Getting a job done Essay -- essays research papers

Getting a Job From I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings My room had all the cheeriness of a dungeon and the appeal of a tomb. It was going to be impossible to stay there, but leaving held no attraction for me, either†¦. The answer came to me with the suddenness of a collision. I would go to work. Mother wouldn’t be difficult to convince; after all, in school I was a year ahead of my grade and mother was a firm believer in self-sufficiency. In fact, she’d be pleased to think that I had that much gumption, that much of her in my character. (she liked to speak of herself as the original â€Å"do-it-yourself girl.†) Once I had settled on getting a job, all that remained was to decide which kind of job I was most fitted for. My intellectual pride had kept me from selecting typing, shorthand, or filing as subjects in school, so office work was ruled out. War plants and shipyards demanded birth certificates, and mine would reveal me to be fifteen, and ineligible for work. So the well-paying defense jobs were also out. Women had replaced men on the streetcars as conductors and motormen, and the thought of sailing up and down the hills of San Francisco in a dark-blue uniform, with a money changer at my belt, caught my fancy. Mother was as easy as I had anticipated. The world was moving so fast, so much money was being made, so many people were dying in Guam, and Germany, that hordes of strangers became good friends overnight. Life was cheap and death entirely free. How could she have the time to think about my academic career? To her question of what I planned to do, I replied that I would get a job on the streetcars. She rejected the proposal with: â€Å"they don’t accept colored people on streetcars.† I would like to claim an immediate fury which was followed by the noble determination to break the restricting tradition. But the truth is, my first reaction was one of disappointment. I’d pictured myself, dressed in a neat blue serge suit, my money changer swinging jauntily at my waist, and a cheery smile for the passengers which would make their own work day brighter. From disappointment, I gradually ascended the emotion ladder to haughty indignation, and finally to the state of stubbornness where the mind is blocked like the jaws of an enraged bulldog. I would go to work on the streetcars and wear a blue serge suit. Mother gave me her support with one of her usual terse asid... ...ouble when you pack double.† She stayed awake to drive me out to the car barn at four thirty in the mornings, or to pick me up when I was relieved just before dawn. Her awareness of life’s perils convinced her that while I would be safe on the public conveyances, she â€Å"wasn’t about to trust a taxi driver with her baby.† When the spring classes began, I resumed my commitment with formal education. I was so much wiser and older, so much more independent, with a bank account and clothes that I had bought for myself, that I was sure that I had learned and earned the magic formula which would make me a part of the gay life my contemporaries led. Not a bit of it. Within weeks, I realized that my schoolmates and I were on paths moving diametrically away from each other. They were concerned and excited over the approaching football games, but I had in my immediate past raced a car down a dark and foreign Mexican mountain. They concentrated great interest on who was worthy of being student body president, and when the metal bands would be removed from their teeth, while I remembered sleeping for a month in a wrecked automobile and conducting a streetcar in the uneven hours of the morning.

The Fast Food Health Scam Essay -- Health, Nutrition

For decades the fast-food industry has supplied Americans with tasty, comforting food, quickly and for a low cost. It was not until recently, when the health craze first hit America in the late 1980’s that the corporations developed a new approach to marketing health food products to fit their customer’s wants (Nielsen 450). Even the most common fast food chains, such as McDonalds and Subway started advertising â€Å"healthier† food items on their menus to continue appealing to the general public. In order to maintain significant market share of the industry, fast food companies must entice people of all ages and advertise alternative menu options, even if the nutrition content does not support the messaging. While fast food restaurants give the impression of offering healthy food, nutritionist studies show healthy alternatives are not as nutritious as advertised (Chandon 85). The reality is Fast Food companies hoax their costumers into believing the fast-food ad vertised is healthier but do not provide enough nutritional information for them to make educated decisions. The advertising technique of persuasion leads to false impressions of a product, much like the advertisement claims of selling healthy fast food. In â€Å"The Indictments Against Advertising† by Courtland L. Bovee and William F. Arens, both authors of business and contemporary advertising textbooks, briefly discuss advertising’s effect on the consumer. They also showcase business strategies, in this case the fast-food industry, persuading people to â€Å"want what they don’t need† (Bovee 358). With fast food marketing teams promoting healthy alternatives like apples instead of French fries or milk instead of soda, the companies are able to dupe the consumer into believing the... ... example, ordering a double quarter pounder with cheese and apple slices gives a false since of justification because they chose to forgo French fries (Chandon 302). Adding a marginally healthy substitute to an unhealthy entrà ©e should not be construed as a nutritional meal. Consumers also need to be aware of the adverse effects of adding high-fat high-sodium extras to their meals, such as cheese, mayonnaise, dressings, and special sauces. Instead if a person wants nutritional value within a fast-food meal they must diligently consider health content and portion size to avoid overeating and unwanted weight gain. Individuals need to take personal responsibility of their choices and not believe the false impressions of advertisers. Implementing nutritional knowledge not only while dinning in fast-food restaurants but into everyday life will lead to healthy longevity.

