Negotiation and Conflict Management Final Report Essay

â€Å"It’s time to go to the next level of my career,† I told myself a few months ago. Life and life experiences have put me in the right place at the right time to make my daydream a reality. As a natural born citizen of another country and as a newly-married person, I have a unique perspective as well as a set of obstacles and opportunities on the road ahead as I pursue my Executive MBA while being in transition. GOALS My current short-term goal professionally is to find a job that not only fulfills my current ambition of being technical leader but also a management leader in the IT world, where as my long-term goal is to start my own business (Repurposing and creatively painting old leather products into house decor) along with my life-partner in the next 3-4 years. My personal goal is to again relive my artistic side, paint and be creative and get my spouse involved in the artistic world that I like. I am at a juncture of my career where in both my personal goal of working with my life-partner coincides with my ambition of starting up a new business and apply whatever knowledge I gathered during class. My goal as far as EMBA classes is to actually be able to not only learn Finance and Accounting but actually try to master it is as much as possible because when my goal of opening up my business becomes a reality, I want to make sure I have command over that. NEGOTIATIONS In my previous company, I had the opportunity to be a part of some important negotiations which helped me as well as the project understand the various aspects that we had predominantly neglected at the start of some of these negotiation. One such negotiation was when a rival vendor was trying to sell their new software to our client which they claimed would be doing the same kind of work that we were doing for past few years. When the time came to negotiate the new contract for our project, the clients asked us to come up with a plan as to why they should consider our software v/s the rival vendor’s proposed software. When I tried to analyze the whole negotiation process that we went with the end clients and even though we managed to extend the contract, there were a lot of issues that were not par with the 3D negotiation which are as follows: We didn’t set up the right negotiation  as the right party and right interests were not set up. We never considered the No-De al option. Never paid attention to the six basic interpersonal skills that are essential for negotiation. My short term goal of being a technical as well as managerial leader in IT would require me to be a part of similar negotiations that I mentioned above. Right from extending contracts, to getting funding for maintenance and development of software, getting more business from different set of end clients which might be interested in similar software. Here are some of the important factors that needs to be considered while making these kind of negotiations. My long-term goal of opening my own business with my spouse is something that would require a lot of negotiations that needs to be done be it with the bankers or venture capitalists who might be interested in funding it, real-estate people who might be interested in selling or renting their property and the end clients/customers who would be interested in buying my end products. These are the three key area of people that I have to get involved with in-order to start my business successfully. While dealing with the Bankers/VC, one thing that we need to keep in mind is that we might have issues with one of them, so we need to keep more options and try to find the right new parties who might be interested (right players). With the Real-Estate people, you need to address the Twin tasks, namely, Learn about the true ZOPA and Shape your counterpart’s ZOPA perceptions to your advantage. New customers are more interested in creating and claiming value like discounted cash flows, creating relationships, reputation and being fair. We need to think long term for creating and claiming value as none of the parties should feel that they have been exploited or dealt with unfairly as the reputation would be at stake. All conflict management processes i.e. consensual negotiations, are based on information sharing and learning. In the process of sharing information, a party seeks to alter the knowledge, attitudes, preferences and strategies of its opponents. There are some conflict s that I might have to overcome during my business negotiations that can be summed up as: APPRAISAL As a successful negotiator the six basic interpersonal skills are utmost important but initially when I started negotiating in my previous company, I never paid real attention to some of those skills. The contract extension negotiation example above was finally approved but we had a lot of things that were not correct and that almost cost us the deal. Here are some of the key aspects of that deal: a) My company had this contract for past 9 years without any competition and hence I never expected a rival vendor to just come up with another proposal with the end client. b) I never really dealt with the topic of creating and claiming value as part of the negotiation. c) Had an incomplete/blurry information on the rival vendor and their product hence before proposing the deal, we never dug deep to rectify it. d) Never pressed on the issue of Your Interests / Their Interests. As this was a contract that was being extended every single year, this thing never came to my mind. The reason we got the extension on the contract was due to some of equally compelling strength that as a negotiator we had and they were as follows: a) Our ability to make sure the end clients understand their No-Deal option. Even though we weren’t aware that it was called the No-Deal option, we certainly went that route when we presented our merits in front of them and made sure they understood what they were losing in-case the contract was not extended. b) Even though we didn’t do our homework on the rival contractor, we made sure that we had all our facts and data right once we were in front on the clients. The data showed all the current savings that we were providing to the end clients and this was a major factor that earned us the good point. My Strengths Reasoning The quality and extent of my preparation The better you understand your interests (why you want what you want); and the better you understand the interests of other parties (why they want what they want), the greater the chance you will be able to reach an elegant solution which leaves the parties feeling as if each has achieved the major portion of their goals People walk away thinking they would be pleased to  negotiate again with me A negotiator’s relative strength can be measured by whether people walk away thinking they would be pleased to negotiate again with him/her. If people leave a negotiation with you thinking they never want to see you again, then you are a poor negotiator Good communication to other parties so they understand my top priority A negotiator needs to understand that different issues should be treated as having different priorities in different negotiations. Sometimes the relationship is most important; other times creativity is the measure of how well one negotiates; and it is always true that good communication is a fundamental measure of a negotiator’s strength. A good negotiator makes her/his points clearly understood by other parties. A better negotiator makes understanding other parties her/his top priority. In Moms.com case study, I was Terry Schiller and as my role was to sell the program, I made sure that for my preparation for the case, whether finding the right balance between the no. of re-runs v/s the licensing rate and making sure that this balance would give me as well as other party the max value. I had already calculated this before the negotiation started so that I knew what value would affect me as well as the other party. In Viking Investments case study, I was the person that run Viking investments and even though bankruptcy was the option for the other party, I not only made sure that it won’t happen but provided the other party with 3 different options and gave her the choice to choose which ever suited her bill. I believe in maintaining relationships and making sure that the other party feels the same way, hence when the other party walks away after the negotiation, they would want to do more business with me going forward. In Biopharm-Seltek case study, I repres ented Biopharm and my main goal was to make sure that the other party understood that I was not only interested in their company but was not interested in buying their patent. My Weakness Reasoning Dealing with negative emotions from the other side of the table Are my standards of fairness being violated? Is the common bias operating about my being cooperative and fair while the other party is hostile and competitive?  What rule or assumption that I hold is being violated by the other’s behavior? Controlling your emotions — commanding reasonable authority, managing your temper, etc. Has something been raised that questions what I tell myself I am or hope to be, such as Am I competent? Am I fair? Am I a good person? Knowing when to step away from the negotiation table — and being able to really do it No negotiator wants to enter into a poor agreement. But similarly, every negotiator should want to walk away from an unsatisfactory agreement towards a clearly defined, satisfactory BATNA In Viking Investments case study, there were times I couldn’t control my emotion because as per my own belief I was trying to go all the way out to help the other side not file for bankruptcy but in the middle I thought that I was fighting the battle alone. I was emotionally drained out to make the other understand the consequence of bankruptcy and helping them more than I should as a result of which I questioned my own self whether I am competent enough. This to me is a sign of weakness because I let my emotion take over the negotiation process. In Biopharm-Seltek case study, I was overwhelmed by the negative emotion from the other side as they were not ready to part away with the company without me buying the patent. It was their major walk away reason for them which I was not able to understand as they were being very hostile without being reasonable. I saw a very different take on this which was against my own personality and it was something I couldn’t overcome and need to work upon that. I still have a hard time to understand that you should never accept a proposal that is worse than your BATNA. Hence I couldn’t understand when to step away in case it didn’t work out. In the Moms.com, I didn’t get the proposal that I prepared so confidently before the negotiation started and I couldn’t find the courage to walk away from the table even though I knew the value created was not as much as what I had initially proposed. PLAN Here are the negotiation skills that I plan on improving and dealing with short term as well as my long term goals: 1. Do your research. Clarify your own objectives and make sure you understand what your opposite number wants from the deal. For example, by doing some basic research into a potential supplier, you can work out how valuable your custom is to them. 2. Plan your strategy in writing and decide what approach you will adopt before beginning negotiations. Be clear about the type of deal you want, set clear goals and work out where you will draw the line and walk away from the deal. 3. Ask questions and listen closely to answers. Asking questions will help you understand what your opposite number wants to achieve. You may be able to get them to reveal how flexible they are on certain issues. 4. Decide what is negotiable. Before you start to negotiate, draw up a list of factors that are most important to you. Decide what you are (and aren’t) prepared to compromise on. Key factors might include price, payment terms, volume or delivery dates. The key is to establish your preferred outcome, but remain realistic, because if you’re not prepared to compromise some negotiations won’t last long. 5. Don’t reveal your negotiating position and avoid making unnecessary concessions. If you have to make concessions – look for reciprocation. Concessions should only be made to help you get the things you value. You should also avoid appearing too keen to do a deal. Consider what offer the other party in the negotiations is likely to make and how you’ll respond. 6. Select the best team. Once you’ve decided on your strategy it is essential that you get your negotiating team right. Make sure it has skills in all the required areas and, where necessary, use a specialist to negotiate in areas outside your expertise 7. Drawing up a contract. Once all the points have been negotiated and a deal has been agreed, it’s best t o get a written contract drawn up and signed by both parties. While verbal contracts are legally binding – they are difficult to prove in court. 8. Choose the right time and place for negotiation. Ideally select a time and place where you are not under pressure to close the deal. My plan of being successful in negotiations Mapping the parties I would like to start with private talks with various individual parties  (bankers, customers, etc.) before bringing everyone together for public negotiations, or it may be better to immediately begin negotiation with all stakeholders. When developing the process, it is important to consider the role of third parties, special procedures and specific negotiation systems. This will likely require an understanding of the cultural norms and individual personalities of the parties involved. Further important considerations relevant to the process include how the process is to be determined and how it could be modified. The set up essentially ensures that the scope, sequence and process of a negotiation is consistent with my desired outcome for the negotiation. I need to ensure that the right parties have been involved, in the right sequence, to deal with the right issues that engage the right set of interests, at the right table or tables, at the right time, under the right expectations , facing the right consequences of walking away if there is no deal.

