered due to the rapid growth that it is making. Place In marketing, is a geographic location, an industry, a group of people to who company wants to sell its products. Pepsi like Coke has its network all over the world. Pepsi has joined forces with companies like Quaker Oats,Lipton etc. It runs ads in different localities of the world. Promotion Promotion encompasses 4-subcategories: Advertising Personal selling Sales Promotion Publicity and Public Relations A promotional strategy can include: a) Sales Shootouts b) New product reception c) Brand Equity Emergence d) Positioning e) Competitive retaliations f) Creation of a corporate image Pepsi and Coke have a special status regarding their promotional activities.The rivalry was initiated when Pepsi started its blind taste challenges. It took the method of a taste test at public places like shopping malls, community centric hubs etc. By letting people taste both the colas, they asked the people to select the preferred one so that people would buy Pepsi. The following chart provides a comparison between Pepsi and Coke: Figure : Price Comparison People- Pepsi Pepsi has deeply affected the lives of people by changing their preferences. Process-Pepsi Process involves the transformation of inputs into outputs. With the latest technology, pepsi has helped people to get a much better carbonated product. Physical Environment-Pepsi The internal and external environment has been affected by the operations of Pepsi and it holds a well-established position for that. THE RE-FINANCING STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PLAN It is the particular strategy of framing, executing and gauging decisions that allow an organization to meet its objectives. The making and designing of a strategy includes the following: Vision and Mission(the target of the business) Strength and Weakness Opportunities and threats The contemplations for top strategy devising are: Allocation of resources Business to enter or retain Business to divest or liquidate Joint ventures or mergers Whether to expand or not Moving into foreign markets Trying to avoid take over HRM and Strategy Strategists: are individuals who are most responsible for the success or failure of an organization. They are individuals who form strategies. They have various job titles, such as CEO, President, owner etc. Pepsi- Vision Statement PepsiCos responsibility is to continually improve all aspects of the world in which we operate- environment, social, economic-creating a better tomorrow than today Pepsi Cola Mission Statement Our mission is to increase the value of our shareholders investment. We do this through sales growth, cost controls, and wise investment resources. We believe our commercial success depends upon offering quality and value to our consumers and customers. Providing products that are safe, wholesome,economically efficient and environmentally sound, and providing a fair return to our investors while adhering to the highest standards of integrity. Types of Strategy Competitive Advantage: Pepsi By taking our competitive strengths, and investing in them to create longer-term value to sustain growth. PepsiCo has 3 key advantages: big, muscular brands the proven ability to innovate and create differentiated products , and Powerful go-to-market systems. Cost Advantage It is the global leader in savory snacks, and those snacks can be paired with its beverages in the marketplace. Those pairings will enable PepsiCo to provide unique offerings to retail and foodservice customers. Market Dominance It is one of the worlds most familiar consumer food and beverage companies, offering brands like Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Tropicana and Quaker. The Coke vs. Pepsi conflict raged on for decades across the country on supermarket shelves, fast food restaurants and the like. New Product Development Pepsi As a consumer-focused company, we want to enrich the lifestyles of our consumers while increasing the local relevance of the products we make. We recognize the need to understand and respect local cultures, rituals, patterns and intake gaps when developing delicious-tasting convenient and affordable products for consumers in that market. For example, in India, we have introduced a whole-grain product for breaking the fast around the observance of Ramadan. In China, we have introduced congee (with whole grains and reduced sodium) as a locally relevant breakfast offering to add nutritional value to the Chinese diet, and were introducing products made from grains in sub-Saharan Africa as a change from those made with plain flour. Contraction/Diversification IndraNooyi, PepsiCo Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, Our results this quarter reinforce the advantages of our balanced portfolio, as our food and international businesses delivered solid performance while we continued the transformation of our North American beverage business. As part of its strategy to grow in key markets, the company recently announced plans to invest $1 billion over the next four years in China, PepsiCos highest priority growth market. And, in Russia, PepsiCo along with its partner The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc. announced a plan to invest $1 billion over the next three years. Price Leadership Strategy An observation made of oligopolistic business behavior in which one company, usually the dominant competitor among several, leads the way in determining prices, the others soon following. The context is a state of limited competition, in which a market is shared by a small number of producers or sellers. Pepsi- Global Strategy It is not just another beverage on the vast shelf of choices. Pepsi made a decision years ago to diversify its offering and branch into the global arena. Pepsi is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Purchase, New York. It is a manufacturing company distributing beverages and snack foods across 200 countries. Pepsi-Reengineering Strategy Reengineering initiatives typically lead to a business organization with these characteristics: 1. Business processes are simplified rather than being made more complex. 2. Job descriptions expand and become multi-dimensional people perform a broader range of tasks. Downsizing PepsiCo Inc. is considering cutting approximately 4,000 employees and reducing pension contributions in order to increase their income.Citing a source, reported the New York Post, quoted by Reuters on Friday (06.01.2012), currently the company offers retirement plans and matching contributions to 401 thousand retirement savings account.One of these large companies believes that by offering both of these are an act that is more generous.Pepsi-party claims when 401 thousand by eliminating the retirement savings account that will save the company up to USD75 million. The layoffs, accounting for approximately one percent more than the payroll company, will include a small number of workers at its headquarters. Delayering To lessen the size of a business hierarchy, especially in terms of a reduction in management. This creates a flatter(less layered) organizational structure. There have been numerous cases of companies delayering their organization structures over the past few years. Many of these companies include industry leaders rarely satisfied with their past success, continually searching to improve all facets of their business, including their management structure. Recent examples of well-known companies that have delayered include Pepsi-Cola, Hewlett-Packard, Corning, Tenneco, and General Electric, to name only a few. RESTRUCTURING PepsiCo Inc. plans to cut 8,700 jobs in a restructuring as it seeks to offset high commodity costs and increases investment in advertising and marketing in North America.Its a lower figure than sources had expected. Of PepsiCos 100,000 U.S. workers, about 2,000, or 2 percent, are on the chopping block, say knowledgeable sources, a figure Mr. Nicolas couldnt immediately confirm. Some 1,800 people work at the West Loop headquarters of Quaker Oats, Gatorade and Tropicana. Other PepsiCo teams plus its global nutrition group also are in Chicago. Mr. Nicolas declined to comment on specific jobs or people before the company notifies workers of their status this week. The Financial Analysis Pepsi Bottling Group is the worlds largest manufacturer, seller and distributor of Pepsi-Cola beverages. With annual sales of nearly $11 billion, the companys fastest growing segment is non-carbonated beverages, including the number one brand of bottled water in the U.S., Aquafina, as well as Tropicana juice drinks and Lipton Ice Tea. As part of a 24/7 production operation, the companys Detroit plant ships about 27 million cases per year. Production at the plant begins as empty bottles are unloaded from trucks via conveyor and transported to a depalletizer. From there, they are, rinsed, dried and sent to a filling machine (filler speeds at the plant vary based on bottle size, ranging from 350 to 1,000 bottles per minute). The bottles leave the fillers and make their way to a packaging machine, and then to a palletizer. Each pallet is wrapped for distribution and moved to the warehouse for shipping. We can show the statement of financial position of PEPSI Inventory (raw materials) in different years in the following chart. Figure : Financial Position of PEPSI Inventory (raw materials)

