Policy Brief addressing an important health-related problem in the Essay

Policy Brief addressing an important health-related problem in the United States, which is How will the EPA clean up Superfund Sites if there are no funds - Essay Example ization, reinstating Superfund taxes, creating a management system and creating economic incentives for businesses to clean up are some of the options considered in this brief. Considering the financial problems faced by the EPA and the associated responsibilities of cleaning up hazardous wastes, it is important to consider how the EPA can have an efficient and effective clean up processes if there are no sufficient funds? A Superfund site is any land in the United States that has been contaminated by hazardous waste and identified by the EPA as a site for cleanup because it poses a risk to human health and/or the environment. For the Superfund cleanup process to begin, a potentially hazardous site is discovered in the initial stage, and the EPA is notified of possible releases of hazardous substances. Sites may be discovered by various parties, including citizens, State agencies, and EPA Regional offices. Following identification, these sites are entered into the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System (CERCLIS), which is the EPAs computerized inventory of potential hazardous substance release sites. The EPA then evaluates the potential for release of hazardous substances from the identified site using assessment, screening, remedial investigation, site listing process and construction completion. One of the top priorities for the EPA is to find those responsible for the contamination (the potentially responsible parties or PRPs) to clean up the site. If the PRP is not found, is not viable, or refuses to cooperate; EPA, the state, or tribe may cleanup the site using Superfund money. EPA may seek to recover the cost of clean up from those parties that do not cooperate.1 The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, was created on December 11, 1980 to clean up the worst hazardous waste sites across the country and. recover the expenses from the PRPs.

The study of organized crime United States of America vs. Afghanistan Essay

The study of organized crime United States of America vs. Afghanistan - Essay Example Towards the end of 2005, the Convention Against Corruption entered into force and its' goal inter alia is to prevent organized crime. The World Bank estimated in 2005 that over $1 trillion is paid in bribes each year to corrupt government officials. The impact is significant. Initially, corruption facilitates drug trafficking, organized crime, money laundering and illicit international money transfers, which can be used to support mechanisms for international terrorists. But the toll on an impoverished nation is even more devastating and real. Against that backdrop, this paper will attempt to define organized crime in the United States, explore its' genesis and discuss the impact of organized crime in the United States. Next this paper will discuss the origins of organized crime in Afghanistan and the Middle East, define the parameters and establish the nexus of organized crime between the United States and the Middle East.Definition of Organized Crime: The American Heritage Dictiona ry defines organized crime. "1. Widespread criminal activities, such as prostitution, interstate theft, or illegal gambling, that occur within centrally controlled formal structure. 2. The people and the groups involved in such criminal activities."Kelly (1994) states "Organized crime" is more than a specific type of "crime," much like a "violent crime" is a subset of all crimes. For example, one can talk about a violent crime and describe a particular incident to others; if the incident's description fits the legal definition of the crime and includes violent acts as a part of its commission, then we understand the incident to be a violent crime. But one cannot talk about "an organized crime" in the same manner, because society and the law does not conceive of "an organized crime" as a similar subset of all crimes; rather, American law has labeled a crime fitting into the category "organized crime" by virtue of other factors, such as inter alia, whether the person committing the cr ime is affiliated with a criminal enterprise and the description of the circumstances surrounding the crime. Kelly, R (1994). Handbook of Organized Crime In the United States. Philadelphia, PA.: Greenwood Press. 5 Organized Crime USA vs. Afghanistan History and Historiography of Organized Crime in USA: Murry Kempton criticized people, whom he called good citizens, for always insisting that [organized] crime is 'un-American' activity, as the Mafia was also taken as un-American concept. (The New York Reviews of Books; 9 April 1992). 'The orthodox model states that organized crime's crucial history is the rise of Italian American organized crime.'. This paper also tries to establish that organized crime, notwithstanding the fact of multicultural facets of it, has indigenous roots too. Alan A. Block