One More River :: essays research papers

One More River Can you imagine having to leave everything you have ever known to live in a country on the verge of war? Lesley Shelby, the main character in One More River by Lynn Reid Banks, knows exactly how it feels. This Jewish Canadian girl has to emigrate to Israel with her family. Through the determination and courage of one person we see how challenges, complications, and differences of the world are overcome.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the story the most important character is Lesley. Lesley is a spoiled, pretty, Jewish, fourteen year old living in Canada. As the story progresses we see Lesley change to a caring and mature person by overcoming the differences in her new life. Two other important characters are Nat Shelby and Mustapha. Lesley’s father, Nat Shelby is the person who decided the family needed to live in Israel. Mr. Shelby decides he doesn’t want his daughter growing up as a spoiled uncaring princess. Mustapha, other important character, is an Arab boy who Lesley watches abuse his donkey across the Jordan River. All the Jews are not supposed to hate Arabs, but Lesley however comes in contact with Mustapha by the river and talks to him as a person not as an enemy. Mustapha made Lesley a more understanding person towards different kinds of people. The character I would most admire is Lesley for her ability to adapt to a new home, country and way of life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the book there were many turning points. The war made Lesley really feel a part of Israel and the people. Another turning point was when Lesley was allowed to join the p’oola because she was finally excepted as one of them. The most important turning point is when Lesley, at the end of the book, takes the picture Mustapha threw at her and wrote “a peace between us and between our peoples'; in three languages and stuck it in the wall in Jerusalem. The major conflict in this story was moving to Israel because Lesley threw fits until she secretly visited Noah. (Lesley’s brother who was disowned because he married a catholic girl.) He told her to go and that’s when the conflict stopped. The plot enabled the characters to change. Lesley became excepting of life and the Arabs through events in the plot. In 1966 the Shelbys lived in Canada and then moved to a center in Israel were they had to learn Hebrew. One More River :: essays research papers One More River Can you imagine having to leave everything you have ever known to live in a country on the verge of war? Lesley Shelby, the main character in One More River by Lynn Reid Banks, knows exactly how it feels. This Jewish Canadian girl has to emigrate to Israel with her family. Through the determination and courage of one person we see how challenges, complications, and differences of the world are overcome.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the story the most important character is Lesley. Lesley is a spoiled, pretty, Jewish, fourteen year old living in Canada. As the story progresses we see Lesley change to a caring and mature person by overcoming the differences in her new life. Two other important characters are Nat Shelby and Mustapha. Lesley’s father, Nat Shelby is the person who decided the family needed to live in Israel. Mr. Shelby decides he doesn’t want his daughter growing up as a spoiled uncaring princess. Mustapha, other important character, is an Arab boy who Lesley watches abuse his donkey across the Jordan River. All the Jews are not supposed to hate Arabs, but Lesley however comes in contact with Mustapha by the river and talks to him as a person not as an enemy. Mustapha made Lesley a more understanding person towards different kinds of people. The character I would most admire is Lesley for her ability to adapt to a new home, country and way of life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the book there were many turning points. The war made Lesley really feel a part of Israel and the people. Another turning point was when Lesley was allowed to join the p’oola because she was finally excepted as one of them. The most important turning point is when Lesley, at the end of the book, takes the picture Mustapha threw at her and wrote “a peace between us and between our peoples'; in three languages and stuck it in the wall in Jerusalem. The major conflict in this story was moving to Israel because Lesley threw fits until she secretly visited Noah. (Lesley’s brother who was disowned because he married a catholic girl.) He told her to go and that’s when the conflict stopped. The plot enabled the characters to change. Lesley became excepting of life and the Arabs through events in the plot. In 1966 the Shelbys lived in Canada and then moved to a center in Israel were they had to learn Hebrew.

