Strategic Choices for Coca Cola Company Research Paper

Strategic Choices for Coca Cola Company - Research Paper Example On the other hand, weaknesses of the company are negative publicity; health issues attached with the brand, some brands of the company are less popular, poor performance in North America and decline in cash from operating activities. Examination of the external environment demonstrates opportunities and treats of the company. Uncovered market, growing bottled water market, buy out competition and acquisition of the intense competition can be proves opportunities for the company. On the contrary, increasing health consciousness, increased competition from local and international players, legal issues, health ministries of various developing countries are imposing threats on the company (The Coca-Cola Company, 2011). In order to avail the maximum benefits of the strengths and opportunities, the company is advice to handle the threats and weaknesses very carefully. In this context, creation of competitive advantage is recommendable. When a firm has an edge over its competitors then it is said to have a competitive advantage. According Michael Porter, there are two types of competitive advantage viz cost advantage and differentiation strategy. Coca-cola achieved its competitive advantage by delivering same benefits as competitors but on lower cost i.e. cost leadership. However, both local and international competitors pull down its rates to the level of Coca-cola which ended its cost leadership. Then it came up with benefits that exceed those of competitors which are called differentiation strategy. This strategy worked in favor of the company as it positioned the company with distinctive taste in the market. It also added some snacks to its product line which again made its look different (Thinki ng made easy, 2009). The strategic choice of the company is based on the resource based view concept. This concept focuses on creation of competitive advantage by utilizing firm’s resources

Classical Realism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Classical Realism - Essay Example Classical realism may seem a realistic approach in international relations however; to implement the same may not be entirely possible. The changing dynamics of world politics, globalization may not allow nations to continue to dominate for longer period of time. Further, the influence of such forces may not allow complete independence to the States to design and execute their international relations strategies in the light of their own self-interest. Classical Realism is rooted in the belief that since desire for power is one of the characteristics of the flawed human nature therefore States also attempt to increase their capabilities to gain more power. As such for classical realists, the international politics is bad or evil because people making the foreign policies are often bad too. The very concept of classical realism therefore suggests that the self-interests of the nations are basically above any other moral obligations of any State. Classical realism also outlines the need for nation-states and indicates that they are motivated by the national interests. These national interests however, are disguised in the overall moral obligations of the States. Classical realists argue that at the international level, States are the major actors deciding on their own based upon overall costs and benefits. It is however, critical to understand that there is an inherent dichotomy within classical realism. Iadvocates that the domestic politics as well as affairs should be dealt in accordance.

Hamlet Literary Analysis Essay Example for Free

Hamlet Literary Analysis Essay Carl Jung is an expert in freudian theory but with a strong sense of the unconscious and its habit of revealing itself in symbolic form. His personality theory â€Å"The persona† is an archetype, or an organized principle based on things we see or do. Hamlet is an example of a person who is doing whatever it takes to accomplish what he thinks is right. Claudius gives a false impression that he uses to manipulate peoples opinions towards Hamlet. Through the physiological lens of Carl Jung, Hamlet comes off as insane trying to avenge his fathers death, while Claudius is the one trying to convince everyone hes mad, to take his rightful place as king. Hamlet displays false impressions by pretending to be mad. He does this in order to get attention from his mother, who does not believe him when he tries to explain to her what the ghost told him about Claudius. Hamlet in despair thought that his plans were pointless and did not know what to do without the support he needed from his mother. This shows the ego nature of Hamlet. Hamlet is young and focuses a great deal on his ego and worries about the trivialities of the persona displaying his false impressions. Hamet only false impression. Hamlet was deceitful, he would create spectacles in which people would misinterpret his actions for someone who might be insane. â€Å"To be or not to be, that is the question† (III, i, 56) This is the question Hamlet is contemplating throughout the book, to live, or to die. He struggles with the thought of suicide many times as a result of no one believing him. Pretending to be mad is the only way he can come up with to try to avenge his fathers death. This quote emphasizes Hamlets inner struggle to cope with two opposing thoughts in his mind, preserving his moral integrity or avenging his fathers death. It’s hard to say if Hamlet is ever really insane in the play. He struggles with life changing decisions that can potentially change many lives, which would be good reasoning for causing madness. There are many points where you might believe Hamlet himself doesn’t even know the difference between who he is and who is is pretending to be. In order to keep his crown on the throne of Denmark, Claudius manipulates events, peoples lives and relationships. He makes use of his power along with others loyalty and trust. We know Hamlets hatred towards Claudius, for marrying his mother and trying to steal his place as king. But Hamlet is the only one who believes this, everyone else isn’t aware of his intentions. It is clear that we are intended to see Claudius not as a murderous villain, but a multi-faceted villain: someone who cannot refrain from doing what he feels is right. He is morally weak, and content to trade his humanity for very little. Claudius shows a strong false impression, proved by Carl Jungs theory to be a â€Å"mask† used to present himself to the world. He’s trying to replace the King by taking everything that was his. â€Å"Though yet of Hamlet our dear brothers death The memory be green, and that it us befitted To bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom To be contracted in one brow of woe,Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature That we with wisest sorrow think on him,Together with remembrance of ourselves†(1.2. 1) Here Claudius is talking to his people about how they should be mourning Old King Hamlet’s death, but it would be wise for the whole kingdom to move on quickly. This is part of the â€Å"mask† he is wearing for the people, considering hes the one who killed the King in the first place. Carl Jungs theory proves itself to be true for both Hamlet and Claudius in the Play. His theory on the persona representing your public image is different, but apparent for both of them. For Hamlet, a false impression is apparent but for his gain only, He is pretending to be insane towards his mother because that the only way he feels he can get her attention. Claudius portrays a false impression towards all the people, because he is the only one that truly knows Hamlet is sane. His â€Å"mask† is to cover himself up for the Kings Murder. The truth comes out when its apparent He wants Hamlet killed. Jung states that at its worst, false impressions, can be mistaken, even by ourselves, for our true nature. This happens to Hamlet as he mistakes himself for many things he is not. â€Å"If one does not understand a person, one tends to regard him as a fool. † (Mysterium Coniunctionis). This relates to how everyone believes Hamlet is mad because they don’t understand what he saw and heard from his fathers ghost. Through the physiological lens of Carl Jung, Hamlet comes off as insane trying to avenge his fathers death and prove to his mother all he knows, while Claudius is the one trying to convince everyone hes mad, to take his rightful place as king.

