Costs of Production at San Juan Cell Phones

Costs of production at San Juan Cell Phones This is clearly a challenge for Lisa. If Lisa decides to take the order she will have the opportunity to run the factory to capacity over the next three months and fulfill a Company Value by keeping employees working, in addition, she will have a bonus check on her pocket. This will be the optimal decision if the factory had excess capacity of 100,000 and Big Box asking price remains $20 per unit. Let’s say Lisa decides to use the Beta Model Line to make the additional 30,000 units, since we are short on information let’s assume that because of the production line change the factory will be 30,000 short on Beta Models. Based on table 1 (Unit Profitability Report) and if units are sold accordingly then San Juan Cell Phones will generate a profit of $90,000 by manufacturing and selling the Alpha model vs. 240,000 profit generated by manufacturing and selling the Beta model. San Juan Cell Phones will risk $150,000 in profit with the production line change alternative. If the company decides to honor the asking price then San Juan Cell Phones will generate losses. If phones are sold at $15 each and variable cost per unit remains same based on table 1 (Unit Profitability Report) then the company will lose $2 per unit making it a $200,000 or a $140,000 deficit. Variable cost will have to decrease $2+ in order to gain some profit. Another alternative will be to hire the OEM to manufacture the entire order. This alternative will be the most profitable one with a $100,000 profit gain without literary doing anything. Mrs. Norman needs to realize that gains may not be always in the shape of money and that she needs to comply with company values in order to maintain integrity which is very important in business today. It is clear that a deal with a major chain like Big Box will bring a good advertisement for the company which eventually will bring more buyers and that will bring more profit to the company, so no matter what happens the company will benefit from this order if production is handled correctly. Keeping that in mind, ordering the OEM to manufacture the entire order is the most attractive option in terms of money but will not run the factory at capacity and will not keep the employees working which is one of the company’s values. In my opinion there is a happy medium to the situation that could bring some profit will keep the employees working and will comply with the order in time. Dividing the production between San Juan Cell Phones and the OEM will fulfilled most of Mrs. Norman needs. Buy hiring the OEM to manufacture 2/3 of the order will make it even with profit of the OEM deal paying for the losses made by producing the Alpha models within the company’s facility and selling it at the requested price ($14). Since profits were good and cost control met standards this will be an alternative to Lisa because production will increase 33,334 units decreasing the excess capacity to 36,667. In other words factory will be producing closer to its capacity, will keep employees working and will provide the costumers a quality product on time. If Lisa wants to gain profit from the deal then she needs to decide how many more units the OEM needs to manufacture with little impact on factory productivity, employment and of course her bonus.

Beowulf: a Heroic-Elegiac Poem

Beowulf: A Heroic Elegiac Poem Beowulf is definitely a heroic-elegiac poem. Beowulf was a hero to many. He exhibited, the traits of a â€Å"good king†. He was a warrior with extraordinary abilities which made him seem superhuman. He was selfless choosing to protect the masses rather than himself. This was an act of generosity, as well as, great loyalty. There are many references in the poem to the ancestors of both Beowulf and Hrothgar. They are referred to with reverence regardless to whether they were good or bad. The references are made as lessons to the present and future kings and queens.As a heroic-elegiac poem, Beowulf begins with an example of a bad king to contrast him with a good king. Shield Sheafson who was not a good king because he demanded that clans far and wide pay homage to him. He destroyed mead halls and rampaged through the countryside. He was selfish and cruel. His heir, Beow, would be the antithesis of his father. He would be a blessing to the Danes. Beo w would be known for his generosity which garnered him loyal followers. Beow was the grandfather of Hrothgar. Hrothgar was loyal, courageous, generous and protective of his kingdom.Hrothgar was a good king like his father and grandfather before him. He would decide to build a mead hall where he could share his treasures and good fortune with his people, a place where they could feast and rejoice. These events described here prove that, in fact, Beowulf is a heroic poem. The mead hall, Heorot, would only be a safe haven for a short while. The hall would come under attack. Grendel, a monster, would be annoyed by the sounds of gaiety day in and day out. Grendel would begin to terrorize the hall murdering many before the would be abandoned due to fear. Hrothgar kingdom was gripped in terror.Beowulf heard of Hrothgar’s plight and decided he needed his help. Beowulf was known to have the strength of thirty men in each arm. He would travel to Hrothgar’s kingdom to volunteer t o be their defender against Grendel. He demonstrated selflessness, courage and generosity for the people of another land. All these are attributes of a good king and hero as shown in the poem. The transitory state of human relationships is shown in the repeated conquests of Beowulf. Beowulf killed Grendel and then he would have to kill Grendel’s mother who was seeking revenge for her child’s death.He was rewarded many times over by Hrothgar and he shared his good fortune with his men. Hrothgar offered him the throne. Beowulf declined in deference to the rightful heirs. Beowulf, eventually, becomes the king of the Geats. â€Å"He ruled (it) well for fifty winters, grew old and wise as warden of the land. † He is tested for a final time. His kingdom is threatened by a dragon. Beowulf challenges the dragon alone and he is mortally wounded. Wiglaf was the only warrior to remain by his side. Wiglaf stated, â€Å"Anyone ready to admit the truth will surely realize th at the lord of men who showered you with gifts and gave you he armor you are standing in—when he would distribute helmets and mail-shirts to men on the mead-benches, a prince treating his thanes in the hall to the best he could find, far or near—was throwing weapons uselessly away. It would be a sad waste when the war broke out. Beowulf had little cause to brag about his armed guard; yet God who ordains who wins or loses allowed him to strike with his own blade when bravery was needed. There was little I could do to protect his life in the heat of the fray, but I found new strength welling up when I went to help him.Then my sword connected and the deadly assaults of our foe grew weaker, the fire coursed less strongly from his head. But when the worst happened too few rallied around the prince. So it is good-bye now to all you know and love on your home ground, the open-handedness, the giving of war- swords. Every one of you with freehold of land, our whole nation, will be dispossessed, once princes from beyond get tidings of how you turned and fled and disgraced yourselves. A warrior will sooner die than live a life of shame. † This excerpt from the poem shows the transitory state of human relationships proving Beowulf is an elegiac poem.