Steeple Analysis Of UK Supermarket

Steeple Analysis Of UK Supermarket The UK supermarket industry is the fastest growing sector of the UK economy that has made a great contribution to its economic development. Currently, the supermarket industry employs more than 1.1 million people and contributes more than 8% to the UK GDP (Euromonitor International, 2010). In every business environment, macro analysis is important to identify the factors that can hamper operations of organisations progress in the industry. STEEPLE (Social, Technological, Environmental, Economic, Political, Legal and Ethical) analysis is amongst the most effective tools that are used to monitor changes taking place in the environment of the business (Brown, 2007; Griffith Harmgart, 2008); the analysis is done to identify all important factors that can have a significant impact on any organisation operating in the UK supermarket industry. Li (2008) and Vasquez-Nicholson (2011) emphasized that Morrison PLC is a dominant brand in the UK supermarket industry as it derives its competitive edge by doing STEEPLE analysis frequently. It has successfully achieved its target market size by exploiting all strengths and availing opportunities present in its external environment. STEEPLE Analysis of UK Supermarket Every market is significantly impacted by both micro and macro environmental factors, but macro environmental factors have more influence on operational activities of a business (Jarett, 2012). Each factor of STEEPLE analysis with its relation to the UK supermarket industry is discussed below: Social Analysis The current trends of consumers in the UK market depict that they are moving from one stop shopping to a bulk buying mode as there are various social changes happening in the country. Supermarkets have availability of various non-food items which are usually on sale in the market. There have been demographic changes because there is an increase in old people, the number of female workers is increasing, and there is a significant reduction in homemade meals (Davis and Relly, 2009). There is more emphasis on the private label share of every business mix, efficiency in supply chain, and improvements in operational activities so that the overall cost of business is reduced. Most of the retail giants in UK are now shifting to local suppliers for their purchases and stock requirements (Vasquez-Nicholson, 2011; Waterman, 2007). In addition, consumers demand of products and services has changed because of their social conditioning along with their beliefs and attitudes (Lyan, 2007). Technological Analysis Technological developments have enhanced the service level of supermarkets in UK as they have benefitted both consumers and companies. With the help of technological gadgets, products are available quickly, personalized services are offered to customers and shopping has become convenient (Akter, 2012). The major systems that have enhanced UK supermarkets functioning are Electronic Point of Sale, Efficient Consumer Response, Electronic scanners and Electronic Funds Transfer System; these systems have assisted in efficient distribution and merchandizing activities so that requirements of each company are effectively communicated on time to the supplier (Grugulis, Bozkurt and Clegg, 2010). Environmental Analysis All organisations have to show that they engage in environment friendly activities; there is increased pressure on various managers and companies for acknowledging their social responsibility and they are required to behave in a beneficial way for the society (Smith, 2004). In the UK supermarket industry, the main issue at hand is that food retailers have to demonstrate that they conduct their operations in ways that are beneficial for the society as a whole and that is why every leading supermarket has taken initiatives to show their Corporate Social Responsibility promise. Even the UK government has launched a strategy for consumption in a sustainable manner and made mandatory changes in production methods to cut down waste, reduce resource consumption that produces harmful gases or particles which can cause pollution, and minimize damage to the environment (Trail, 2006). Economic Analysis The main factors to be studied in economic analysis are demands, costs, prices, profits, inflation, unemployment, interest rates and fluctuation in exchange rates along with various micro economic factors such as labour availability, product market, competitive structure and nature of competition. Considering the UK economys performance in 2012, its GDP growth rate is 1%, CPI rate is 2.2 %, unemployment rate is 7.9% and the current balance of payments is account deficit of GBP 2.8 billion (Trading Economics, 2012). Micro Economic Analysis Since international businesses of these supermarkets are growing, they are likely to get affected by reduction in the demand of UK food market and there is an increased exposure to risk of market concentration. There is immense pressure on existing companies to make sure that every factor is well studied so that all resources are effectively utilized. The Product Market All supermarkets have been developed with providing one stop buying facility and they have provided a wide range of options to the customers. Nowadays, people are looking for healthy and nutritious food so that they remain fit and healthy; the demand of organic foods has increased and customers are looking for easy access to these food items. The supermarkets are now placing these food items in their outlets to respond to their customer demands. The Labour Market As the number of supermarkets is increasing in UK, there is a huge requirement for workforce that can provide services to customers with perfection. Since skills required for performing necessary tasks are of a lower level, people with minimum education can easily find a job in this market. The labour availability is high as people have many jobs available in this field. Also, the demand of products is increasing, so supermarkets have added huge variations in each category. Competitive Structure In UK, the supermarket industry is believed to be an oligopoly market, which is highly competitive; there are four main firms in this industry, i.e. Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury and Morrison, which have more than 75% of the overall market share (Jarett, 2012). The pricing is almost the same, so customers are able to buy the products they need within their affordable range. Nature of Competition The nature of competition is getting intensified: the number of competitors is increasing because other companies are entering this field, such as Waitrose, Marks Spencer and many more (Seely, 2012). Political and Legal Analysis The political parties in UK are taking aggressive steps to protect the small shops and stores in the country so that their business does not close down; they have imposed many restrictions on the supermarkets so that a fair and competitive environment is created in the grocery industry. The Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission are the two main bodies that ensure that supermarkets do not create monopoly and offer fair prices to the customers. Recently, the government has relaxed UK Sunday Trading Laws for benefits of the employees and introduced a new style of food labelling so that shoppers in the supermarket can make healthy choices. Since obesity is the primary issue in the UK population, there is a growing trend of organic and healthy food and various initiatives are being taken by the government to create awareness of eating healthy and nutritious food. The government has also passed the laws for reducing the usage of single carrier plastic bags so that the environment is protected from any kind of pollution. Ethic Analysis In the UK supermarket industry, each company has to ensure that its business operations are conducted in accordance with the ethical standards. The sector is assumed by law to be observing ethical behaviour and conduct business practices in accordance with corporate governance. Every organisation has to ensure that it conducts its practices with integrity, transparency, accountability and honesty (Nicholls and Opal, 2005). Linkage of STEEPLE Analysis with Morrison PLC STEEPLE analysis plays an important role in identifying all important factors that are impacting Morrison PLC, but the most important factors are social, economic and legal ones. The social factors are of utmost importance because every company exists to serve its customers; it is important to understand their changing trends so that products and services are modified accordingly. Likewise, analysis of economic factors gives an idea of economic condition along with spending power of customers; with the help of these factors, it can decide on its operational activities and further expansion plans. Since legislation is a mandatory part of every business environment, Morrison will have to ensure that it follows all rules and regulations to ensure compliance with the legislative framework; in case any rule is broken, a heavy penalty will be charged, which can be costly for the company. Hence, these three factors are the most important areas of concern for Morrison PLC. Importance of Human Resource Management in Supermarkets HRM is an integral part of every business organisation, and it is important for them to have a highly skilled and motivated workforce that will assist them in achieving their desired goals and move successfully ahead in the industry (Torrington, Hall and Taylor, 2008). Following are the two examples of importance of HRM in the UK supermarket industry: Tesco Tesco is among the largest supermarkets of UK that employs more than 326,000 people and has been earning a consistent stream of revenue in the last couple of years (Euromonitor International, 2010). The company has done a competitive analysis to improve the ways in which interaction is done with customers. In order to enhance its position in the supermarket industry of UK, it has used concepts of welfare management, continuous improvement and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) along with well designed HRM strategies. The employees are treated as champions and are even rewarded for their extraordinary achievements; they are involved in decision making process as well. All of these interactive initiatives enhanced employees satisfaction level, motivation and productivity along with acceptance to change and have high morale for work. In order to ensure that Tesco provides a favourable working environment to its employees, it has properly implemented all important laws that will ensure employees are given their rights. For instance, they are given competent compensation packages, working environment is conducive, preventive measures are taken to provide healthy and a safe environment, and equal job opportunities and various other benefits are given (Freeman, 2009). In order to ensure that everyone is given the best employment opportunities, it is important for Tesco to conduct market analysis on an ongoing basis. It seeks help from marketing agencies that evaluate environment and ensure that they design competent compensation packages. By focusing on efficient development of its workforce, Tesco has been able to gain a competitive edge in the market. The satisfaction surveys of employees have shown that they are satisfied with their working environment and they will remain loyal to the company forever. With the help of a participative management culture, Tesco has been able to identify its weak areas and has successfully made the required changes so that overall performance of the company improves (Grugulis, Bozkurt and Clegg, 2010). Sainsburys When Sainsburys noticed that its sales were declining and it was unable to achieve its target market share, it decided to do its competitive analysis, which meant doing both internal and external analysis. The main problem highlighted in the analysis was that it lacked a competent and loyal workforce and there was misalignment between the organisation strategy and the companys overall strategy. There was a lot of miscommunication in the organisation as employees had lack of clarity about their jobs and how they were supposed to make contribution in the company. Overall, its HR department was not functioning smoothly as the right workforce was not employed at that time (Fox and Vorley 2004; Li, 2008). The foremost thing that was required was to change the culture of the organisation and it was made possible by receiving top management support. The code of conduct along with HR policies and regulations were distributed to employees so that they were aware of new rules and regulations that they had to abide by; job descriptions were changed to match demands of every position. Sainsburys even did a market survey to identify HR structures of its competitors and also compensation packages that should be offered to employees. After planning of HRM, it was implemented properly and monitored at small intervals to check its progress; six months later, Sainsburys observed an upward trend in its sales figures, along with an improved satisfaction level of employees. The company made changes in its recruitment and selection, training and developments, compensation and benefits and performance appraisal processes so that everything in HRM was well-integrated. Conclusion In order to be competitive in todays supermarket industry, companies have to make sure that they do analysis of their internal and external environments on an ongoing basis so that they have the latest information about things that are happening in their surroundings. Although STEEPLE analysis is important for identifying the factors which have a tendency of influencing the working environment of supermarkets, equally important are their workforces as they are the ones who are in direct interaction with customers. The main factor affecting the supermarket industry of UK is the workforce as it is important for the supermarkets to employ people who are well-skilled and efficient in helping the companies in achieving their corporate objectives. Since the number of employees in this sector is increasing, there are more chances that the employment level increases and spending power of people is enhanced. Another important factor that needs to be addressed is the growing concern for a healthy lifestyle and food; the consumers are now shifting to organic food. Therefore, the supermarkets have to ensure that they have a specific range of products that are demanded by customers, so that they can ensure that they maintain their position in the market.