Balance sheet ratio analysis

Balance sheet ratio analysis Balance Sheet Ratio Analysis Important Balance Sheet Ratios measure liquidity and solvency (a businesss ability to pay its bills as they come due) and leverage (the extent to which the business is dependent on creditors funding). They include the following ratios: Liquidity Ratios These ratios indicate the ease of turning assets into cash. They include the Current Ratio, Quick Ratio, and Working Capital. Current Ratios.The Current Ratio is one of the best known measures of financial strength. It is figured as shown below: Total Current Assets Current Ratio = ____________________ Total Current Liabilities The main question this ratio addresses is: Does your business have enough current assets to meet the payment schedule of its current debts with a margin of safety for possible losses in current assets, such as inventory shrinkage or collectable accounts? A generally acceptable current ratio is 2 to 1. But whether or not a specific ratio is satisfactory depends on the nature of the business and the characteristics of its current assets and liabilities. The minimum acceptable current ratio is obviously 1:1, but that relationship is usually playing it too close for comfort. If you decide your businesss current ratio is too low, you may be able to raise it by: Paying some debts. Increasing your current assets from loans or other borrowings with a maturity of more than one year. Converting non-current assets into current assets. Increasing your current assets from new equity contributions. Putting profits back into the business. Quick Ratios.The Quick Ratio is sometimes called the acid-test ratio and is one of the best measures of liquidity. It is figured as shown below: Cash + Government Securities + Receivables Quick Ratio = _________________________________________ Total Current Liabilities The Quick Ratio is a much more exacting measure than the Current Ratio. By excluding inventories, it concentrates on the really liquid assets, with value that is fairly certain. It helps answer the question: If all sales revenues should disappear, could my business meet its current obligations with the readily convertible `quick funds on hand? An acid-test of 1:1 is considered satisfactory unless the majority of your quick assets are in accounts receivable, and the pattern of accounts receivable collection lags behind the schedule for paying current liabilities. Working Capital.Working Capital is more a measure of cash flow than a ratio. The result of this calculation must be a positive number. It is calculated as shown below: Working Capital = Total Current Assets Total Current Liabilities Bankers look at Net Working Capital over time to determine a companys ability to weather financial crises. Loans are often tied to minimum working capital requirements. A general observation about these three Liquidity Ratios is that the higher they are the better, especially if you are relying to any significant extent on creditor money to finance assets. Leverage Ratio This Debt/Worth or Leverage Ratio indicates the extent to which the business is reliant on debt financing (creditor money versus owners equity): Total Liabilities Debt/Worth Ratio = _______________ Net Worth Generally, the higher this ratio, the more risky a creditor will perceive its exposure in your business, making it correspondingly harder to obtain credit. To financial ratio analysis Top Income Statement Ratio Analysis The following important State of Income Ratios measure profitability: Gross Margin Ratio This ratio is the percentage of sales dollars left after subtracting the cost of goods sold from net sales. It measures the percentage of sales dollars remaining (after obtaining or manufacturing the goods sold) available to pay the overhead expenses of the company. Comparison of your business ratios to those of similar businesses will reveal the relative strengths or weaknesses in your business. The Gross Margin Ratio is calculated as follows: Gross Profit Gross Margin Ratio = _______________ Net Sales (Gross Profit = Net Sales Cost of Goods Sold) Net Profit Margin Ratio This ratio is the percentage of sales dollars left after subtracting the Cost of Goods sold and all expenses, except income taxes. It provides a good opportunity to compare your companys return on sales with the performance of other companies in your industry. It is calculated before income tax because tax rates and tax liabilities vary from company to company for a wide variety of reasons, making comparisons after taxes much more difficult. The Net Profit Margin Ratio is calculated as follows: Net Profit Before Tax Net Profit Margin Ratio = _____________________ Net Sales Management Ratios Other