Case Study 2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Case Study 2 - Research Paper Example This part of the strategy is in keeping with low cost merchandise. Costco also only purchases certain sizes, colors, and fast moving inventory. This part of the design is to avoid keeping inventory that customers will not be interested in buying. In doing this inventory will always be moving out of the door and thus the company will always have a high inventory turnover. Not only is Costco specific in terms of choosing the characteristics of the products but Costco actually keeps a small amount of products on hand in order to avoid an inefficient number of products that are slow-moving or become unable to move. One part of the model that is concerning is that there is a lack of serious competitors in the membership warehouse business. I would be concerned with the possible effect of new competition and the growth of current firms like Sam's Club and BJ's Wholesale. Another concern I would have with Costco is the large holding of the land and warehouses. Certainly this could be though t of as a benefit for the company but with the recent drop in real estate prices the value of the property could fall and thus be less able to sell in the future with 150,000 sq. ft. warehouses on the land. On the other hand the land is purchased on low priced land, not necessarily in high traffic areas which would be a positive if the real estate price dropped, since it would be less likely to drop significantly. This is a a great business model because not only is the company able to sell a high amount of inventory in a short amount of time, but Costco is also able to finance inventory purchases through their vendors, thus avoiding long term debt. This allows them to pass on the discounts to the customer which in turn causes the volume and higher revenue. 2. What are the chief elements of Costco’s strategy? How good is the strategy? Volume Purchasing is one of the main elements of Costco's strategy. By purchasing in large amounts Costco is able to realize discounted prices from vendors. Not only that, due to discount pricing Costco is able to sell all of the merchandise before payment is due. By doing this Costco can realize their profit before paying for merchandise while avoiding the need for financing. The Costco vendors are actually financing the sale of the merchandise which is the advantage of this strategy. Treasure-hunt merchandising which is a Costco phenomenon where Costco purchasing agents search for deals that the Costco members would find desirable and stock the shelves with this product that will sell out quickly. The merchandise is purchased from wholesalers and retailers who are struggling and need to move old inventory. The inventory comes in deeply discounted even though the products are brand name products. By selling this deeply discounted merchandise Costco is able to lure in customers who love brand name products. Not only will customers purchase this merchandise but members will most likely be on the look out for such deals thus increasing the likelihood of a quick sale of the merchandise. Costco's business strategy also calls for less marketing through expensive channels such as television and radio. Instead Costco utilizes direct marketing which is not only less expensive but also very personal. The company opens up a store and directly calls companies, individuals and employee's in big

Grover Cleveland's Illegitimate Child Scanal Essay

Grover Cleveland's Illegitimate Child Scanal - Essay Example Hunter was a film-making staffer in his office. A comparison between the handling of the Cleveland’s case and the latter two cases reveals the significant transformation of America from a classical society that attempted to suppress such scandals to an open one in which guilty perpetrators are willing to admit their past mistakes publicly and show a sense of responsibility. This paper explores the impacts Cleveland’s illegitimate child scandal and the public response to such cases. Challenges of fighting sex scandals The US is better off in terms of surviving such scandals among political leaders (Wiid, Pitt and Engstrom 138). This is partly because the women, particularly those whose husbands have been caught up in these lies, are living testimonies of the historical female abuse in marriage relationships. In light of the long-standing challenges facing women, most of them tend to see child scandals as normal. As such, the problem has become so widespread among the pol itical elite that surviving them is relatively easy; especially once the media has directed extensive media coverage to other important issues affecting the society (Feschuk 85). Chotiner (5) has pointed out that prominent politicians have been at the forefront of these scandals, people who command huge following and admiration from the public. In light of this, these scandals have been misconstrued to mean private life events that have very little, if any bearing on the quality of services that the public is entitled to. This lack of concern on the part of the American public not only shows hypocrisy, it has resulted in repeated cases of child scandals by key leaders in the country (Berinsky et al 177). The repetitiveness of such cases affecting elected leaders has earned them some level of acceptance within the public domain, since forcing such leaders out of office has not been as easy as handling the conduct of the bureaucracy within government circles. Part of the issues that h ave aggravated such scandals by making the American public have a less serious approach to weeding out the perpetrators from public service is the effectiveness of some of the individuals in discharging their mandate (Chotiner 6). Most Americans would rather have an honest, apologetic political leader whose name has been tarnished by a child scandal, with an exemplary performance record to remain in office for the rest of his or her term than spend more time and resources replacing him. America survived Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, partly on this reasoning (Greenberg 52). Barring guilty would-be leaders from office Despite the virtual failure to bring all pre-existing holders of political offices to book over sex and illegitimate child scandals, most of the guilty would-be leaders have been successfully barred from holding public office. Senator John Edwards was a potential candidate for the vice-President of the United States five years ago, but was forced to abandon the race (Wiid, P itt, and Engstrom 141).  The leader’s ‘love child’ affair dented his image and leadership qualities when he misled his wife, and the country about the issue. Former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford was forced to call it quits in 2011 over a similar scandal.  His vocations in Argentina, it later emerged, were a scandal in which he admitted to using public funds to entertain his mistress. However, he has