The Link Between Job Satisfaction and Employee Productivity Essay

1) An Introduction Long gone are the days when Labor Relations or Manpower departments were all the HR that an organization needed for supplying its human resource management needs. As we have advanced from the Industrial Age to the Information Age and as the workplace and business scenario has become more complex and competitive, Human Resource Management has become a vital skill for any knowledge organization; one that, if used correctly, could become a key asset for an organization. One of the most crucial fields of study here, in the 20th century, has been the crucial link between job satisfaction and employee productivity. Job satisfaction essentially is a measure of how content an employee is with his current job. There are, broadly speaking, three major aspects to employee satisfaction at the workplace- 1. A degree of autonomy in decision making 2. Significantly challenging work that does not become monotonous 3. Link between job performance and advancement in organization Other intangible and tangible factors also come into play. For example, some organizations have amazing training programs for new hires that add significant market value to the candidate. Infosys, the Indian IT behemoth, has a rigorous training schedule of 6 months which is attested to by industry experts as being on of the best. Indeed, ex-Infy employees have always highlighted the importance of the training they had undergone at the famed Mysore campus near Bengaluru. Opportunities to be creative, flexible work arrangements, flexible benefits and job stability all contribute towards making an employee like his job and make that extra effort for the organization. 2) Studies and Theories Kick started by the Hawthorne studies (conduc... ...acebook-for-employee-satisfaction-for-the-first-time-in-four-years/. Last accessed 11th April 2012. 2. Jeffrey Pfeffer. (2009). Low Grades for Performance Reviews. Available: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_31/b4141080608077.htm. Last accessed 11th April 2012. 3. Davi Ngo. (2009). Job Descriptive Index. Available: http://www.humanresources.hrvinet.com/job-descriptive-index-jdi/. Last accessed 11th April 2012. 4. Mark A. Griffin, Neal Andrew,Mathew Neale. (2000). The Contribution of Task Performance and Contextual Performance to Effectiveness: Investigating the Role of Situational Constraints . Applied Psychology: An International Review. 49 (3), 517-533 5. Ankur Jain. (2009). HRM - Nature, Scope and Objectives. Available: http://expertscolumn.com/content/human-resource-management-nature-scope-objectives-and-function. Last accessed 11th April 2012