History Of The Cuban Missile Crisis History Essay

The Bay of Pigs was the operation that was designed as any agencies of subverting the authorities without uncovering that the United States engagement in the operation. The program was originally called for the gradual build-up of anti-Castro forces within Cuba into a political and military motion. However the programs rapidly changed into a all-out invasion, with the budget spread outing from $ 4 million good over to $ 46 million and the CIA preparation and providing anti-Castro Cuban expatriates to Cuba. In 1956 Fidel Castro led a Guerrilla Force in a rebellion against the authorities place of Fulgencio Batista. During the old ages in 1959 Batista fled the state, and Castro so became leader of Cuba ‘s new radical government. Castro made credence of these atomic missiles from the Soviet Union which so led to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Anterior towards this revolution the United States had a important influence in Cuba ‘s economic and political personal businesss, But Castro ‘s new authorities refused to be influenced by the United States. The United States grew in fright that Castro would set up a new communism government in Cuba, so the United States applied economic force per unit area and in 1960 an trade stoppage that cut off trade between the United States and Cuba. In an attempt to destruct Castro ‘s authorities, the United States trained and armed a anti-Castro Cuban exiles populating in the United States. These expatriates invaded Cuba in 1961, with a landing at the Bay of Pigs. Castro ‘s ground forces easy defeated the expatriates. His triumph during the Bay of Pigs invasion strengthened Castro ‘s control over Cuba. During this most Cubans resented the United States intercession in Cuban dealingss and they railed behind Castro, who declared that Cuba was a Communist state. The Cuban Missile Crisis marked the point at which the Cold War began to dissolve. The Cuban Missile Crisis ( known as The October Crisis in Cuba ) was a confrontation between the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War. In September 1962, the Cuban and Soviet authoritiess began to sneakily construct bases in Cuba for a figure of medium- and intermediate-range ballistic atomic missiles ( MRBMs and IRBMs ) with the ability to strike most of the Continental United States. This action followed the 1958 deployment of Thor IRBMs in the UK and Jupiter IRBMs to Italy and Turkey in 1961 – more than 100 U.S.-built missiles holding the capableness to strike Moscow with atomic payloads. On October 14, 1962, a United States U-2 photoreconnaissance plane captured photographic cogent evidence of Soviet missile bases under building in Cuba. The resulting crisis ranks with the Berlin Blockade as one of the major confrontations of the Cold War and is by an d large regarded as the minute in which the Cold War came closest to turning into a atomic struggle. [ 1 ] The United States considered assailing Cuba via air and sea and settled on a military â€Å" quarantine † of Cuba. The U.S. announced that it would non allow violative arms to be delivered to Cuba and demanded that the Soviets dismantle the missile bases already under building or completed in Cuba and take all violative arms. The Kennedy disposal held a slender hope that the Kremlin would hold to their demands, and expected a military confrontation. On the Soviet terminal, Nikita Khrushchev wrote in a missive to Kennedy that his quarantine of â€Å" pilotage in international Waterss and air infinite to represent an act of aggression impeling world into the abysm of a universe nuclear-missile war. † from the Cuban Missile Crisis, peculiarly after Khrushchev was relieved of his place as leader, there was a conjunct attempt on both parts for weaponries control, ensuing in the sign language of many bilateral understandings. the Cuban Missile Crisis highlighted the importance of a clear and direct system of communicating between Moscow and Washington. During the crisis, the two leaders communicated with each other through missive authorship, which proved to be a really slow signifier of communicating, peculiarly in such a tense clip. So, in 1963, an understanding was reached, the Hot-line Treaty, ab initio utilizing teletype, telegraph and radio-telegraph communicating links. Of class with the development of new engineerings, these communicating links have been upgraded. At the recent fortieth anniversary conference on the Cuban Missile Crisis, it was noted that â€Å" the lessons learned from the missile crisis might help those of us who are interested in cut downing the hazard of atomic calamity in the twenty-first century † . In decision, a the major ground that a military struggle was averted was the cooperation between Kennedy and Khrushchev and their committedness to peace. Neither was willing to pay war, specially non Russia since their missile bases in Cuba were unfinished. Kchruschev would non hold been willing to support Cuba from American invasion anyhow, suppose a war did interrupt out. Many things could hold changed the class of the crisis to the point of catastrophe: if Kennedy had chosen to utilize air work stoppages, if Russia had crossed the quarantine line, if Kchruschev did n't hold to peace, if the missile bases had been finished. Fortunately these things were n't, and the universe was saved from a potentially ruinous atomic war.