Discrimination Against Females in Sport

Discrimination against Females in Sports Gender difference has always been an issue in many shapes and forms and throughout many circumstances in the past, present and still will be in the future. This paper focuses on the issue of discrimination against women in sports. Either being an athlete or a coach, women have always been looked upon as not as talented sports wise as men, even though in reality, they are. This issue is articulated in many ways.The news paper Green Leaf Weekly reports from the past that sports editors and journalists think that women’s sport is not â€Å"newsworthy† (Brown, 1993). Just that quote says a whole lot about the lack of respect people have for women who play sports who work just as hard as men to contend in their sport. Research by Eileen McDonagh and Laura Pappana demonstrates that sex segregation in sports does not simply reflect biology, but it actively constructs and reinforces social ideas of female inferiority (McDonagh & Pappana, 2010).For example, it has been a known fact that women have better physiological endurance compared to men, but yet in the Olympics some of the racing events are actually shorter compared to the men because the women are perceived as not being able to handle the same distance men run. In May of 2004 the sports world was flipped upside down when Title IX was put in place. This title should have been put in place a long time ago, but with all the discriminatory gender issues, it took this long to come to be. Title IX prohibits discrimination against girls and women in federally funded education and athletic programs.The law states that schools who do not follow Title IX, will lose their federal funding. This was a huge step in the beginning of discriminatory actions towards females in sport to be diminished. There are many resources available for exploring this subject area. Finding data and charts is hard to find, but there are many news paper articles on discrimination against wome n in sports. Also a few websites as well to help you get informed on how and why there is discrimination towards women in sports in the first place. There is a website called Women’s Sports Foundation that has a lot of information about women in sports.The good thing about this website is that though it focuses on the negative aspects like discrimination, it also focuses on the positive aspects and what women have achieved in sport and what future goals for women’s sports are. A fact the website states that by 2010, 53 athletic opportunities were offered to every 100 high school boys, and 41 athletic opportunities were offered to every hundred high school girls. Though the number is lower than that of the males, it still is much better than 20 years before this time when it was seldom that 7 athletic opportunities were offered to every 100 high school girl.This statistical research shows that discrimination in sports towards women is improving, slowly, but surely. Wome n are the most affected by this issue because they are being discriminated against in sports. More so than just women, younger women have an even harder time as when you are a young girl there are no girl’s leagues, just mixed leagues with boys. When females play with males, a lot of people say discriminatory things about girls and how they are incapable of playing with males.Likely problems that could come out of this for Canadian society would be that the discrimination problem against women will never be fixed, or it could also get worse. Women need to realize their worth and do something about the issues that are being brought towards them in sports. They have the right to play sports and enjoy them just as much as males do, and they are just as talented as males are. There are many solutions to this problem. A few solutions have already been created in order to better the sports world for women.The Title IX was definitely an important time in history when the document wa s put in place that discrimination against women is strictly prohibited in federally funded sports (Steven, 2004). Women’s sports being in the Olympics also play a very important part in helping this problem. Over the years as more women’s sports were added into the Olympics, it got more media coverage and more attention. With this attention, more young females joined the sports world and the female sports world vastly grew. I feel more women’s sports need to be added into the Olympics, and maybe even create a professional women’s sports league, like the NHL or NBA.Creating a professional women’s sports league would definitely capture enough attention to possibly make the discrimination simmer down. Another option is to possibly create women’s sports centers all over the world for women to come together who play sports and possibly make a change and realize there are a lot of other females all around the world who feel just as they feel. Mak ing people aware of the problems of discrimination in sports could open the eyes of a lot of people to see that it actually is a huge problem. In conclusion, sports are meant to be an activity to demonstrate teamwork, hard work, pain, courage and most of all belief.Belief is hard to achieve when you are being discriminated against, and a lot of people turn to sports to gain confidence. Gender in sports shouldn’t matter, sports teach to you the lessons no matter what gender you are. Many people use sports as a getaway from the crazy world now days and they should feel comfortable. Females need to realize their worth to the sports world, and if more people become aware of the problem and try and solve it, many younger females will be inspired in the future society to take sports to a whole new level, without discrimination against females.The problem will never be completely solved, but with determination anything is possible. References Brown, C. , (1993). Green Leaf Weekly. A rticle, 121. Retrieved from http://web. ebscohost. com. library. smu. ca:2048/ehost/detail? vid=3&hid=11&sid=66b0d127-bc37-4ca5-a903-ef2cab3580af%40sessionmgr11&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=fyh&AN=MRB-WRI0271980 McDonagh, E. , Pappana, K. , (2010). In Brief. Women’s Studies, 39(1), 67. Retrieved from http://web. bscohost. com. library. smu. ca:2048/ehost/detail? vid=3&hid=11&sid=66b0d127-bc37-4ca5-a903-ef2cab3580af%40sessionmgr11&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=fyh&AN=46837840 Steven, L. Y. , (2004). The Sport Of Numbers: Manipulating Title IX To Rationalize Discrimination Against Women. Brigham Young University Education & Law Journal, 1, 155. Retrieved from http://web. ebscohost. com. library. smu. ca:2048/ehost/detail? vid=3&hid=