important ratios, often referred to as Management Ratios, are also derived from Balance Sheet and Statement of Income information. Inventory Turnover Ratio This ratio reveals how well inventory is being managed. It is important because the more times inventory can be turned in a given operating cycle, the greater the profit. The Inventory Turnover Ratio is calculated as follows: Net Sales Inventory Turnover Ratio = ___________________________ Average Inventory at Cost Accounts Receivable Turnover Ratio This ratio indicates how well accounts receivable are being collected. If receivables are not collected reasonably in accordance with their terms, management should rethink its collection policy. If receivables are excessively slow in being converted to cash, liquidity could be severely impaired. The Accounts Receivable Turnover Ratio is calculated as follows: Net Credit Sales/Year __________________ = Daily Credit Sales 365 Days/Year Accounts Receivable Accounts Receivable Turnover (in days) = _________________________ Daily Credit Sales Return on Assets Ratio This measures how efficiently profits are being generated from the assets employed in the business when compared with the ratios of firms in a similar business. A low ratio in comparison with industry averages indicates an inefficient use of business assets. The Return on Assets Ratio is calculated as follows: Net Profit Before Tax Return on Assets = ________________________ Total Assets Return on Investment (ROI) Ratio. The ROI is perhaps the most important ratio of all. It is the percentage of return on funds invested in the business by its owners. In short, this ratio tells the owner whether or not all the effort put into the business has been worthwhile. If the ROI is less than the rate of return on an alternative, risk-free investment such as a bank savings account, the owner may be wiser to sell the company, put the money in such a savings instrument, and avoid the daily struggles of small business management. The ROI is calculated as follows: Net Profit before Tax Return on Investment = ____________________ Net Worth These Liquidity, Leverage, Profitability, and Management Ratios allow the business owner to identify trends in a business and to compare its progress with the performance of others through data published by various sources. The owner may thus determine the businesss relative strengths and weaknesses. Return on Equity(ROE,Return on average common equity,return on net worth,Return on ordinary shareholders funds) (requity) measures the rate of return on the ownership interest (shareholders equity) of the common stock owners. It measures a firms efficiency at generating profits from every unit of shareholders equity (also known as net assets or assets minus liabilities). ROE shows how well a company uses investment funds to generate earnings growth.

bruce almighty :: essays research papers

Bruce Almighty is Irresistible   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is a guilty pleasure one gets from watching characters we identify with struggle on screen, and we begin to think to ourselves that maybe our lives aren’t so bad after all. Such is the case in Bruce Almighty, a new release from Universal Pictures directed by Tom Shadyac. The movie is by no means sensational or groundbreaking, but it has an irresistible charm that draws in viewers in desperate need of a break from reality. The unfortunate protagonist (Jim Carrey) becomes convinced that God has abandoned him after he loses a coveted news anchor position to a slimy coworker. God (Morgan Freeman) grants Bruce his heavenly powers and challenges him to do a better job, pointing out that â€Å"†¦Gandhi only lasted a week!†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Predictably, events spin out of control as Bruce is overwhelmed by prayers (received in the form of e-mails), and he manages to lose the only woman who had ever truly cared for him. It’s easy to wonder what caring and compassionate Jane sees in the somewhat narcissistic and negative Bruce, but Jennifer Aniston pulls off the role beautifully, with an ease that assures her movie career will continue to thrive. Of course, Carrey provides the life force of the movie, and it is his inimitable physical humor and impeccable comedic timing which save a script bordering on cheesy and overdone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most satisfying of all is watching Bruce’s conversion from a self-absorbed man suffering from a middle age crisis to a considerate human being aware of other people’s emotions. As God he initially grants all wishes, and pandemonium breaks out, as the real God explains that humans usually don’t know what will truly make them happy.