List of Poetry Group

List of poetry groups and movements From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search | The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (November 2011) | Poetry groups and movements or schools may be self-identified by the poets that form them or defined by critics who see unifying characteristics of a body of work by more than one poet. To be a ‘school' a group of poets must share a common style or a common ethos.A commonality of form is not in itself sufficient to define a school; for example, Edward Lear, George du Maurier and Ogden Nash do not form a school simply because they all wrote limericks. There are many different ‘schools' of poetry. Some of them are described below in approximate chronological sequence. The subheadings indicate broadly the century in which a style arose. Contents * 1 Prehistoric * 2 Sixteenth century * 3 Sevente enth century * 4 Eighteenth century * 5 Nineteenth century * 6 Twentieth century * 7 Alphabetic list * 8 References| PrehistoricThe Oral tradition is too broad to be a strict school but it is a useful grouping of works whose origins either predate writing, or belong to cultures without writing. Sixteenth century The Castalian Band. Seventeenth century The Metaphysical poets The Cavalier poets The Danrin school Eighteenth century Classical poetry echoes the forms and values of classical antiquity. Favouring formal, restrained forms, it has recurred in various Neoclassical schools since the eighteenth century Augustan poets such as Alexander Pope.The most recent resurgence of Neoclassicism is religious and politically reactionary work of the likes of T. S. Eliot. Romanticism started in late 18th century Western Europe. Wordsworth's and Coleridge's 1798 publication of Lyrical Ballads is considered by some as the first important publication in the movement. Romanticism stressed strong e motion, imagination, freedom within or even from classical notions of form in art, and the rejection of established social conventions. It stressed the importance of â€Å"nature† in language and celebrated the achievements of those perceived as heroic individuals and artists.Romantic poets include William Blake, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and John Keats (those previous six sometimes referred to as the Big Six, or the Big Five without Blake); other Romantic poets include James Macpherson,Robert Southey, and Emily Bronte. Nineteenth century Pastoralism was originally a Hellenistic form, that romanticized rural subjects to the point of unreality. Later pastoral poets, such as Edmund Spenser, Christopher Marlowe, and William Wordsworth, were inspired by the classical pastoral poets.The Parnassians were a group of late 19th-century French poets, named after their journal, the Parnasse contemporain. They included Charles Leconte de Lisle, Theodore de Banville, Sully-Prudhomme, Paul Verlaine, Francois Coppee, and Jose Maria de Heredia. In reaction to the looser forms of romantic poetry, they strove for exact and faultless workmanship, selecting exotic and classical subjects, which they treated with rigidity of form and emotional detachment. Symbolism started in the late nineteenth century in France and Belgium.It included Paul Verlaine, Tristan Corbiere, Arthur Rimbaud, and Stephane Mallarme. Symbolists believed that art should aim to capture more absolute truths which could be accessed only by indirect methods. They used extensive metaphor, endowing particular images or objects with symbolic meaning. They were hostile to â€Å"plain meanings, declamations, false sentimentality and matter-of-fact description†. Modernist poetry is a broad term for poetry written between 1890 and 1970 in the tradition of Modernism. Schools within it include Imagism and the British Poetry Revival.The Fireside Poets (also known as the Schoolroom or Household Poets) were a group of 19th-century American poets from New England. The group is usually described as comprising Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, William Cullen Bryant, John Greenleaf Whittier, James Russell Lowell, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.. Twentieth century The Imagists were (predominantly young) poets working in England and America in the early 20th century, including F. S. Flint, T. E. Hulme, and Hilda Doolittle (known primarily by her initials, H. D. ).They rejected Romantic and Victorian conventions, favoring precise imagery and clear, non-elevated language. Ezra Pound formulated and promoted many precepts and ideas of Imagism. His â€Å"In a Station of the Metro† (Roberts & Jacobs, 717), written in 1916, is often used as an example of Imagist poetry: The apparition of these faces in the crowd; Petals on a wet, black bough. The Objectivists were a loose-knit group of second-generation Modernists from the 1930s. They include Louis Zukofsky, Lorine Niedecker, Charles Reznikoff, George Oppen, Carl Rakosi, and Basil Bunting.Objectivists treated the poem as an object; they emphasised sincerity, intelligence, and the clarity of the poet's vision. The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement in the 1920s involving many African-American writers from the New York Neighbourhood of Harlem. The Beat generation poets met in New York in the 1940s. The core group were Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burroughs, who were joined later by Gregory Corso. The Confessionalists were American poets that emerged in the 1950s. They drew on personal history for their artistic inspiration.Poets in this group include Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, John Berryman, and Robert Lowell. The New York School was an informal group of poets active in 1950s New York City whose work was said to be a reaction to the Confessionalists. Some major figures include