Communication Skills for Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication Skills for Managers - Essay Example Managers should adopt a business environment that supports high employee productivity. Communication skills of managers should be effective in addressing the different demands of the employees and achieving the objectives of the business. Proper communication skills used by managers are critical in retaining employees. Business managers should consider the effective use of the different levels of communication. Communication channels at the workplace should encourage a nationwide forum in which all employees engage. Departmental communication is equally valuable in any business. Team communication is vital to ensure an inclusive teamwork. Communication at the lowest level involving individuals is equally valuable. A vital role of management is to ensure employee satisfaction. According to studies, employee dissatisfaction is an innermost factor that can be the cause underperformance at the workplace. Business goals are unattainable when there is a high level of employee dissatisfacti on and underperformance. Poor communication strategies adopted by managers have diverse impacts on the operations at the workplace. The implications of increased employee turnover can be massive when there is ineffective communication at the workplace. ... The business may make serious losses and fail to meet its goals. Poor service provision by employees to business customers may be a cause of a high rate of product defects. High defect rates of products also leads to serious business losses. Communication in the workplace is necessary in updating employees on the business goals. Communication is also central in passing informing to employees on the possible adjustments in the programs of the organization. Such adjustments are invaluable in attaining the business' set goals. Any lack of focus on the business objectives, by employees, can affect the business to a vast level. Communication, therefore, is instrumental in ensuring that employees are at par with the business objectives and make necessary adjustments. Innovation is central in achieving the objectives and successful operation of every business. Businesses are most likely to have stifled innovation when communication is poor, ineffective and uncoordinated. With little innovat ion, the business attracts low competitive advantage in the market. The emergence of market trends necessitates the adoption proper communication skills to drive diverse success factors in the management of every business. Organizational behavior has an extensive contribution in the achievement of workplace success. This depends on the extent of communication that managers invest in, at the workplace. The success of every business must encompass all aspects including effective communication. Internal communication involves the exchange of information within the organization (Kaul 7). It occurs between the business management and organization’s employees. External communication involves the exchange of

Antibiotic Resistance in Anaerobic Bacteria Essay - 1

Antibiotic Resistance in Anaerobic Bacteria - Essay Example Then there is the danger that the ignorant man may easily underdose himself and by exposing his microbes to non†lethal quantities of the drug make them resistant. Here is a hypothetical illustration. Mr. X. has a sore throat. He buys some penicillin and gives himself, not enough to kill the streptococci but enough to educate them to resist penicillin. He then infects his wife. Mrs. X gets pneumonia and is treated with penicillin. As the streptococci are now resistant to penicillin the treatment fails. Mrs. X dies. Who is primarily responsible for Mrs. X’s death?† (Fleming, p88). It is not only the irrational use of the drugs that cause antibiotic resistance but there are reports of the naturally occurring resistance. According to an experiment conducted by Joshua and Esther Lederberg in 1952, penicillin-resistant strains of bacteria developed much more before the start of penicillin in medicinal practices. Joshua Lederberg and his student Zinder also demonstrated t he pre-existence of Streptomycin resistance strains (Nelson, p 294). The major antibiotic-resistant pathogen associated with nosocomial infection is Staphylococcus aureus. It was one of the earlier organisms to develop penicillin resistance. Methicilin was then used against the resistant strains but in the year 1961MRSA (Methycillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) was detected in Britain. It was reported that there was an increase in the number of fatal cases of sepsis from 4% in 1991 to 37% in 1999 in the UK due to MRSA. By the 1980s MRSA had spread and become quite common in US hospitals and along with resistance to Methicillin. There was a steady increase in oxacillin (Methycillin) resistant S. aureus in U.S. hospitals in the year 1997 which increased to 26.2%. ( Pfaller et al,p1886). Most of these Staphylococcus aureus also showed resistance to tetracycline and erythromycin.

The Intranet Technology Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Intranet Technology - Case Study Example He focused on the four major points of IT responsibilities: Keeping these points in mind, Mr Goody gave me a comprehensive view on the various applications that were being currently used in the bank and the optimization methods required to develop the business functioning and achieve faster deadlines. The main application that Mr Goody explained needed improvement was the Intranet website that had to be made more efficient and user friendly. - Conventional format: The Intranet website of the bank, as I saw it, was just a lot of text information about the bank from the web developers. It looked very conventional with some introduction about the bank along with some highlights on the main page. The other web pages were organized department wise such as IT, Wholesale banking, Consumer Banking, Human Resource, Transaction Banking, CEO , all displaying their latest achievements, current affairs and future plans in their respective pages. - Distributed information: The information on the website was not properly centralized and composed, for e.g. Every department website had their training and elearning documents displayed on their respective pages but instead, these documents should have been organized under one banner "Training" or "E learning" so that it would be easier to access to any kind of training material. - Restricting User right: The web developer was only responsible for any website text addition, modification and deletion which had both its positive and negative aspects. Positively, the website would be safe and secure without allowing any user to add some malicious content that could compromise the intranet thus threatening the network. Negatively, the users cannot publish any of their informative and important documents, so which has to be done only through the web developer. But then a lot of times we need to make changes in our documents and due to the restricted rights, publishing those changes cannot be done time to time. - Unimpressive design: The feedback from the bank employees indicated that a lot of flashy images of the bank logo and improper navigation tools made the website quite unattractive and boring for the users to bother visiting. A company website can convey its Hamid, 3 message strongly if the website has organized information and more navigation bars which can allow the users to visit the website more frequently and participate in the bank online activities. Solution Proposed: Understanding the requirements of the bank's intranet needs, I knew that I had to propose a solution that can not only help in centralizing the information but also allow the employees to interact with each other on a common platform for business needs. Microsoft Share point server 2003 application is a reliable, scalable and easy to deploy platform, designed to organize the distributed data from various sources and provide a common portal for the users to interact and share tasks. Following are the main

Companies domestic enviroment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Companies domestic enviroment - Research Paper Example This company specialises in extracting crude oil, process it as well as selling the end products. Bp is headquartered in Houston America and it has been in the energy business for more than 100 years given that it started its operation in 1889. The domestic environment of America has a bearing on the operations of the company as a whole. According to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (2011), there are certain considerations that have to be taken into consideration by the energy companies to ensure that they do not violate the set standards of operation. For instance, protection of the environment is given priority in America and there is a legislation called Clean Air Act which guides the operations of this particular industry. As such, it can be noted that this organisation has to adhere to the government stipulations with regards to standard operations. The government of America has a bearing on the operations of this particular organisation since it sets the standard regulations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is another regulatory body which monitors the operations of organisations that are involved in the energy business. If the safety and environmental regulations are violated, the respective company is fined large sums of money. The attribute they are list admired for is related to safety and environmental concerns. Bp is seen as one of the biggest polluters in America and this has impacted on its operations. In as much as safety and risk management are concerned, this organisation is poorly rated in these areas which is why it is least admired by people. Research has shown that Bp has a poor record of occupational safety and risk management. For instance, eleven people lost their lives following the incidence of the oil spill in the Gulf Coast (Bp, 2011). This can be attributed to the absence of safety and risk management plans in its operations. The company has a record of incidences where lives of people were lost