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Research Paper

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas - Research Paper Example He later proceeded to Yale Law School where he helped establish the Black student Union while at the same time developing a conservative approach to issues. After his legal training, Thomas moved back to the South in 1974 where he worked as the assistant to the Attorney General of Missouri Mr. John Danforth before later on taking up the job of being a lawyer to Monsanto, an agricultural firm. In 1981, he was appointed the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the United States Department of Education majorly due to his past in the civil rights movement and to balance the composition of this important part of the US government. He is now a conservative and controversial judge though initially he had wanted to pursue a religious life having had seminary education stints at the St. John Vianney Minor Seminary and Immaculate Conception Seminary in order to become a catholic priest or cleric. He however left the seminary and decided to fight for civil rights after he overheard a fellow student at the seminary make fun of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jnr. In the year 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Thomas as the Chairman of the EEOC, a position in which he held til the year 1990 when President George H.W Bush nominated him to serve as a Judge in the U.S Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. On July 1, 1991, after sixteen months as a judge of appeal, he was nominated to fill the position left vacant by Mr. Marshall who was almost similar with his views on civil rights at the Supreme Court. However, his nomination was opposed by critics who attacked him due to his views that were largely deemed conservative for the highest court of the land while others had the view that he had little experience as a judge of the superior courts. At the confirmation hearings, Thomas decided to remain quiet on a number of issues including rights on abortion and faced a difficult moment explaining himself out about suggestions that he had made unwelc ome sexual comments on a colleague both at the Department of Education and at the EEOC. However, he was confirmed by the United States Senate through a vote of fifty-two votes for him against forty-eight who opposed him. Thomas’s views at the Supreme Court have been the interpretation of the United States constitution from the original meaning by following from a conservative point of view (Totenberg). He has argued that the powers of the federal government must be limited and the states empowered as well as having a strong executive branch within the federal government. Clarence Thomas’s Legal Career and the Supreme Court Thomas was admitted to the Missouri bar on the 13th day of September 1974 from where he practised as an assistant Attorney General of the State of Missouri under Attorney General Danforth whom he had met at the Yale Law School. At the AG’s office, he worked at the criminal appeals section before being assigned duties at the taxation and revenu e division. After the election of Danforth to the United States senate, Thomas joined Monsanto as an attorney before moving to Washington to work with his former colleague Danforth where he worked as a legislative attorney attached to the Senate Commerce Committee. Later on Dansforth played a key role in the confirmation and appointment of Thomas as a judge of the Supreme Court. After a one year stint as Assistant Secretary of Education for the Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education from 1981-1982, he became the Chairman of the United

Juvenile Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Juvenile Justice - Essay Example According to a report from the National Institute of Justice, â€Å"Research indicates that a relatively small group of serious juvenile offenders who are also serious drug users account for a disproportionate amount of all serious crimes committed by juveniles.† (Vanderwaal, et al. 1) This report shows that serious juvenile drug abusers are at a subsequently higher risk for the eventual commission of serious crimes. The fourth group of juvenile alcohol and drug users is the hard core user who is unable to function within society, and may present a much higher threat to society and themselves as a direct result. While the fourth group is extreme and may seem to be more severe type it would likely be the third group that would present the largest threat to society and the user themselves. The third grouping spends time and money that they may need to steal to obtain the drugs and is still able to function to a degree within society. By virtue of ability to function and extreme desire for the substances of choice this user would likely represent the greatest threat. Reference page: Vanderwaal, et al.,. "Breaking the Juvenile drug-crime cycle, a guide for practitioners and policymakers." National Institute of Justice (2001): 1. Web. 23 Apr 2011. http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/186156.pdf

Innovative business Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Innovative business - Research Proposal Example This research topic is important in motivating communities not to rely on normal day-to-day transactions but to stimulate specific innovation opportunities in the society. Creation of wealth from innovation in technology management encompasses a number of perspectives that include generation of revenues, profits, returns on investment, return on equity, and return on assets. Wealth creation may also constitute earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. In this project, I will study how wealth creation in these varied contexts depends on the intended needs to innovation and even government legislations and controls with regards to technology management. This is in consideration of the fact that revenues may have been generated and yet, on the other hand, loses having come to play considering the costs incurred. This research seeks to establish that net cash flow in managing technology remains the innovation basis of wealth creation. However, this can only be relevant in the long run, since positive cash flows may be generated in the short run and negative cash flows that offset the gains in the long run. Thus, for an innovation to be termed to have created wealth there must be positive real net cash flow in the long run, probably per year as the ideal financial period. Positive real net cash flow in this case entails products of revenues and profit margins being more than sum of investments and fixed costs. The research will engage cash flow estimation and tracking by individuals and organization that commit their energy, time, and resources to technology innovation. Cash flow tracking and estimation in this case includes buyer adoption of cash flow after introduction into the field for application. Once this has ascertained that there would surely be positive real net cash flow, the technology innovation