John Ashbery, Frank O'Hara, James Schuyler, Kenneth Koch, Barbara Guest, Joe Br ainard, Ron Padgett, Ted Berrigan and Bill Berkson. The Black Mountain poets (also known as the Projectivists) were a group of mid 20th century postmodern poets associated with Black Mountain College in the United States.The San Francisco Renaissance was initiated by Kenneth Rexroth and Madeline Gleason in Berkeley in the late 1940s. It included Robert Duncan, Jack Spicer, and Robin Blaser. They were consciously experimental and had close links to the Black Mountain and Beat poets. The Movement was a group of English writers including Kingsley Amis, Philip Larkin, Donald Alfred Davie, D. J. Enright, John Wain, Elizabeth Jennings and Robert Conquest. Their tone is anti-romantic and rational. The connection between the poets was described as â€Å"little more than a negative determination to avoid bad principles. The British Poetry Revival was a loose movement during the 1960s and 1970s. It was a Modernist reaction to the conservative Movement. The Hungry generation was a group of ab out 40 poets in West Bengal, India during 1961–1965 who revolted against the colonial canons in Bengali poetry and wanted to go back to their roots. The movement was spearheaded by Shakti Chattopadhyay, Malay Roy Choudhury, Samir Roychoudhury, and Subimal Basak. The Martian poets were English poets of the 1970s and early 1980s, including Craig Raine and Christopher Reid.Through the heavy use of curious, exotic, and humorous metaphors, Martian poetry aimed to break the grip of â€Å"the familiar† in English poetry, by describing ordinary things as if through the eyes of a Martian. The Language poets were avant garde poets from the last quarter of the 20th century. Their approach started with the modernist emphasis on method. They were reacting to the poetry of the Black Mountain and Beat poets. The poets included: Leslie Scalapino, Bruce Andrews, Charles Bernstein, Ron Silliman, Barrett Watten, Lyn Hejinian, Bob Perelman, Rae Armantrout, Carla Harryman, Clark Coolidge, Hannah Weiner, Susan Howe, and Tina Darragh.The New Formalism is a late-twentieth and early twenty-first century movement in American poetry that promotes a return to metrical and rhymed verse. Rather than looking to the Confessionalists, they look to Robert Frost, Richard Wilbur, James Merrill, Anthony Hecht, and Donald Justice for poetic influence. These poets are associated with the West Chester University Poetry Conference, and with literary journals like The New Criterion and The Hudson Review. Associated poets include Dana Gioia, Timothy Steele, Mark Jarman, Rachel Hadas, R. S.Gwynn, Charles Martin, Phillis Levin, Kay Ryan, Brad Leithauser. Alphabetic list This is a list of poetry groups and movements. * Absurdism * Aestheticism * Black Arts Movement * Cairo poets * Chhayavaad * Classical Chinese poetry * Crescent Moon Society * Cyclic Poets * Dadaism * Danrin school * Deep image * Della Cruscans * Dymock poets * Fugitives (poets) * Generation of '27| * Georgian poets * Goliar d * Graveyard poets * The Group (literature) * Harlem Renaissance * Harvard Aesthetes * Heptanese School (literature) * LakePoets * La Pleiade * Los Contemporaneos * Misty Poets * Modern Chinese poetry * Negritude * Net-poetry * New Apocalyptics| * Nijo poetic school * Others (art group) * Oulipo * Poetic transrealism * Rhymers' Club * Rochester Poets * Scottish Renaissance * Sicilian School * Poetry Slam * Sons of Ben * Southern Agrarians * Spasmodic poets * Spectrism * Surrealist poets * The poets of Elan * Uranian poetry| References This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2010) | [hide] * v * t * eSchools of poetry| | | Akhmatova's Orphans * Auden Group * The Beats * Black Arts Movement * Black Mountain poets * British Poetry Revival * Cairo poets * Castalian Band * Cavalier poets * Chhayavaad * Churchyard poets * Confessionalists * Creoli te * Cyclic poets * Dadaism * Deep image * Della Cruscans * Dolce Stil Novo * Dymock poets * Ecopoetry * The poets of Elan * Flarf * Fugitives * Garip * Gay Saber * Generation of '98 * Generation of '27 * Georgian poets * Goliard * The Group * Harlem Renaissance * Harvard Aesthetes * Hungry generation * Imagism * Informationist poetry * Jindyworobak * Lake Poets * Language poets * Martian poetry * Metaphysical poets * Misty Poets * Modernist poetry * The Movement * Negritude * New American Poetry * New Apocalyptics * New Formalism * New York School * Objectivists * Others group of artists * Parnassian poets * La Pleiade * Rhymers' Club * San Francisco Renaissance * Scottish Renaissance * Sicilian School * Sons of Ben * Southern Agrarians * Spasmodic poets * Sung poetry * Surrealism * Symbolism * Uranian poetry| | Categories: * Poetry movements Navigation menu * Create account * Log in * Article * Talk * Read * Edit * View history ——————†”————————— Top of Form Bottom of Form * Main page * Contents * Featured content * Current events * Random article * Donate to Wikipedia Interaction * Help * About Wikipedia * Community portal * Recent changes * Contact Wikipedia Toolbox Print/export Languages * Deutsch * Edit links * This page was last modified on 21 February 2013 at 05:54. * Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. 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Cola Wars Continue: Coke and Pepsi in 2010 Essay