Implications of an Intelligence Success or Failure Assignment

Implications of an Intelligence Success or Failure - Assignment Example If we go by the memory lane, we find noticeable success of USA. Few of them are end of Cold War era, Soviet collapse, Gulf War, overthrown unpopular regimes in Iraq, Egypt and Libya, targeting and netting most wanted terrorist of the world including Osama Bin Laden besides tracking down Lockerbie shooters from Libyan territory (Zegart, 2005). Intervention of American CIA in Chile The role of American Intelligence Agencies from intervention to overthrown of hostile governments are not hidden from any one. Americans do not compromise at the cost of American interest, be it Chile or any other country of the globe. How the Chilean people forgot the American intervention in their country during the Presidency of Mr. Ford. The intervention came in the month of September 1974, apparently to keep intact freedom of print and electronic media besides protection of democratic rights of the political parties in the best interest of the American and the Chilean people ("Senate select intelligence ," 1976). Later on, the Senate committee justified the cited direct action of the American Intelligence Agency in which an elected government of Marxist President Salvador was toppled. The intrusion of CIA lasted more than a decade in Chile, costing around USD 13million to the exchequer of USA ("Senate select intelligence," 1976). Impact of Success of Intelligence Agencies of USA The success of intelligence agencies of USA in different parts of the world makes the United States of America an apex power of the World. Political abuses of American FBI The historical perspective of political abuse of FBI is multidimensional. The first one is the subservience of President and its associates, ready... Implications of an Intelligence Success or Failure Its information relates to enemy would be of great help to locate the enemy and to decide which tactics and weapons when properly uses, would be instrumental in winning war against the enemy in an specific area (Richelson, 1995). The intelligence agency shoulders three sorts of intelligence task. As a first step, it is to gather material information for assessment. The second step is to examine the enemy’s capabilities, nefarious designs against the country. Accordingly take measures to respond internal and external threats. The third step of this process requires production and dissemination.  On the basis of gathered information and analysis, the cited agency enables to compose finished intelligence reports for the perusal of military and civilian incumbents.   The primary responsibility of an intelligence officer is to make decision and to take action accordingly. Intelligence officers have to work closely with the policy makers and armed forces to get the job done in a n effective way (Richelson, 1995). Discussion Success of USA Intelligence Soon after the Second World War, the then President of USA Mr. Truman specifically focused on Defense and Intelligence Agencies to enhance its capabilities to combat with the increasing menace of Communism and the survival of free civilization ("Senate select intelligence," 1976). The success and failures of American Intelligence Agencies are crystal clear. Their latest move to find out Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan proved successful. This has endorsed the efficiencies of its spy agencies.

Fat is a Feminist Issue Essay Example for Free

Fat is a Feminist Issue Essay Susie Orbach writes about the reality that many women face with problems of obesity, overweight, social roles, and sex-stereotypes in the US. In â€Å"Fat is a Feminist Issue† the author writes in extend to the main problem that women face with overweight in America, how it has become a serious issue in the topic of obesity, and the typical â€Å"sex-role stereotypes† differences that exist today (449). Manipulated by media ads and the pressure on women to pursue the ideal physical and beauty appearance, Orbach claims that women have been the target of a â€Å"ten billion dollar industry waits to remold bodies to the latest fashion† year after year (451-52). In addition to this, Orbach gives us some background history on fashion and how media ads affected the thinking of those young ladies who lived in the 60’s and 70’s, where television started to be a mainstream along with magazines and radio. Orbach writes that in the 60’s, there were only three ways to â€Å"feel acceptable† within one’s society: to be skinny, flat chested and straight hair (451). By the 70’s the fashion was the opposite. Clearly, this statement clarifies the historical example of the classic American culture, slammed by media ads in which women are bombarded with new fashion styles and new trends every year. The fact of the matter is that Orbach claims that being fat is a â€Å"culturally defined experience of womanhood† (449), however, she calls society to make a change in this issue in which women are constantly fighting a never ending war of overweight and obesity. Response After reading this essay I’ve found there are reasons as to why women in our society today overeat. In terms of overeating, and the pressures society places on women, I agree that sometimes society place too much pressure on them to look or be a certain way. There are indeed some overweight woman who are perfectly healthy, and others who are not. Although, the issue comes when we try to impose what our idea of healthy is, or what it is supposed to look like from our on perspective onto them. This can drive people to depression, and all types of other bad habits like overeating. I also believe that Orbach, was correct when she stated that self –image, and self- consciousness, play a big role in this subject as well. She states that by not living up to the standards placed by society, would essentially be deeming oneself as an outcast, which in today’s society is very true. Those who cannot/ do not keep up with the latest trend, look, and style are no longer considered to be â€Å"in† which is ridiculous. Women especially, should be able to be them despite what new trend comes about, how many more people become skinnier, or whatever the case may be. We should teach that being comfortable in one’s own skin is what is key, staying healthy, and then working one becoming a better you is what comes next. This essay showed me that if one really took the time to think about it, being â€Å"fat† really could be looked at as a social disease that we ideally created and placed on them. I agree, that society, gender roles and the expectations that we place on women can be directly correlated with overeating and obesity. For me, obesity and overeating is something I never quite understood, nor took the time to really critically think about until now. I was skinny as a young girl; my weight was under one hundred pounds and therefore never having to think about being â€Å"fat†. As I got older, I started to gain weight, reaching one hundred and thirty pounds, and then I started thinking â€Å"Wow! I’m fat†. Then I became pregnant and gained more weight, I was â€Å"HUGE† in my eyes. After giving birth I became obsessed with my weight and body image. I started to exercise and eat healthy to lose the weight; I felt pressure from society, family, and friends to lose the weight because I had always been so thin. I even went to the extreme of having lipo after I couldn’t lose the weight by eating right and exercise. That period of my life was a dark and sad time for me; my family didn’t know about my depression, I was under so much pressure to look perfect! Orbach, also touches a subject that I kind of disagree with as she explains: â€Å"the relegation of women to the social roles of wife and mother has several significant consequences that contribute to the problem of fat† (450). The social roles have played an important role in the American culture, especially in women where it’s always the classic stay home mom, taking care of kids and the husband being the only provider. Under these circumstances, perhaps, women don’t feel the necessity to present an ideal physical image once they are married, or to what she claims it’s a â€Å"response to the inequality of sexes† where women feel less valuable and they express some type of rebellion towards the stereotypes that society has created of â€Å"being fat† or impulsive eating disorder (448-49). Reason I don’t agree completely with this subject is because, I know many stay at home mom’s that do want to stay looking good, and feeling good, not only for them, but for their husband and children. Overall, Susie Orbach’s article â€Å"Fat is a Feminist Issue† was a very good one. It teaches us that we should not imply our own beliefs of what the ideal woman should, or should not look like. While at the same time understanding that obesity and overeating are driven by something, some struggle, expectation, or pressure. This implies that would should not be so quick to say being â€Å"fat† is simply a choice that some individuals make and that, that is all there is to it, because there can be other factors. Works Cited