Individualism :: essays research papers fc

Individualism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many characteristics may create one’s individualism. Personality, appearance, environment, and heredity are the characteristics that make up one’s individuality. One can control the individual he may become with the help of individualism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Personality is a characteristic that plays a major role in one’s individuality. â€Å"One has many parts that make up his personality† (Kramer 27). One may show these parts in different ways. There are a variety of personalities that one can have. If one wants others to see him as fun, he must have a fun and joyful personality. If one has an outgoing personality, one may have many friends and have a very social life. Many times a person can be judged by his personality. One’s personality may vary from day to day. One should always try to express the most unique personality possible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One’s appearance can clearly define one’s individuality. One’s appearance can be controlled to a certain extent. A person can truly express his individualism through his appearance. The color of one’s hair, skin, and eyes can be changed to one’s liking. The way a person looks can determine many things throughout his life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The environment in which one lives may greatly affect one’s individuality. â€Å"The people and things around one affect how one may feel about oneself† (Kramer 12-13). His environment also affects the way a person behaves. The people and things that are around one could affect how one feels and thinks about oneself. A person’s environment can be controlled. If one is not happy in his environment, he can find a more suitable place to live. In several ways, one’s environment can determine who one will become in the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Heredity is a characteristic that helps determine one’s individualism. Heredity controls features like the color of one’s hair, eyes, and skin. The way one is seen as a person could be determined because of one’s heredity. One may not be accepted or he may even be stereotyped by his heredity. Heredity is a characteristic that cannot be changed or altered.