Read and Apply: Michael E. Porter (2008), â€Å"The Five Competitive Forces that Shape Strategy†, Harvard Business Review, (January 2008), pp. 2-17 Assignment Questions (AQ) (a) Why has the soft drink industry been so profitable for concentrate producers? Compare the economics of the concentrate business to the bottling business: why is the profitability so different? [50% points] The soft drink industry has been extremely profitable for Concentrate producers. When we study the 5 forces analysis, we come to a conclusion that almost all the forces have contributed significantly in this massive profit generating mechanism. Threat of new entrants is low and there are multiple high barriers to entry. Despite the low cost of establishing a concentrate production plant, the producers have to develop exclusive relations with bottling plants and support them in marketing research, advertising and setting up distribution channels which is difficult for new entrants and require huge capital infusion. Bargaining power of Buyers used to be negligible as concentrate producers used to make bottlers abide by fixed price contracts which made them operate on razor thin margins. After adoption of incidence pricing, the bottling plants renegotiated for different distribution channels and different product ranges as the bargaining power shifted and the prices were increased based on consumer price index and inflation. But this bargaining power was kept in check since concentrate producers did not allow a bottling plant to gain significant market influence and they regularly bought out bottling plants to maintain their control.(Exhibit 3b) Bargaining power of suppliers was minuscule since all products are basic commodities like sweetener, caffeine and color with multiple suppliers who do not hold much bargaining power with a large corporation. Threat of substitute product is suppose to be high since there are a variety of substitutes available which meet the end purpose of quenching the thirst and consumer being open to healthy or low calorie substitutes like tea, juice or energy drink. But the conventional concentrate producer has diversified its product portfolio to meet all demands and keep its consumer base loyal. Also strengthening distribution networks and creating advertisement campaign has led to consumer retention.(Exhibit 8) Competition is high since major brands competing are Coca cola and pepsi who compete at every level, from product range and bottling plants to retailer selection and advertisement. Both concentrate producers are have deep pockets to execute swift decisions and they have adopted similar strategies to gain market share and consolidate. They have a staggering market presence controlling nearly 3/4th of the market and they have surgically acquired or contained all other competitors.(Exhibit 2) By the 5 force analysis, it is visible that the immense market experience and availability of funds had led concentrate producers to use almost all the forces in their advantage to maintain high profitability. In contrast to the concentrate producer, the bottling plants operate on one-third of the profit margin percent, this can be explained by the contrasts in the economics using the 5 force analysis for bottling plants. Threat of new entrants was traditionally low since high capital requirement acts as as high barrier of entry but the threat from the concentrate producer entity emerging as a bottler is high ever since they have started vertical integrations by providing concentration at lower rates for better margins to self-owned entities. Bargaining power of buyers is high since bottling plants have no unique value proposition and they compete with identical competitors for a vastly segmented market. They conduct extensive negotiations with different channels on stock, pricing and space. They develop complex price strategies for maintaining exclusive contracts with nation wide restaurant chains. They have to bid for higher presence among mass merchandisers and retail stores. They also have to provide low-margin fountains and vending machines services to sustain market presence. Threat of substitute is low among bottling plants since they have invested a huge capital on set-up, operational efficiency and R&D. They have a established ground of operations which cannot be easily substituted and they enjoy massive support from concentrate producers in supplier contracts, marketing research and advertisements Bargaining power of suppliers is average where commodities like packaging material and sugar can be obtained easily while concentrate producers control prices due to high dependency on them. But due to the reciprocity nature of dependency, concentrate producers extend advertising support, marketing surveys and strategic integration to loyal bottling plants to focus on volume and carry a wider range of products. The variation of business economics where bottling plants face price constraints, negotiations with every supplier at an individual level, cut-throat competition, high operating costs and an increasing threat of being acquired by the concentrate producer hits the profitability of the bottlers and gives a huge edge to the concentrate producers. (b) How would you characterize the nature of the competition between Coke and Pepsi and how has it impacted the profits of the US carbonated soft drinks (CSD) industry as a whole? [20% points] Coca-cola had maintained high profitability acting as a monopoly since its inception since it did not face any competition. When Pepsi entered the market as a prominent player, it struggled to gather market traction but after the â€Å"Blind taste test† it became a real competitor. The nature of competition has been fierce ranging from better positioning at a single store, to going beyond international borders. Although both the companies have adopted similar strategies, the timing and focus has led to significant success and more significant failures. Some major initiatives by Coca-Cola were developing infrastructure in European countries and Asia which paid heavy returns. It was also a pioneer in introducing new flavors and brands(Exhibit 2) which sharply increased its market share and vertical integration by acquiring bottling plants for better margins(Exhibit 3a) which resulted