Coca Cola Consists Of Their Company And Bottling Partners Commerce Essay

Coca Cola Consists Of Their Company And Bottling Partners Commerce Essay The Coca-Cola system has more than 16 million customers around the world that sell or serve their products directly to consumers. They keenly focus on enhancing value for the customers and helping them grow their beverage business. They strive to understand each customers business and needs, whether that customer is a sophisticated retailer in a developed market or an owner in an emerging market. HISTORY Coca-Cola was invented in May 1886 by Dr. John S. Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. The pharmacist concocted caramel colored syrup in a three legged brass kettle in his backyard. He first distributed Coca-Cola by carrying it in a jug down the street to Jacobs pharmacy. For five cents consumers could enjoy a glass of Coca-Cola at the soda fountain. Dr. Pembertons partner and book keeper, Frank M Robinson, suggested the name Coca-Cola in the unique following script that is famous worldwide today. MISSION STATEMENT The mission statement should be a clear and succinct representation of the enterprises purpose for existence. It should incorporate socially meaningful and measurable criteria addressing concepts such as the moral/ethical position of the enterprise, public image, the target market, products/services, the geographic domain and expectations of growth and profitability. http://www.businessplans.org/Mission.html Coca-Cola Company is the worlds largest seller of liquid, non alcoholic refreshment. Their mission is to maximize state owner value over time. In order to achieve this primary objective of delivering superior investments return to shareowners through consistent increase in sales volume and creating value for all constituents they serve, including their consumers, customers, bottlers and their communities. The Coca-Cola Company creates value by executing a comprehensive business strategy by six key beliefs: Consumer demand drives everything they do. Brand Coca-Cola is the core of their business. They serve consumers a broad selection of the non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages throughout the day. They will be the best marketers in the world. They will think and act locally. They will lead as a model corporate citizen. The ultimate objectives of our business strategy are to increase volume, expand their share of worldwide non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverage sale, maximize their long term cash flows and create economic value added by improving economic profit. They are nearly six billion people in the world who are potential consumers of their Companys products. Ultimately, their success in achieving their mission depends on their ability to add value for their customers. They achieve this when they Place the right products in the right markets at the right time. CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT Most of the time effective selection is made, for this purpose employee is recruited either on reference basis or through interview, which is followed by background checks to make sure that he is not involved in criminal activities and have good reputation so that he should not create annoyance and problems for the company. The core values of Cokes culture are honesty, integrity, diversity, quality, respect, responsibility and accountability. Coca-Cola employees are oriented properly so that employee should be well aware of the mission of the company and give their best performance in order to let the company achieve its goals. They are made aware of all sorts of companies policies and procedures. . Coca-Cola culture is based on the following: Respect our people Integrity Open communication Committed to winning PLANNING Without a strategy the organization is like a ship without a rudder, going around in circles. Its like a tramp that has no place to go to. Strategic planning, formulation and implementation are core management functions. Although strategic management has been in existence for only a few years its implications have been firmly and strongly rooted in organizations that want to stand in good stead. Among all the varied things that managers have to deal with and act upon, few affect an organizations performance more lastingly than do the task of charting an organizations future course, figuring out the what strategic moves and approaches to undertake, and then orchestrating execution of the chosen strategy as close to perfection as is managerially possible. One of the factors in determining whether the organization performs up to its potential or not is the extent to which the management team performs the strategic goals. Indeed Good strategy and good implementation are the most trustworthy proof of good management Strategy is a very broad term which commonly describes any thinking that looks at the bigger picture. Successful companies are those that focus their efforts strategically. To meet and exceed customer satisfaction, the business team needs to follow an overall organizational strategy. A successful strategy adds value for the targeted customers over the long run by consistently meeting their needs better than the competition does. A strategic plan, then, is the bridge to the future, which an organization uses to lead from what it is to what it envisions it can become. THE CORPORATE OBJECTIVES Coca-Cola vision statement: We will become the best and the biggest anchor bottler in the world COCA COLA has a very flat hierarchy, consisting of just three layers. Thus, the top management handles most of the goals setting and planning activities. The objectives of this company can be classified as: STRATEGIC GOALS: The overall goal of an organization in terms of its market position in the medium or long-term. A strategic goal forms part of an organizations corporate strategy, and should act as a motivating force as well as a measure of performance and achievement for those working in an organization. The strategic goals are considered when company is thinking of the long-term objectives but at coca cola strategic objectives and goals are set up for three years. These strategic goals are decide by the top management .However, they are reviewed every year in the annual meeting to make sure that they are in line with the changing environment. They are: To continue to be an organization providing the quality products to the valuable customers. To select and retain the professional people for the organization. To project an outstanding corporate image. To satisfy the customer through extra ordinary service and an excellent service along with the complete tactical and operational support. TACTICAL GOALS: The top management of the company on an annual basis devises these goals together with the consultation of the lower level employees. Then each departmental director is given these annual tasks that then subdivide it on the quarterly or monthly basis to have a proper check to ensure that these objectives are achieved, mainly through marketing, is the job of the director of each division. For this year, these goals are: To increase the revenues by 20% as compared to last year. To increase the total retail customers by around 10%. To increase the market share by 5%. To reactivate the discontinued customers by 30%. OPERATIONAL GOALS: Operational goals are decided by the top management in consultation with the lower level employees. They are following the concept of management by objectives (MBO). Each employee