Wars are Not Good for the Economy Essay -- Economics War

One of the more enduring myths in Western society is that wars are somehow good for the economy. Many people see a great deal of evidence to support this myth, after all World War II came directly after the Great Depression. This faulty belief stems from a misunderstanding of the economic way of thinking. The standard "a war gives the economy a boost" argument goes as follows: Let's suppose that the economy is in the low end of the business cycle, so we're in a recession or just a period of low economic growth. The unemployment rate is high, people may be making less purchases than they were a year or two ago, and overall output is flat. But then the country decides to prepare for war! The government needs to equip its soldiers with the extra gear and munitions needed in order to win the war. Corporations win contracts to supply boots, and bombs and vehicles to the army. Many of these companies will have to hire extra workers in order to meet this increased production. If the preparations for war are large enough, large numbers of workers will be hired reducing the unemployment rate. Other workers may need to be hired to cover reservists in private sector jobs who get sent overseas. With the unemployment rate down we have more people spending again and people who had jobs before will be less worried about losing their job in the future so they'll spend more than they did. This extra spending will help the retail sector, who will need to hire extra employees causing unemployment to drop even further. A spiral of positive economic activity is created by the government preparing for war, if you believe the story. The flawed logic of the story is an example of something economists call The Broken Window Fallacy. The Broken ... ... a factor of production which will certainly help economic growth. 2. Stability and Economic Growth in the Middle East If peace can somehow be established in the Middle East, the U.S. government might not have to spend as much money on the military as they do now. If the economies of the countries in the middle east become more stable and experience growth, this will give them more opportunities to trade with the United States, improving both the economies of those countries and the U.S. Personally I do not see those factors outweighing the short term costs of the war in Iraq, but you can make a case for them. In the short term, however, the economy will decline due to the war as shown by the Broken Window Fallacy. Next time you hear someone discuss the economic benefits of the war, please tell them a little story about a window breaker and a shopkeeper.

Utilitarianism – Act and Rule

Explain the differences between Act and Rule Utilitarianism Since it began, there have been two main exponents of Utilitarianism. They are Jeremy Bentham and J S Mill, and both of them base their own individual theories on the principle of utility, which defines something (an act, etc) dependent on if it achieves â€Å"the greatest happiness for the greatest number†. This makes Utilitarianism a relativistic and consequentialist argument, as it takes into account only the outcome of events rather than the act itself as means to determine whether it is good/right.Also it holds no absolutes – it takes the best interests of the greatest number of people no matter if the way of doing seems morally wrong. Bentham and Mill were both generally harmonious in their understanding that the general happiness of a human being is linked to their personal fulfillment of pleasure. Nevertheless, the two clashed when it came down to the understanding of what true pleasure is, and whether it holds different values under different circumstances. It was due to this that Bentham started Act Utilitarianism.Bentham thought that situations were to be treated completely differently to any and every other situation, and developed the Hedonistic Calculus as a means of measuring the pleasure and pain of those directly involved in it. The calculus consists of seven aspects which Bentham believed could answer to whether something is pleasurable/painful or not – they are Purity, Remoteness, Richness, Intensity, Certainty, Extend and Duration. It is possible for me to use an example to make this all seem clearer. There are five sadistic guards in a prison who don't like the new inmate and want to give him a roughing up.One can argue that the pain the inmate will suffer is huge (purity) but the calculus is focused on quantity rather than quality. Also, the happiness of the guards will be fulfilled due to their sadistic means of pleasurement (certainty) however, the guards mi ght get caught and sacked which in turn makes them sad in the end, but perhaps they don't then the pleasure of the guards outweighs the pain that the inmate faces and therefore under these guidelines I think that Bentham would say â€Å"yeah, go ahead† and allow the bullying and assault to happen.Bentham's democratic and egalitarianistic approach meant that he believed nobody's pleasures are greater than anyone elses, and that they are all equal so we can't say that they count for more. This meant that Bentham was purely focused on the quantitative side of the pleasure. It was here where Mill and Bentham came to a disagreement, as Mill however focused on the qualitative aspects of the pleasure, famously saying â€Å"it is better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a pig satisfied†. This meant understanding that there are differences that must be acknowledged between higher and lower pleasures.He thought that higher pleasures consisted of the intellectual aspects of humans rather than the animalistic, such as reading to further your knowledge, listening to fine music and painting art. The aforementioned animalistic pleasures (lower) derive from the physical side of life, such as eating, drinking and indulging in sexual acts. This approach can be seen as elitist by some, which means that full excellence can only be realised by the mature males of the upper class within society – natural amongst the Ancient Greek Philosophers that preceeded Bentham and Mill, such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.As advocator to Rule Utilitarianism, Mill's calculation method again differentiates from Bentham's hedonistic calculus. Rather than Bentham's quantitative approach, Mill looks at it in an alternative way, observing the various implications of the act. Mill's interpretation is that there are general rules within society that should be followed as they create the greatest happiness for the greatest good for all those in society. This at first does seem ver y logical, but then again it begins to defy the basis on which Utilitarianism's foundations are layed down, which is a relativist and consequentialist theory.And this is where strong and weak rules comes into the frame. Mill never onces says â€Å"must† as regards to the rules he would involve as he perceives his judgment upon whether something is good or bad or what should occur within a specific situation, which can be seen as his defence to remaining relativist, however a new term must be enforced to separate his understanding with the likes of a hedonist such as Bentham, hence the term â€Å"universalisability†.