in stellar financial performances. Pepsi on the other hand gained significant domestic US market when Coca-cola focussed internationally, it was first to get exclusive contracts with restaurant chains and introduce bigger family-size bottles. It also led diversification by transforming into a beverage and food giant by acquiring Frito-Lay, Gatorade and Lipton. Pepsi Bottling Group optimized its operations and maintains a higher % profit/sales over CCE till date(Exhibit 3b). Both companies have also made big mistakes like Coca-cola introducing â€Å"New Coke† and Pepsi giving first-movers advantage to Coke in international markets. Also engaging in a bitter price wars saw their balance sheets in red(Exhibit 5). But they have also worked excellently in rectifying their mistakes like Coke diversifying by acquiring Minute-Maid and Vitamin water drinks. Since over half of Pepsi’s sales were domestic and Coke already had a lead in the International market, Pepsi focussed on markets still up-for-grabs like China, India, Africa and Middle-east. It has since gained significant market share in emerging economies after learning its lesson. Recently, both the companies have undergone significant media bashing with environmental concerns of the PET bottle, health and obesity uproars and sugary content in CSDs, so they have realized the shift in market focus to non-CSDs and diet soft drinks(Exhibit 7). New strategies include more focus on these drinks and both companies are looking to leverage their existing market domination to gain a better market shares and higher profits since margins on these drinks are much higher than CSDs. (c) Compare and contrast the structure and profitability of the emerging non-CSD industry with the key aspects of the traditional CSD industry structure that you covered in part (a). Can Coke and Pepsi repeat their success they had with CSDs in the non-CSDs industry, or will a new competitive landscape & dynamic emerge? [30% points] In late 1990s the soft-drink industry showed signs of permanent shift as the demand for carbonated soft drinks began to fizzle out(Exhibit 7) due to the rising health concern with obesity, high sugar content and perceived risks of high-fructose corn syrup. Diet sodas had already caught a lot of attention and they were quickly replacing conventional sodas, Coke and Pepsi broadened their product range by offering more Diet and herbal drinks. Pepsi was more aggressive in this transformation by acquiring Gatorade and Lipton which outsold Coke products in these categories, Coke followed suit by acquiring EnergyBrands, its largest acquisition ever, but Pepsi maintained a commanding lead in non-carb segment. Both companies also launched bottled water which is the largest sector in non-CSD market by volume(Exhibit 9) The structure and profitability in an emerging non-CSD industry has dynamics very different from the conventional CSD industry which has been played out and matured. The stark contrasts that the structure of this industry lies in the fact that this market is very young and entry of new products changes its dynamics rapidly. The threat of new entrants in this market is very high as concentrate production does not require a lot of investment and innovative products attract a lot of clientele which have led to a stronger position among competitors like Nestle, Unilever and DPS. The bottling plants have strengthened their position in this sector as they have not led Coke and Pepsi influence this market completely. They have been reluctant in introducing non-CSD products as they have no brand loyalty and their existing infrastructure does not support new products. Setting up new infrastructure and pressure from concentrate producers to increase non-CSD turnovers require higher operation costs and lesser profit margins. Concentrate producers are building better relationships with independent bottlers to push non-CSD and alternate drinks since they have much higher margins than CSD(Exhibit 10), concentrate producers are willing to assist bottling plants and they started selling finished goods to bottlers. They have also leveraged the company owned bottling plants by purchasing at lower prices and even marketing directly to retail chains to gain higher profit margin and gain market penetration It is most likely that Coke and Pepsi will repeat their success with this new industry like they did in CSDs for the first and foremost reason that these companies are financially very strong and they have the ability to acquire or contain an emerging competitor. Also they have invested and will continue to invest in understanding the market, so they have established a market trend analysis and they are prepared to tackle upcoming threats by taking the appropriate action. That is the reason that Coke and Pepsi are directly competing with every new product launched in this category and gaining popularity like tea, water or energy drinks. Early diversification in products has strengthened their brand equity which they can leverage in gaining further control in the non-CSD market. Another reason that these companies are likely to succeed is because of vertically integrated network that they have established from manufacturing concentrate to marketing to retailers, they have exclusive contracts with bottling plants and they have spent decades perfecting the distribution network. They can introduce new products in this chain with much more ease and effect rather than new players developing an entire new network. Lastly, since the market in US is moving faster towards non-CSDs than the rest of the world, Coke and Pepsi have gained experience in tackling this change and then they can apply it to the international markets and be the driving force in influencing emerging economies due to their vast strategic global presence.