is assigned its goals and is told what is expected of him and then he is evaluated on the basis of certain rules and regulations followed evenly by the company. For example: a sales man is given following tasks, duties and certain targets: Each salesman has to oversee around 100-125 outlets. The frequency of visits to each outlet depends upon the sales of that particular outlet. Normally, a salesman has to visit a single outlet thrice a week i.e. every alternate day. This means that a salesman visits at least 20-30 outlets per day. The salesman has three basic functions to perform. To find new customers, To retain existing ones, To bring back the discontinued accounts. Each salesman has to bring in at least three new accounts every month. These may either be new customers or the reactivation of the discontinued accounts. Sales manager is made responsible for the performance and achievement of operational goals and is assigned to set certain milestones for the salesman so as to give him proper feedback, which definitely helps the salesman achievement of the above-mentioned goals. DECISION-MAKING Competing in the market place is like a war. You have injuries and casualties, and the best strategy wins. Purposeful selection from among a set of alternatives in light of a given objective. Decision-making is not a separate function of management. In fact, decision-making is intertwined with the other functions, such as Planning, Coordinating, and Controlling. The decision-making process in COCA COLA is centralized. The model used is classical, whereby the top management takes their time while making decisions and explore and evaluate all the possible alternatives before choosing the rationally economic and feasible solution. Programmed decisions are made only by the top management with no consultation what so ever with the line managers while the daily and routine decisions are made by the line managers at the middle level with the prior permission or approval from the general manager. Decisions, which are normally taken at the top management, are related to The package positioning Trade discounts Advertisements Price reductions Distribution While recruiting new employees, we, the top management approves the vacancies and asks the Human Capital Department to conduct the written test and this test normally is conducted for the employees at the lower level. Then prospective applicants are short listed through the interview process. Then the Business and operations manager or general manager personally interviews the employees and then makes the final decision about the selection himself. Hence, the decisions are made on the basis of the inputs provided by the lower level employees and the managers at the middle management level. Top management asks for the suggestions and ideas of his subordinates and then takes the final decision himself. However, the remaining decisions, which are mainly related to the daily operations, are made by the respective managers who are eventually made responsible for the results. The management is very much cooperative and encourage its employees to come up with new ideas related to their duties and the work they do so as to increase the overall efficiency of the organization and eventually increasing the profits. TEAM BUILDING WORK TEAMS Employees especially in the production, sales and marketing department in Coca-Cola work in teams to achieve their goals. CLARIFY RESPONSIBILITY Coca-Cola has very organized HR department and all major disciplinary actions are taken by it. Supervisors usually given oral warnings and written notices are issued by human resource department. DEFINING PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS Employees responsibilities are mentioned in the Job Description and the kind of work expected by them is communicated clearly through appointment letter and by orienting them properly. COMMUNICATE DISCIPLINARY POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND RULES Coca-Cola appointment letter gives all the details of the disciplinary policies and rules. Employee is expected to sign that letter before he joins the organization. Company tells all its employees before hand that if they would violate companys rules and regulations and would engage in any kind of misconduct, immediate disciplinary action would be taken and that this may cause in termination of their services. COLLECT PERFORMANCE DATA In order to start discipline action, company requires proof by the supervisor who thinks that disciplinary action should be taken against some person. For example, if the person has the habit of coming late, then the supervisor is required to give dates on which he arrived late and the time. Usually company verifies the cases of misconduct from various sources and makes sure that the information is correct. ADMINISTERING CORRECTIVE COUNSELING Coca-Cola considers all its employees valuable, if somebody is unable to perform well problems in the meetings that are specially called to administer Corrective Counseling. During these meetings he can give reasons of his bad performance KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS: The key Performance indictors are as follows 1. FINANCIALS/PROFITABILITY Coke pays special attention to the financials as important performance indicator. Coke controls the amount of money being paid out. All bills are reviewed to determine how much is being disbursed and for what purpose. Managerial efficiency is gauged by the financials and profitability of the plants as well as corporate office. 2. QUALITY INDEX Coke follows quality index to maintain quality standards and this is the performance indictor which is strictly adhered to. An independent body is invited to check the quality of the products being manufactured. A market team is brought in and a 95% to 98 % of quality indicates good quality. SALES MONITORING Coke regularly checks as how sales are responding to marketing and promotional efforts. Through these performance indictors Coke measures how an individual or a team is performing. Coke emphasizes that performance indictors play an important role in determining the efficiency of any individual/team. NON-BUREAUCRATIC, OPEN DOOR POLICY The structure is non-bureaucratic and any employee can approach anyone from high level of hierarchy and present his problem or suggestion. This phenomenon is known as the Open door policy. Coke also encourages its key employees to take on important decisions as they feel necessary for the working of their own departments. Job Description A job is a collection of tasks and responsibilities that an employee is responsible to conduct. Jobs have titles. A task is a typically defined as a unit of work, that is, a set of activities needed to produce some result, e.g., vacuuming a carpet, writing a memo, sorting the mail, etc. Complex positions in the organization may include a large number of tasks, which are sometimes referred to as functions. Job descriptions are lists of the general tasks, or functions, and responsibilities of a position. Coke has a very good policy as regards to job description. When a job is advertised it is properly described so that applicants know what the job requirements are. The advertisements properly lay out these descriptions. Applicants selected are those who fulfill the criteria of the given job description. Coke is very cautious when making job descriptions as it wants to induct only those people who are required by the company. Job description is prepared by HR managers and proper care is