Interview II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Interview II - Essay Example As the partner portfolio grows the task becomes more demanding. During the last 16 years this job has turned my hair grey. A. I have developed a team of 20 people that assists me and their efficiency sustains my position in the company. I pride myself in building an effective team and have confidence in their abilities. I encourage and support them in their endeavours and they too respect me as their leader. I work late hours as well as on weekends and when needed they put in extra time as well. We complement each other in every way. This attitude is the reason of my success. A. I look up to my best friend and boss Dr. Yang who is both a friend and mentor. We have been together for 20 years now. He trusts my decisions and appreciates my sense of humour. He has contributed the most to make me a competent Leader that I am today and I respect him for this. A. My ethical challenge is to be a role model for my young son. I wish I could spend more time with him and my family. I do appreciate and place high value on their understanding and unflinching support for me and my work. He is a very frank person and outspoken in praise of his boss, co-workers and his family. He believes in hard work and in total commitment to his job. However his job does not leave him enough time for his family. Collaboration and mutual respect are the building blocks of eminent leadership. A successful leader is one who respects opinions, creates a collaborative environment, builds teams, appreciates and encourages subordinates and takes inspirations from friends and superiors. The Leader has to work hard to set an example for the followers and to build bridges and confidence between team members irrespective of their positions. This paves the way for a collaborative environment that fosters easy and open communications. For any organization communications, both within and beyond are necessary for smooth functioning and for realization of the corporate vision and

Causes of Vietnam War Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Causes of Vietnam War - Research Paper Example The aforementioned events included the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Berlin Blockade  from 1948 to 1949, the  Korean War that lasted for more than three years, the  Berlin Crisis in the year 1961, the  Vietnam War that continued for almost twenty five years, the  Cuban Missile Crisis, the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet forces  (1979–1989), and the  Able Archer  NATO exercises in November 1983† (Major Events of the Cold War n.d.)3. In the early 10th Century A.D, during the Tang Dynasty in ancient China, the dynasty’s economy and military’s gradient started to fall and over the time it weakened to such an extent that the Vietnamese population of the Red River Delta, an area invaded by the Chinese back in 100 BC, rebelled against their Chinese rulers and set up a traditional, native dynasty in the northern conurbation of Hanoi. Later in 1462, the emperor Le Loi got rid of all the remaining Chinese warlords in the region. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Mekong River delta got populated as the aforementioned Vietnamese population moved southwards. ... ld, as it was â€Å"close to the South China Sea and countries such as India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and southern China† (Meehan n.d.)4. Taking advantage of the vital geographically strategic position of Vietnam, the Portuguese made their entry into the country in the 16th century, followed by the French and the Dutch, however, after continuous fights over power and control, the French established Vietnam as their colony and gained control of the country. The French ruled Vietnam from the year 1887 to 1954. Vietnam was considered a major addition to the French Indochina Empire, however, the sixty seven year old rule of the French over Vietnam was considered as one of the harshest and the crudest times in the history. The French governance dripped of nepotism, discrimination – of all sorts and Vietnam was considered as a personal golden egg laying hen for the French, which was exploited for personal gains and benefits but was not paid back and credited, what it deserved. The production and sale of alcohol and salt was put under the statutory control of the government, which meant that it could not be sold or produced privately. This resulted in an economic outrage amongst the trader fraternity, which continued for years. Rice was exported from the French-owned plantations only, while many Vietnamese locals did not have enough to eat. The French imposed strict sanctions on the labor as well. The labor rights were violated and workers were imprisoned if they attempted at leaving their jobs. The majority of the laborers imprisoned were either mine workers or the ones who worked as farmers in the rubber plantations. Under the subject of economics, the government took no measures to control the inflation, yet multiplied the taxes. The

Bushfire risk in Maryborough in Victoria Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bushfire risk in Maryborough in Victoria - Essay Example Regardless of the positive influence of the fires on the country’s flora and fauna, the extent of the loss of lives and destruction of property in the country is unwarranted thus compelling the country to country to invest millions of dollars with the view of safeguarding the population. Among the most adversely affected states in the country is state of Victoria, which has had a long history of bushfire disasters. The most recent of such disasters in the state was the Black Saturday bushfires, which resulted in more than one hundred and seventy deaths (O’Brien, 2002). To prevent such unwarranted loss of human lives and property, the Victorian state government has instituted several agencies such as the Department of environment and primary industries and the county fire authority both of which work in collaboration to mitigate on such disasters in the future. To do this, the organizations carry out effective risk assessment thus inform their population appropriately wi th the view of preventing the loss of lives and property in case of such fires. Additionally, the authorities strive to curb the fires in case they break out before the result in extensive loss of the country’s flora. ... Risk assessment and planning involves the utilization of varying amount of resources depending on the nature and size of the underlying potential of the risk. Such develops the concept of acceptable risk, which refers to the risk that the community can only accommodate. The cost of implementing an effective countermeasure to such risks is always too great for the community to bear. Furthermore, vulnerability of the countermeasure always exceeds the expected loss, such compel the community to understand and tolerate the prevailing risks (Lerche & Glaesser, 2006). An effective assessment of the risk that the fires present to the local population in the state of Victoria has helped reduce the deaths and magnitude of property damage in the event of such fires. However, the assessment compels the analysis of such factors as the climatic condition and the nature of the vegetative cover in the state. With such, the state authorities can therefore manage the settlement of the people and cont rol the activities of the local communities with the view of reducing the activities that pose threats such as smoking and garbage burning among other uncontrolled fire during the dry months. Sensitization and preparedness helps minimize the destruction of the fires since the local population stay aware of the nature of the prevalence of the fires. Additionally, the state authorities are also therefore capable of carrying out specific measures that help minimize the risk. Risk assessment matrix and methodology The fires vary in size thus pose varying risks to the local community. The varying magnitudes of the risks thus validate the use of a risk matrix, which