Similarities and Differences in Sociological Theories of Crime

Sociological theories of crime contain a great deal of useful information in the understanding of criminal behavior. Sociological theories are very useful in the study of criminal behavior because unlike psychological and biological theories they are mostly macro level theories which attempt to explain rates of crime for a group or an area rather than explaining why an individual committed a crime. (Kubrin, 2012). There is however some micro level sociological theories of crime that attempts to explain the individual’s motivation for criminal behavior (Kubrin, 2012). Of the contemporary sociological theories there are three which come to the forefront and which we will examine, social conflict theory, social disorganization theory, and rational choice theory. Social Conflict Theory As the name suggests, social conflict theory is a conflict based perspective. Conflict based perspectives assert that laws that govern what behaviors are criminal and what are not come from a conflict between those in power and those who aren’t (Kubrin, 2012). Social conflict theory basically says that crime is born out of this conflict between those that have power within a society and those that don’t. Those that have the power in a society are the ones that make the laws and therefore make laws which will benefit them and forward their goals and ideals often at the expense of those without power. It is this conflict and the resulting laws regulating what is criminal and what is not that is ultimately the cause of crime. Social Disorganization Theory Unlike social conflict theory, social disorganization theory is based on the consensus perspective. The consensus perspective believes that laws are born out of a consensus of members of a society seeking order within that society (Kubrin, 2012). Social disorganization theory views crime as a result of a breakdown of organization and culture within a society (Warner, 2003). This breakdown of organization and culture within a community leads to a lack of informal social control which in turn leads to higher crime rates especially in the juvenile population (Simons, Simons, Burt, Brody, & Cutrona, 2005). Social disorganization theory asserts that strong levels of connection within a community along with a sense of civic pride motivate individuals to take a more active role in the community therefore acting as a deterrent to crime. Rational Choice Theory The third of the contemporary sociological theories is rational choice theory. In stark contrast to social conflict theory and social disorganization theory which are macro level theories, rational choice theory is a micro level theory (Kubrin, 2012). Rational choice theory focuses on the individual motivation behind criminal behavior. Specifically the idea that the choice to commit criminal behavior is a choice based on a type of risk reward scenario. The person contemplating a criminal act consciously weighs the risk associated with the crime against the reward they stand to gain from the crime. Similarities and Differences Each of these three contemporary sociological theories of crime are similar in that they focus mainly on crime in poor or disadvantaged areas. This focus is obvious with social conflict theory and social disorganization theory but not as much with rational choice theory although it is there. With rational choice theory the concept of what is to be gained from the criminal activity in itself implies that the person is most likely poor or disadvantaged in some way necessitating crime to obtain the things they need or desire. Where these theories differ is their basic concepts of what the actual cause of crime is. Where social conflict theory and social disorganization theory view the causes of crime on a group level, rational choice theory says that crime is caused on an individual level. Likewise, on an even more fundamental level, social conflict theory and social disorganization theory differ in that social conflict theory believes laws regulating criminal behavior are formed out of conflict within a society where social disorganization theory believes laws are formed from a consensus within society. Conclusions Sociological theories of crime are very useful, especially in the prediction and prevention of crime. One of their greatest strengths is their ability to explain crime within a certain group or community. However, the fact that the group or area they most often focus on is poor or disadvantages is one of their greatest weaknesses. Sociological theories fail to account for so called white collar crimes and other types of crimes that occur mainly among more wealthy individuals and in more well off neighborhoods. As with psychological and biological theories, sociological theories have their strengths and weaknesses. To truly understand the nature and causes of crime and to be able to prevent it will take an understanding and blending of many different theories.