taken while defining the description of each job so that later when a person is inducted he properly fits the job requirements. MOTIVATION If you want to make things happen the ability to motivate yourself and others is a crucial skill. At work, home, and everywhere in between, people use motivation to get results. Motivation requires a delicate balance of communication, structure, and incentives. When an employee inducts in Coke, he is joining Coke: The Company meaning that it gives him recognition as he is working for a huge multi-billion corporation with huge profit turnover. Associated with Coke not only gives him career break but also excellent learning opportunities. So he becomes more marketable as an employee and thus this is a great motivating factor for him. COKES CULTURE ENVIRONMENT The culture and environmental setup of Coke is also very friendly and as already explained Coke has open door policy as a part of its culture. This culture is also very motivating for employees and thus leads to their higher productivity and they give out their best to their jobs. PARTICIPATIVE MANAGEMENT When Employee feels that he is given adequate authority and responsibility in making key decisions of the organization he feels an important part of the organization. He feels he has a role to play in the organization and feels a part of the bigger picture. His suggestions are valued and efforts are acknowledged. Thus all these factors lead to high motivation in employees. WELL PAY AND FRINGE BENEFITS Coke employees are offered excellent pay scales and job related benefits. The pay and the benefits match their job requirements and their pay scale is also very competitive as compared to other companies. Thus, this is an important factor in motivating employees. JOB PROMOTIONS Each and every employee is given a fair chance to progress in his job. Job promotions based on their performance appraisals are a part of Cokes policy in motivating employees. PAY RAISES, INCENTIVES AND COMMISSIONS Coke employees are given pay raises, incentives and commissions as per their performance, their goal achievement and if they out perform their jobs. All these factors lead to high motivation in Coke employees. CONFLICT RESOLUTION Conflict resolution is part of daily routine in Coke. The conflict could be labor related as well as management related. The labor related matters are dealt by engaging a legal consultant whereas management resolves its own conflicts by sitting down and discussing the problem at hand thoroughly. The management related problems are not turned into open arguments and matters are not made personal, rather they are dealt professionally. The labor related matters are also dealt very professionally. Services of Legal Counsel are engaged in order to resolve matters relating to employees as well as labor as per government regulations. Negotiations are also a part of conflict resolution process. Peaceful resolutions are preferred over heated resolutions of conflicts. Following roles are involved in conflict resolutions: Mediators: Coke utilizes the service of mediators as per the conflict requirements. Consultants: Consultants play an important role in Coke in conflict related matters. Coke engages these consultants so that the conflicts that arise are skillfully managed through communication and analysis. Compensation Plans Group Life Insurance Coca-Cola secures its employees through group life insurance incase of death/disability of any employee. Free Sampling Coca-Cola provides its employees with free samples of its beverages on different festivals etc. Volunteer Separation Scheme(Golden Handshake) Incase of restructuring, if the employees need to be laid-off then Coke gives volunteer separation scheme (golden handshake) with extra benefits over and above their legal dues. Gratuity/Provident Fund Coke gives its employees gratuity/provident fund. Employee Old-Age Benefits When an employee retires, those employees who are secured through employee old-age benefits institution under the current law, 6 % is contributed by the Coke and 1 % is deducted from the employees pay. Performance Development Programs Coke provides its employees with performance development programs. Annual Performance Incentive Plan Monetary awards are given to employees if they perform well and this is done through Cokes annual performance incentive plan. Workers Participation Funds The company maintains workers participation funds so as to share its 5 percent of its profit with its employees. 9. Medical/Hospitalization Coca Cola reimburses its employees medical/health insurance. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Performance appraisal is an important part of performance management. In itself it is not performance management, but it is one of the range of tools that can be used to manage performance. http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/perfmangmt/appfdbck/perfapp.htm Reviewing Planning Tracking Reflection The Performance Management System End of Cycle Review Continuous progress and development Key Result Areas Objectives Competencies Development Plan Reaching Agreement Tracking Feedback Coaching Mid-year Review wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_quality_management Method Coca-Cola uses Management by Objectives (MBO) method; evaluator is given five to seven areas on which he has to assess the employee. Evaluator is supposed to rate an employee on the job related objectives and he is also supposed to give tracking sources. This part is known as THE WHATS. Evaluator also rates an employee on the key competencies required by the job and critical to the objectives, this part is known as THE HOWS. Evaluator also mentions competencies required for development and development goals. It also focuses on the time frame in which the developmental activities would be implemented and the way these developed competencies /skills/knowledge would be used in achieving performance objectives, this is known as Development Plan. PERFORMANCE RATING There are five areas on which employees are rated: 1. Consistently Exceeds-CE Performance Objectives/ WHATS Employee, whose contribution exceeds the stated objectives in terms of quality and timeliness and performs beyond the scope of the current role/department which benefits the company in a significant way. Competencies Skills and Knowledge/ HOWS Demonstrates well-developed expertise to get outstanding results and consistently role models the above behavior and also coaches others. 2. Meets and Exceeds-ME Performance Objectives/ WHATS Employees who consistently meet the objectives and frequently exceeds objective and adds value beyond the scope of the current role, often benefit Division/Department. Competencies Skills and Knowledge/ HOWS An employee frequently demonstrates an advanced ability in using Competencies Skills and Knowledge in order to achieve and exceeds results. 3. Successfully Meets-SM Performance Objectives/ WHATS Employee, whose contributions consistently meets and occasionally exceeds the objectives, which are based on challenging goals falls in this category. Competencies Skills and Knowledge/ HOWS Employee demonstrates competence and applies skills and knowledge to achieve expected levels of performance. 4. Meets Some-MS Performance Objectives/ WHATS Employee who meets some but not all the objectives and performance, improvement is necessary. Performance is somewhat inconsistent and more than normal direction on job responsibilities and objectives is required. Competencies Skills and Knowledge/ HOWS Demonstrates limited working knowledge of this area, observable gaps exists in applying some critical Competencies Skills and Knowledge areas to achieve expected results. Further coaching and development is required. 