Geology Coursework 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Geology Coursework 1 - Essay Example The most attractive landscape feature found in Los Angeles is the parking lot (cited in Ben-Joseph, 2012). Geographic data indicate that parking lots cover roughly one third of the land area in Los Angeles. Mainly built structures form the landscapes of Los Angeles. It is also found that certain types of rocks including igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks, and metamorphic rocks are some influencing elements of landscapes in Southern California. Natural changes to these rocks significantly influence the structure of the region’s landscapes. References Ben-Joseph, E. (2012). When a parking lot is so much more. The New York Times: The Opinion Pages. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/opinion/when-a-parking-lot-is-so-much-more.html?_r=1 Forman, Godron & Bertrand. (2003). Landscape ecology: Definition of a multidisciplinary approach. In. F. Burel & J. Baudry (Eds), Landscape Ecology: Concepts, Methods, and Applications. USA: Science Publishers. 4. Plate boundary can be s imply referred to a point where two or more plates meet. A plate boundary has altered the land in New Zealand. The plate boundary between Pacific and Australian Plates separates New Zealand territory (What on Earth, 2012). As per reports, throughout South Island, it is observed that both Pacific Plate and Australian Plate slide pass each other and this movement leads to a â€Å"slight obduction of the Pacific Plate over the Australian Plate† (Real Integrity Mall, 2012). Consequently, this sliding process resulted in the formation of Alpine Fault and Southern Alps. Similarly, in the Fiordland south region, the sliding process causes the subduction of the Australian Plate under the Pacific Plate and thereby the formation of Puysegur Trench (Real Integrity Mall, 2012). The plate boundary location has changed over time. It seems that such movements cause changes to earth’s geological structure and ultimately alter land in which the plate boundary is located. References Rea l Integrity Mall. (2012). Geology of New Zealand. Retrieved from http://mall-uk.realint.com/keyword/Geology+of+New+Zealand What on Earth. (2012). Plate tectonics, spreading ridges, triple junctions. Australian Plate. Retrieved from http://whatonearth.olehnielsen.dk/plates/australian.asp 5. Headland is a hard feature. As Nordstrom (2000) describes, a headland can be simply defined as a land point with higher altitude and extended shape into a body of water. Headlands are comprised of harder and highly resistant rock and inlets; and generally headlands are formed as a result of sea attacks on coast comprising of alternating bands of soft and hard rock (p. 108). Ultimately, this hard feature is shaped by erosion. Cape Canaveral situated in Florida is a well known example of headland. Cliff is a soft feature. As Jackman and Wren (2000) define, a cliff is simply a rough vertical rock exposure; and erosion and weathering processes lead to the formation of cliffs. Studies reveal that cliff s are structured as erosions landforms, due to rocks that are highly resistant to the processes of erosion and weathering. Sedimentary and igneous rocks are more likely to form features such as cliffs. Royal Gorge cliffs located in Colorado is an example of cliff. Reference Jackman, J & Wren, W. (2000). Developing Non-Fiction Skills. UK: Nelson Thornes. Nordstrom, K. F. (2000). Beaches and Dunes of Developed Coasts. USA: Cambridge University Press. 6. Generally, hot air

The Handmaids tale Essay Example for Free

The Handmaids tale Essay Moreover, Offred is constantly looking for a way out, as she is hopeful that there is a resistance fighting back. She refers to this in one of her many daydreams, where she hopes for her husband, who disappeared during the overtake: â€Å"He made contact with the others; there must be a resistance, a government in exile. Someone must be out there, taking care of things. I believe in the resistance, I believe there can be no light without shadow; or rather no shadow unless there is also light. † (Atwood 130) Though she does not know anything for certain, the thought of him, her husband, fighting back and the hope that she may one day join him and the others – combined with her rebellious actions gives Offred strength to move forward with her life. Very much also a non- conformist is Offred’s long lost friend Moira. Moira was also forced into the role of a Handmaid; though, after a short period of time she became lethargic and, through a faking an illness, snuck out of the household that she had been staying at and found herself at Jezebels (an illegal strip club). Moira found her drive in becoming her own person, very unique from the conformed people, especially women that the government created. She was a powerful female character who stood up for herself and did what she had to, to get her way: Moira had power now, shed been set loose, shed set herself loose. She was now a loose woman. (Atwood 167) Moira goes against all norms, breaks free from the conformity and overall, participates in illegal activity – all in order to look for resistance and show that she is not owned by anyone, officially, or not. These two women, Offred and Moira, do not follow the conformity placed upon them; instead, they fight back, and from there gain willpower to stay happy and to push forward into situations that have the potential to make a difference in society, not only for themselves but also for the people around them. Atwood’s portrayal of both conformists and non-conformists serves as a commentary of women’s role in society. By contrasting the two types of characters, Atwood demonstrates the differences women are able to make in society if they oppose the conformist pressures of the male dominated world. In the novel, as discussed earlier, both the aunts and the wives are conformists; Atwood does not even give them personal names – they are usually referred to as a whole, with no distinctive characteristics. These women are dismissed as little more than bystanders, as they do not make their own decisions or stand up for their beliefs; instead, they merely go along with what others tell them. Contrary to these women are Offred and Moira, the non-conformist characters. These women are not afraid to take charge and fight against what is being forced upon them as ‘right. ’ In their roles, Offred and Moira are making, or attempting to make, a difference in their society by standing up for their morals and opinions. This therefore makes them strong female characters. Ultimately, it is not clear whether or not Offred is successful in finding the resistance; but, unlike the women who conformed, Offred at least attempted to make changes in her life so that she could be happy. Atwood thus uses the contrast between the conformist and non-conformist characters to demonstrate the effects of following the rules and the effects of going against them. The Handmaid’s Tale serves as a commentary about the role of women in society and the chances that they have to make a difference. Atwood’s overall theme is that women need to stand up for themselves in order to be happy and be in control of their lives. Works Consulted: Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaids Tale. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1986. Print. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Margaret Atwood section.