The Price of Gasoline Essay -- essays research papers

The Price of Gasoline   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What you are paying for when you buy a gallon of gasoline? Most people complain about the high cost of gasoline, but few understand how the price is calculated. Many people think this cost is for gasoline only, but many other factors determine what you pay at the pumps.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gasoline is a mixture of the lighter liquid hydrocarbons, and used chiefly as a fuel for internal-combustion engines â€Å"Microsoft Encarta,† 2005). Crude oil accounts for nearly 17 percent of the energy consumed in the United States. Gasoline is one of the main products developed from crude oil in the United States. The primary use for gasoline is in automobiles and light trucks. Fuel produced all year round, and is delivered from oil refineries through pipelines to a massive distribution chain serving 167,000 retail stations throughout the United States (â€Å"EIA Brochures†, 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The prices paid by consumers at the pump reflect the cost to produce and deliver gasoline to consumers. Included is the cost of crude oil to refiners, refinery- processing costs, marketing and distribution costs, and finally the retail station costs and taxes. Approximately 27 percent of the cost of a gallon of gasoline is federal, state, and local taxes. Another 14 percent is a combination of distribution, marketing, and retail dealer costs and profits. Refining costs and profits account for about 15 percent of the retail price of gasoline. This part varies from region to region due to the different formulations required in different parts of the country (â€Å"EIA Brochures†, 2004) .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The average retail price for gasoline tends to be higher in certain States or regions than in others. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), other factors contribute to regional and local differences in gasoline prices aside from taxes. Special gasolines are required in some areas of the country. Environmental programs, aimed at reducing carbon monoxide, smog, and air toxins, require oxygenated reformulated, and low-volatility (evaporates more slowly) gasoline, which comes at a much higher price (â€Å"EIA Brochures†, 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The proximity of refineries to crude oil supplies can be a factor, as well as shipping costs from the refinery to market. In addition, the areas farthest from the Gulf Coast are the source of nearly half of the gasoline produced in the United States, and th... ...ors that go into that price. Whether it’s the taxes charged by federal state, and/or local government, the amount of competition in the region, the region’s proximity to a reliable gasoline supply or even emissions regulations. The price of the fuel we buy is carefully calculated and is subject to many variables. Informed consumers should understand these factors, and keep them in mind each time they fill their tanks.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reference California Energy Commission, Media and public communications office, (1994-2008), page updated 03/17/2007 Retrieved 05/19/2007 from http:///www.energy.ca.gov/gasoline_q- and-a.html Energy Information Administration, (2003) California gasoline price study: preliminary findings, Retrieved 5/04/2007 from Http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/feature_articles/2003/cagasoline/cagasoline.pdf Specialized Information Services, A primer on gasoline prices, publication number DOE/EIA-X040, (released June 2007), Retrieved 5/04/2007 from Http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/brochure/oil_gas/primer/primer.htm Speir, Robert A, Investigation into the current run-up in gasoline, (2004-2008) Retrieved 5/18/2007 from Http://www.iic-inc.com/curr.shtml

Electronical Devices for Books Essay

Imagine if electronic devices replaced books and papers. Imagine being able to have all of your school supplies at the tips of your fingers. Life would be so much easier for students, and even the teachers. Technological devices should replace traditional books and papers because it provides more resources, keeps everything organized, and make the students backpacks lighter. Electrical devices are better because they provide more resources. It gives more resources because they can go to the internet and find what you are looking for faster. A student can easily look up more information for a person they are doing a biography on. Plus instead of writing down a website address, they can just go straight to the link. Also, the internet can give a person more information than a book can give. For example; a book may give a person just a page over a person, but online, the student can get pages over that person. A person can get multiple opinions to see if they are getting the right information. The electronic devices such as laptops can keep everything neat and organized. It keeps students more organized because instead of having all of these papers, you have virtual folders that a student can put documents in, PDF files, and power points. They can look at all of their documents that they saved and print them to give to teachers as hard copies. Plus a student can put work on a flash drive and save them and use it for extra storage too. A student can easily access your homework by clicking on a folder. Using technological devices will make the students backpacks lighter because they won’t have to carry around a bunch of books and folders with a bunch of paper stuffed inside of it. These devices save room in the student’s backpacks. Students always complain about their shoulders and backs hurting because of how heavy their bags are. So why not give their shoulders and backs a break and use electronic devices and just give them a try. It would also save the schools and parents a lot of money by not having to buy textbooks every year for their children. To conclude, why should technological devices replace traditional books and paper? They should replace them because they provide more resources, keeps students more organized, and takes weight off of student’s backpacks. Does anyone else agree? Students want all of these things to make their school life a whole lot easier and more fun. Prev Page