5. Fails to Meet-FM Performance Objectives/ WHATS Employee whose contributions frequently do not meet the stated objectives, performance requires frequent monitoring and substantial direction from the manager. Competencies Skills and Knowledge/ HOWS Employee demonstrates very limited ability in this area, significant improvement is required. Coca Cola also uses the following methods: 1. Multi-rater Assessment Coca Cola asks its Employee to nominate the people, who would rate him on his performance. Then the assessment from different people is given a form of summary or key useful and informative points are extracted from these peoples evaluation, this is known as TOOL OF DEVELOPMENT in Coca-Cola. Coca Cola uses STARs as the way to evaluate a person. STARs= Situation-Task-Action- Result 2. Work Standard Approach 3. Critical Incident Technique 4. Essay Appraisal. Exit Interviews Coca-Cola also interviews employees leaving the organization and asks about their opinion about the way performance appraisal is conducted in the company to improve it if required. Purposes of Conducting Performance Appraisal To Assess the employee To develop and improve the employee. Who are the People Involved? People who are involved in this process are Supervisors and Department Heads, also known as Grand Supervisors. Training of people carrying out performance appraisal People, who carry out performance appraisal, are trained by head office and all sites are updated about this process. How Often Performance Appraisal is conducted? Coca-Cola conducts performance appraisal once a year, but from now they are thinking to conduct it after every six months. At Which Level Performance Appraisal Is Conducted? Employees of all management categories undergo process of performance appraisal. For how long it has been Part of Organization? COCA COLA was established three years ago since then performance appraisal is part of this organization. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL OF COCA COLA AND OTHER MULTINATIONALS Performance appraisal conducted in Coca Cola is very thorough as compared to other multinationals. Developmental Plan and Career aspirations Coaching Log, Interim Review, end of cycle review are all part of performance appraisal. CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENT IN PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL PROCESS BY COCA-COLA Coca-Cola is introducing a change in this process. It is planning to conduct performance appraisal twice a year instead of once a year, they are naming this change as mid-year review. Lastly Coca-Cola claims that its employees are satisfied with this process that has also helped the organization. Performance appraisal method is same for new employees (recently joined company) and for old workers (those who are working for many years). Performance appraisal method used by Coca-Cola is same worldwide. TRAINING Coca Cola has its own training specialists and employees are trained usually on need basis. It has huge budget allocated towards training of its employees; it amounts to $200,000 per year. Whether the employee belongs to middle level management or senior level management, training is provided because company believes that it would benefit both the company and the employee in the long run. Employees are usually sent to Europe or Middle East for training. Coca Cola has its In-House Training Head Office in Atlanta, where they have their own training specialists. They also use local training facilities like they often send their employees to LUMS for special courses so that they can update their skills; others include PIMS, CMD, Informatics for computer Courses. Another important source of training is seminars. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Performance appraisal is done at the end of the year in Coca-Cola that usually helps in identifying the areas where training can bring improvements. OBSERVATION OF BEHAVIOR Supervisors usually report to the HR department about their employees, those who need training. By watching them performing their work, they can easily identify the problem areas that can be corrected by putting them on training. On the Job Training Job Rotation Job rotation is very commonly used to train the employees in different areas so that they can learn skills that can help in their development. CAREER GROWTH Job Rotation Job rotation is very commonly used to train the employees in different areas so that they can learn skills that can help in their development. Company provides with no additional benefits when employee learn skills other than his original job during Job Rotation because company believes that it is in the benefit of this employee, and its ultimately him who is going to benefit. MENTORING Operational manager in Coca-Cola in consultation with HR department is responsible for mentoring. JOB INSTRUCTION TRAINING Coca-Cola uses Job Instruction Training for middle-level, lower-level management and worker class, supervisors usually gives this training. COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS Coca-Cola very often puts its middle-level managers and lower-level managers on committee assignments so that they can learn. Apprentice Training Supervisors are responsible for apprentice training in Coca-Cola; worker class is trained by this method. EVALUATION AND CONTROL: QC Total Quality Management TQM is a set of management practices throughout the organization, geared to ensure the organization consistently meets or exceeds customer requirements. TQM places strong focus on process measurement and controls as means of continuous improvement http://managementhelp.org/quality/tqm/tqm.htm Coke believes in always motivating to anticipate present and future needs of customers and consumers, to be nimble, dynamic and growing, always in a state of continual evolution. Developing and maintaining an environment, which enables full participation and development of all backgrounds, cultures, styles and views, leveraging the capabilities, insights, and ideas of all member Consumers are given foremost importance. COCA COLA focuses on TQM in order to deliver TCS (Total Consumer Satisfaction). The Company value creativity and risk taking to fulfill this motto. To meet the consumers changing demands, COCA COLA has adaptable and flexible structure. The authority is at the right place. The employees are given empowerment by virtue of which they feel themselves as part of organization: consequently they put all the efforts to prove their worth. Young and junior employees with high potential are entrusted with senior assignments. At COCA COLA risk taking and out of the box thinking is encouraged. New and creative ideas are always welcomed. Top management supports the innovative process and appreciates employees to THINK DIFFERENT and to be INNOVATIVE. The Company is in the process of increasing in its culture the element of the trust, maximum collaboration among individuals and groups, increased sense of organizational ownership, allowing people to exercise self-direction and self-control at work. Decision making at Coca-Cola is very participative due to friendly atmosphere. Anyone can give suggestions without any hesitation. Employees exchange views with each other and recommend the final decision to the senior managers. If any decisi