Strategic Market At Coca Cola Company

Strategic Market At Coca Cola Company 1.0 Introduction and Background: Coca Cola Company is one of the leading manufacturers of sort drink in the whole World. Coca Cola was launched in May 1986 by Dr. John S. Pemberton in Atlanta Georgia. The name Coca Cola was suggested by Dr. Pembertons bookkeeper, frank Robinson. He reserved the name Coca Cola in the flowing script that is well-known today. The Coca Cola is most important manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, company in the World, which are used to produce nearly 500 beverage brands that make up for its wide portfolio. The market which I shall be investigating is the soft drink market in the UK, although I think its important that I consider the whole market including soft drinks and energy drinks. This is because soft drinks and Energy drinks are competing with other alcoholic mixer, (2008). This report will focus on a product part of this market and I have chosen the market leader for stimulant drinks, Coca Cola. I shall be examining marketing planning process, and its activities and justifications. Also, marketing environment is included, Internal audit, External audit, macro environment, and looking at the product with PESTLE, SWOT Analysis (Internal strengths and weaknesses). Furthermore, It Includes Porters five forces and Ansoffs Matrix, BCG Matrix and other tools and techniques. At the end, I have given three marketing options and recommended approach after these bibliography. 2.0 Strategic Marketing Planning Process: Strategic marketing is a process in which to develop a strategy to cope with competitors, identify market opportunities, develop and commercialize new products and services, allocate resources among marketing activities and design an appropriate organisational structure to ensure the performance desired is achieved. Corporate strategy is a process in which approach to future that involves examination of the current and anticipated factors associated with customers and competitors and the firm itself, aligning policies, practices, and resources to realize that vision, (2010). Planning and plans are two very different concepts. Planning refers to the process of developing a coherent plan, while the plan is the output from the process. A successful marketing campaign must incorporate strategic marketing planning. Strategic marketing planning is the process of researching a market and its environment to determine the target market. It involves determining what the target market wants and the types of messages that resonate with that audience. Marketing is one of the key elements in addition to other functions without which the company cannot get success. Therefore, marketing planning is a set of document in which details of action is given to achieve the objects set by the management for a period of one or up to five year. It could be based on selling of any kind of product. Its very important to have a very aggressive plan if you are not an introducer of new product and still you want to grab the market, (2010). 2.1 Marketing Planning Benefits: Marketing plan comes through a long process, it starts from a single department and ends up to management decision, plan must be always like easy to understand for management to approved it and realize the facts of market strategies for what they want from customer. Coca Cola always makes a attractive marketing plan which always looks different from others, for now this marketing plan which is very supportive for the organisation is just because it meets the need of customer in a very smart way like they introduced a new Cherry Coke flavour which is they want to be market the product by new style which a customer attract and also get some benefited for an organisation. If the plan is according to organisation and customer then it is easy to take decision for management. Plan should be compressed and productive for organization. Plan should be not so long time process and not to be very costly. Plan should be as per new techniques and 3D type as per new generation like Plan should be process after research Plan should be shows new market prices, long life and skill full. If the plan is according to companies favour so there is no any chance that it could be rejected. Always approach will be positive to make the plan competitive and advance. Coca Cola always looks in those matter which are highly skilled, attractive and sincere with the organisation, to gain the agreement for strategic plan for organization is a very important role for marketing department to extent their plans which are still are in favour of organisation and as before management like the approach to get always new marketing styles, the best approach for management is that to produced their best efforts to capture the market because now a days there are so many competitors in the market if they lack in the advertisement or promotion or introducing in new products then it could be easy for other competitors to overcome, (2010). Marketing Planning Process: There are ten stages of the Strategic Marketing Planning Process which are given bellow in tables. Table 1: The Marketing Planning Process Stages Description Stage 1 Mission Statement At this stage the board establish a long-term vision for the company. This entails communicating a memorable statement easily understood by employees and other key stakeholders. Stage 2 Corporate Objectives At Corporate Objectives the organisation setup the desired level of profitability, business boundaries, such as products/markets, facilities and size of labour force and other corporate objectives, such as social responsibility, corporate image, stock market image, employer image, etc. Stage 3 Marketing Audit Marketing Audit is a structured review of your current marketing activities. It is a systematic review of all the external and internal factors that have affected a companys commercial performance over a defined period. Stage 4 SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is a tool for auditing an organisation and its environment. It is the first stage of planning and helps marketers to focus on key issues. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal factors. Opportunities and threats are external factors. Stage 5 Assumptions At this stage assumptions are made on the basis of marketing audit and swot analysis. Marketing manager must keep in mind it should not too broad. Stage 6 Marketing Objectives and Strategies In this stage the objectives and strategies relate to the companies products/services and brands and to the markets you currently/ propose to operate in. Objectives are about deciding what you are offering (selling) and to whom. Strategies are about how you are going to achieve these things. Stage 7 Estimate Expected Results At this stage to employ judgement, analogous experience, field tests and so on. Also, to test out the feasibility of the objectives and strategies in terms of market share, costs, profits and so on. Stage 8 Identify Alternative Plans and Mixes In a strategic marketing plan, It is normally at this stage board identifies alternative plans and mixes are considered. Stage 9 Budget The budget is the process of documenting the expected costs of the proposed marketing plan. To justify all marketing expenditures from a zero base each year against the task that you wish to accomplish. In reality budgets are often incremental, that is, they are based on what was spent in the previous year. Stage 10 First Year Detailed Implementation Programme This may involve spending money on advertising, launching new products, interacting with potential new customers, opening new retail outlets etc. Its major function is to determine where the company is, where its wanted to go and how it can get there. It should be used as an aid to effective management, (McDonald 2006, p. 379-393). I have described all activities and justification in the Marketing Planning Process which are given bellow in table. Table 2: Activities and Justification in the Marketing Planning Process: Stage Activities Justification Stage 1 Mission Statement Board meetings Objectives discussion Target of the company Motivate employees and customers Lack of motivation and output It gives the direction to the company Stage 2 Corporate Objectives Financial forecast Provide long-term stability Profitability of the products Predict financial forecasting Overall company operations It gives review policies and desired level of profitability Stage 3 Marketing Audit Marketing environment objectives Perform STEEPLE Analysis Competition and Market share Competitive advantages Examine internal and external information and procedures Life cycles for major products and for market segments Policies and competitive advantages of other organisation Stage 4 SWOT Analysis Trend in the market Knowledge of the business Value added by competitors Setting objectives and strategies Data Collection Focusing internal and external key factors such as, internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats. A summary of reasons for good and bad performance Stage 5 Assumptions Government policies Economic data Major competitors Price competition It is made on planning environment Pick the right market and sell the right products It emphasises on success factors Stage 6 Marketing Objectives and Strategies Sales promotion objectives Marketing objectives Pricing objectives Advertising objectives Social responsibility Marketing objectives and Strategies are made on marketing plan Advertising, pricing and promotion service levels Highlight sales value, sales volume, percentage penetration of outlets Stage 7 Estimate Expected Results Employ judgment Analogous experience Field test Gap analysis on actual and desired results To test out the viability of market share At this level managers set the expected results Stage 8 Identify Alternative Plans and Mixes Motivate alternative strategies Promote mixes Manage the business Choose the best tactics Understand what market works and what doesnt work From alternative plans managers select best suitable plan Stage 9 Budget Advertising cost and expensive Zero base Emphasis on yearly marketing budget Spend their budget more efficiently and effectively Get smart about market every year they are in business Budget prepare by board of director and marketing managers. Stage 10 First Year Detailed Implementation Programme Customer plans Sales promotion plans Goals are divided into sub goals. Market plans (McDonald 2006, p. 379-393) Target their primary customer Focus on achieving specific objectives In sub goals include pricing plans product plans, promotional plans and market plans with objectives The External Market Audit and External Environment (Macro) Analysis: In this section of the report, I have used some data, of tools and techniques that are relevant to Coca Colas current situation relevant examples. External environment is important to marketing decision making. Initially, I have shown data on market share and growth of UKs soft drink markets. 