James Dickey Essay

James Dickey (1923 – 1997) is one of the outstanding modern American poets. His criticism provides a scope of ideas on what humanity has gained throughout the twentieth century. His viewpoint is likely to amaze an observer by constant critical notes on what is universally called â€Å"amenities of life.† Thus, the figure of James Dickey cannot be underestimated in terms of his poetical style and criticism of perpetually developing progressive life of the mankind during the twentieth century. His inclinations to make people understand the charms of primitivism and animalism were straightforward. He could put his reasoning over the entire life through the eyes of animals and nature. Thus, the environmental problem of humanity and morality worried him much. It is reflected in his poetry by making emphasis on the significance of return to the nature in order to think like a â€Å"child of nature.† Dickey’s main motivation for claiming the importance of return to primitivism was not spontaneous. He had got through participation in World War II and Korean War (Thesing and Wrede 151). In this respect the poet was highly depressed by losing his older brother. In fact, it turned into a cycle of poems on the main themes of family, survival, spiritual rebirth, love, war and some other (Vaughan 115). With multiple poems included in the compilation The Whole Motion, Dickey described war as the source for cruelty and disfigured estimation of humanity at large (Thesing and Wrede 153). In this very collection one embraces the evolution of Dickey as a poet. The author followed a specific for Modernism feature of the stream-of-consciousness technique. He introduced it in personal evaluation of human civilization, as a self-destructing unity of people. Moreover, Dickey was trying to make a set of interrelated topics interwoven in terms of their collision and approach toward the concept of a â€Å"natural man.† Attacking the problem of civilization, James Dickey is likely to blame world’s progress on the example of his best-known poem The Firebombing: The enemy-colored skin of families Determines to hold its color In sleep, as my hand turns whiter Than ever, clutches the toggle – The ship shakes bucks Fire hangs not yet fire In the air above Beppu For I am fulfilling An ‘anti-morale’ raid upon it (Kendall 511). Based on this single excerpt from the poem, Dickey brings the main problem of the mankind to notice. It is grounded on misunderstanding of where the edge between morality and violence takes place. The author perceives an enormous and ominous power of violence supported by humanity. He understands personal helplessness. Thus, he had no choice but to reflect his rumination in the form of a holistic criticism of the civilization and its consequences. Hence, Dickey is constantly critiquing civilization, and it feels like he never repeated the same theme colored by a banal estimation. It is also included into The Sheep Child. His poetic language was easy to comprehend. Thus, the readers and followers can easily take Dickey as he is. As a matter of fact, born in Atlanta, Georgia, Dickey was loosely related to the concept of nature as he lived, studied, and worked for some period of time in the south of the USA (O’Briant 158). His â€Å"southern† origin and what he once experienced in person gave him motivation for teaching the audience being glowering toward what the civilized life had fallen into (James Dickey 1). In this respect the primitivism and the concept of the â€Å"natural man† are the paramount alternatives represented in his poetry.