3.1 External Audit: For scanning external audit and external (macro) environment of Coca Cola I have used Porters five forces. In this part of report to scanning soft drink position in the UKs soft drink market two tables are given. From the above table of UK soft drink market share in 2010, it is clear that Coca Cola is the market leader among competitors. Coca Cola hold 44% of soft drink market share whereas Pepsi is in the second position by holding only 23% (2010). From the above table we can see Coca Cola and Cadbury have the most significant growth rate by 1% in the last year and Pepsi and other drinks lose their share by -1%. Fruit Juice has only 0.04% growth in last year. For analysing external market in this part, I have given Porters (1985) five forces model which is given below: Barriers to Entry: It involves; Importance of economy of scale, for example, a new Coca Cola drinks. Challenging with established brands, for example, Coca Cola, Diet Coke. High upfront capital costs or legal requirements, for example, intellectual property protection, factories etc. UKs soft drink market is established by some well known brands, such as, Pepsi, Cadbury, Fruit juice etc. It is very difficult to enter in this market by other competitors. Coca Cola has a long history of heavy advertising and this has made it enormous amount of brand equity and loyal customers entire over the world. Substitutes: It contains; Large numbers of substitutes, for example, coffee, beer, juices, water etc are available in the market for customers but it is countered by brand equity, huge advertising, and making their product easily available for customers. Coca Cola expand its business in the UK by offering substitutes it selves to protect Coca Cola from competition. Its products and services can be easily substituted with another type of product and service such as public transport being used instead of private transport. Buyer Power: It consists of; Large amount of buyers, for example, Wal-Mart or Tesco. Undifferentiated brands and low switching costs. As there are many soft drinks in the UK, so the bargaining power of buyer is extremely very high. Buyers ability to walk away or get an alternative, if buyer does not satisfied with our products or services he can get an alternative products or services. Supplier Power: It includes; Supplier does not depend on one or a small amount of buyers. Supplier product is necessary to buyer. In the UK, soft drinks bargaining power of supplier is low, as the market size is large so suppliers always want to keep contracts by providing low price. A large number of buyers but a small number of suppliers. Most of the times raw materials needed to create concentrate are basic commodities, for example, colour, flavour, additives, sugar etc. Basically, these are the main commodities. Existing Competitors: It computes the degree of competition between existing competitors. Rivalry will be higher if; In the UK, there are a huge amount of similar sized companies, for example, Pepsi, Robina, Red bull etc. Competitors can lead to a dynamic periods of aggressive pricing and promotion in war for customers. Products and services are supposed as a commodity by consumers and resulting in low switching cost for consumers. 3.2 External (macro) Environment Analysis: PESTEL Analysis for external (macro) environment of Coca Cola. PESTEL Analysis undertaken to understand local, global factors influencing business and potential opportunity and threats. Here PESTEL analysis given bellow in a table: Table 1: PESTEL Analysis: Political Economical National Government Regulatory bodies Trade Associates Government Stability Newly Industrialised Employment Law Critical Global Market Important Political Events Market Structure Government Policy Taxation Interest Rates Personal Saving Rates Money Supply Inflation Disposal Income Social-Cultural Technological Population Demographics Culture Attitudes to Work and Leisure Current Issues Income Distribution Social Mobility Lifestyle Changes Level of Education Products Materials / Components Processes Distribution / Spending on Research Marketing/Administration Rates of Obsolescence New Discoveries / Developments / Product Innovations Legal Environmental Competition Law Health and Safety Employment Law National and World Legislation Trading Policies Regulatory Bodies Global Warming Environmental Issues Local and National Issues Current and Future Environmental Legislative Changes Recycling Considerations Source: http://www.slideshare.net/Jackieken/the-marketing-audit-download-ppt Political Factors: Coca Cola operates globally and their performance is influenced by the political stability and instability of these countries. There is currently political stability in the UK and Coca Cola business is flourishing, (2010). Economical Factors: High inflation in any of the counties will cause the price of Coca Cola to rise and consumption of Coca Cola may fall. The UK economy is recovering from recession and employment level is rising people will consume more Coca Cola products, (2010). Social Factors: Consumers in the different counties will have different taste and perception about Coca Cola. In the UK the brand is known for quality products and marketing it will be easier, (2010). Technological Factors: The present environment is technological driven and the need for dynamic development. Coca Cola has got experienced research and development (RD) team who find out new technologies to improve productivity, (2010). Legal Factors: The Coca Cola Company gets all the rights applicable in the nature of their business and every invention and product developments are always going into the copyright process, (2010). Environmental Factors: According to the data of the Coca Cola Company, all the services are strictly approved according to the environmental laws inflicted by the government, (2010). 3.3 Changes in the External (Macro) Environment: The Coca Cola Company has faced many changes in the external environment that have changed the management of the company. During the World War II, the Coca Cola was able to continue the position of the company, at the same time. The Coca Cola was able to enter fresh markets despite of the environment. The company turned out to be more aggressive through supplying free drinks for the GIs in the World War II. During this the corporation was able to hit two birds at one stone. First, because the carbonated drinks sent by the company, it became a loyal symbol by the United States soldiers in which guided to consumer loyalty. Second, the Coca Cola was able to get benefit of the situation and determined the product in newly occupied countries by the Helper forces and due to the company created plants in different locations in the whole World paving the method for its post war expansion. Another thing is that, the external environment is the change of flavour and believes of the consumers. In the mid-1980s where the Americans favoured the sweet flavour of the competitor product, the company made its complement but it turned into a commercial failure. Coca Cola changed its management strategy and restored the old formula, and just changed its name, such as, Coca Cola Classic. After that Coca Cola got its position again and it released latest versions of Coke that address the needs of these kinds of customers, These products are included by Diet Coke and Coca Cola Zero. According to Bool, (2008) companies, for example, Coca Cola is necessary to change due to trends that have a huge impact on its business; another trend is health and fitness. Many people are spending extra money on their health; In addition, Coca Cola launched its new products which are a calorie burning soft drinks, such as, Enviga, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, and Coke. Furthermore, Coca Cola is working together with the Swiss company Nestle. Coca Cola is contracting with innovation and change. For the duration of the Asian Financial Crisis, Coca Cola was also prompted to change its courses of management in that specific region. The responses and reactions of Coca Cola with the external environment are its internal changes. Organisational Change Management: This theory presents a general process for managing the change in the side of the people at an organisational level (Kotter, 1996). According to Hiatt and Creasey, the organisational change management is contains three stages, which are, preparing for change, managing change and reinforcing change. The theory of organisational change management was efficiently used by Coca Cola. Various managers in different branches of the World have operated organisational change management in order to address the matters that the Coca Cola faced. According to the current stage, the main emphasis of the Coca-Cola is to get the needs of their consumers with outstanding product developing and product distribution. Coca Colas change management is very weak since Coca Cola forecasted that there are a number of marketing challenges in the near future that they have to face. 3.4 Internal Audit (SWOT Analysis: Strengths and Weaknesses Analysis of Coca Cola): This part of report provides information about current and previous years profit and loss account data, market share data, performance graph which have indicated internal or operational strengths and weaknesses of current marketing strategy and BCG Matrix. Profit and loss account indicates operational excellence of current marketing strengths. We see a consistent growth in the profit margin. In 2009 profit after tax was 4,318 and in 2010 it became 7,415. It is increased by 3,097 million pounds in a year. Market share of UKs soft drinks: Analysing market share of UK soft drinks, it is clear that Coca Cola is the market leader by getting 44% of total market. The comparative positioning of Coca Colas market share with respect to other leading players in the market has been illustrated as follows, (2010). Performance Graph: Performance graph of Coca Cola and Pepsi over the last five years can be summarised with the help of growth in following key indicators, (2010). This graph clearly shows that Coca Cola in 2006, it was slight increase in profit margin but in 2007 it was slightly decrease. From 2008 to 2010 market growth of Coca Cola was increase year by year. Internal Strengths of Current Marketing Strategy: Coca-Cola has been an intricate part of American culture for over a century. The products image is laden with sentimentality, and this is an image many people have taken deeply to heart. Coca Cola is a very recognizable firm. Its products/brands are available everywhere in the World. Its popularity is one of greater strength is virtually incomparable. Coca Cola deals with huge amounts of money every year. Similarly, whole businesses they have had their ups and downs monetarily, but Coca Cola has done very well in this section and Coca Cola will go on to do well and make better than its competitors (Pepsi). The money they are earning, it is significantly better than most beverage companies (competitors), they use into their own company so that they can get well, (2010). Everybody is known very well Coca Cola in the World. Its image is displayed on hats, collectible memorabilia and t-shirts. There is no doubt, no beverage firm (competitor) compares to Coca Colas social popularity status. And this extremely recognizable branding is one of Coca-Colas greatest strengths, (2010). Even though, Coca Cola controls almost 44% of the whole drinks market, the changing health-consciousness attitude of the market could have a serious effect on Coca Cola. In addition, according to Bettman (1998), Coca-Colas bottling system is one of their greatest strengths. It allows them to conduct business on a global scale while at the same time maintain a local approach. The bottling companies are locally owned and managed by independent business people who are authorized to sell products of the Coca-Cola Company. Because, Coke does not have outright ownership of its bottling network, its main source of revenue is the sale of concentrate to its bottlers, (2010). Internal Weaknesses of Current Marketing Strategy: Coca Cola has many weaknesses; they need to be finished these weaknesses, if they want to increase the next level. Now a days, constant shift to health products, some products could probably lose customers. This fresh focus on weight and health might be a problem for the item that is labelled detrimental to your health, (2010). Coca-Cola has recently reported some declines in unit case volumes in Indonesia and Thailand due to reduced consumer purchasing power. According to an article in (Fortune magazine), in Japan, unit case sales fell 3% in the second quarter scary because of Japan produces around 5% of worldwide volume, it contributes three times as much to profits. Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Japan account for about 35% of Cokes volume and none of these markets are performing to expectation (Mclean, 1998). Word of mouth unluckily is something that is very difficult to control. Although, people would have their views, Coca Cola has to try to control their negative views. If bad views are extinguish to people who have yet to try Coca Cola products, after that could create lost of customers which shows why word of mouth is a weakness, (2010). Coca Cola produces many drinks, some are very popular such as, Coke, Diet Coke and Sprite but Coca Cola has approximately made 500 different types of brands, such as, carbonates, energy drinks, sports drinks, fruit juices, water etc. Most of them unknown and rarely seen for available purchase. These drinks do not mostly taste bad, but are rather a result of low profile or nonexistent advertising, (2010). As we know, health is a significant matter in 21st century. Coke have high level of sugar and caffeine content. Boston Consulting Group Matrix (BCG Matrix): The BCG matrix method is the theory to determine list of priorities that should be given in the product portfolio of a business unit. There are two dimensions should be analyzed in the implementation of this method; market share and market growth. There are four characters in this diagram represent four categories of products in companys portfolio, which are given bellow. Stars: It represents the products that have a high market growth and high market share. Products in this class usually need a fairly high cost in the process of development. For example, Coca Colas bottled water (Dasani). Question Marks: It represents the products that have a high market growth and low market share. In this category, products have the worst cash characteristics because they have high level of the demand but low returns because of their low market share. For example, Coca Colas energy drink brand (Full Throttle). Cash Cows: Cash cows represent the products that have low market growth and high market share. In this class products should have huge level of profits and cash generation. In order to achieve that result, company should keep their level of investment low because the market growth for these products also low. Such as, namesakes soft drink (Coca-Cola). Dogs: Dogs represent the products that have low market growth as well as market share. Products in this category will absorb a lot of cash but low level of returns because low provided market share and weak market growth. For example, sweetened juice drinks (Hi-C), (2010). Coca Cola would use income from Coke to invest their primarily in Dasani and Full Throttle, whereas, looking to sell off Hi-C to some private equity fund with huge amount of cash on its hands. It is able to standard product life cycle tends to have five stages which are given bellow. Development Introduction Growth Maturity Decline As a result, Coca-Cola is presently in the maturity stage, which is evidenced mainly by the fact that they have a large, loyal group of stable consumers. In addition, cost management, product differentiation and marketing contain more important as growth slows and market share becomes the key determinant of profitability. In international markets the product life cycle is in more of a growth trend Cokes advantage in this section is primarily due to its establishment strong branding and it is now able to use this part of stable profitability to support financially the domestic Cola Wars, (2010). 4.0 Ansoffs Matrix: This Matrix was developed by Igor Ansoff; it is one of the most well known frameworks for deciding upon strategies for growth. It is a tool that helps the company to decide their product and market growth strategy. It is determined by two scopes of option which are products and markets. It consists of market penetration, product development, market development and diversification. Market Penetration: Selling more of an existing product to an existing market. It is going deeper into a market, such as, coke and diet coke. Coca Cola in UK is doing market penetration through the selling its products to the business buyers and retailers who are huge multinational organizations like Tesco, Asda, McDonalds, Subway, KFC and many more. Market Development: Selling an existing product in a new market, for example, taking out various bottle sizes to attract different buyers. It is called market development. Many flavours of Coca Cola are not being sold in every shop, retailer market and other business buyers. Coca Cola can develop a new market if they introduce those flavours in their market. Product Development: Selling a new product to an existing market. It is called product development, such as, creating changes to a product, for example, a new flavour like Coca Cola Vanilla. Coca Cola Company can do product development by introducing the new flavours in UK which are not sold anywhere in the World by the Coca Cola company. Diversification: Selling a new product to a new market. This is called diversification. Coca Cola recognized the need for a new sports drink and introduced PowerAde. Coca Cola can produce new products, which are not manufactured by it before. Coca Cola is only dealing in beverages but it can also produce its own snacks item as the Pepsi is manufacturing Lays which are eaten with the beverages, (2010). New Marketing Strategy: In this section of report, I have discussed three marketing strategy options that the organisation ca