Objectives of Coca-Cola, and Pepsi are Reflected in their Marketing Strategy Essay

The Coca-Cola Company: It is easy to ascertain exactly why Coca-Cola is a highly respected beverage producer and marketer in today’s society. In examining, Coca-Cola we can see that this company has sought to ensure that its products meet its high expectation levels. These expectations literally revolve around its vision to aid in the improvement of the world: Acknowledging that marketing strategy requires continues adaptations to ensure success, the circular vision statement reflects that an interplay of activities between people, profit, planet, partners, and portfolio are vital to sustaining its growth on multiple scales. By sustaining growth, its portfolio will globally address and bring products to suit people’s needs and desires. This engages the support of employees and consumers who see that the company’s actions reflects from their vision statement, and does not simply play ‘lip-service’. Surrounding the circular vision lies a key aspect: coca-cola’s recognition that it must at all times retain a positive working relationship with its bottlers and partners; hence building up mutual trust and loyalty. By enabling a constant positive relationship, the company will make sure that its products are going out the door in an efficient and effective manner; hence meeting its profit vision of ultimately â€Å"maximizing return to shareholders† while being cognizant of its social responsibility. From a planet perspective, the company’s vision iterates that it is a global citizen that not only makes a difference but truly desires too as well. When strife occurs, this leads to a shift from positive production to negative production. As the old saying goes: a happy employee, is a productive one. Via Coca-cola’s website, these components are further highlighted as the chief reasons why Coca-cola is continuously realigning itself to reshaping is strategic look at marketing. The website indicates that the vision was compiled from inquiring from 150 of their top leaders about what they believe the company’s vision should be. This attributes to the company’s vision to be a good place where people are inspired to be â€Å"the best they can be†. This reflects that Coca-cola’s managers are listened to and respected, which aids in the company’s interest in people relationships; in addition, this shows an empowered environment where managers are attuned to the objectives and direction of the company. It was interesting to see that the company’s mission statement aligns itself well to its vision. The company steadfastly seeks â€Å"To Refresh the World†¦in body, mind, and spirit†, â€Å"To Inspire Moments of Optimism†¦through our brands and our actions†, and lastly â€Å"To Create Value and Make a Difference†¦everywhere we engage.† . The mission statement is more subjective versus objective or measurable in nature, but it is geared to creating positive alignment amongst its employees, consumers, marketing teams, and partners. In evaluating which of its objectives is measurable we must turn to its portfolio to see if its objective to be a global seller is a reality or not. Overall, the company has created a shared value system (leadership, passion, integrity, accountability, collaboration, innovation, and quality) by which they live by within the company and without. This system helps create an aura of shared responsibility which is attuned to the best interests of all involved and can be measured based upon innovation and quality statistics. Pepsi: A plain, simple, and to the point vision statement is what Pepsi stands behind: In evaluating the vision statement, we can see that Pepsi believes that it is sustainability because the company will always stand behind its responsibility to improve â€Å"all aspects of the world in which† they operate. Symbolically, they used the â€Å"greater than symbol, >† to indicate that tomorrow’s future must be protected and Pepsi feels that it has a responsibility to aid in that goal. The website contains speeches from the PepsiCo President and Chief Executive Officer Indra Nooyi about corporate responsibility and how it must be applied in today’s society to make a difference in our environment and various societies. Pepsi has identified that in order to encourage other companies to partake in this responsibility it must be a role model. This vision statement is a clear point on giving back to society, but it doesn’t appear to indicate how this is to be achieved directly. It indicates why, who, where, and what must be improved but it is a little vague on how to achieve the vision. It motivates all parties involved, because no one, would state that they want the future to be handicapped by a lack of improvements made today. For shareholders, they would not desire to see a drop in maximizing profits or loss of consumers who might consider Pepsi uninterested in improving the global market or environment. For consumers, if Pepsi did not donate or contribute to global initiatives they would turn instead to competitive brands.   Instead of titling their mission statement as such, Pepsi instead appears to call it their â€Å"commitments† or guiding principles: These points iterate that Pepsi is truly staunchly dedicated to positions which are important to various constituencies. The sustained growth is measurable and vital to shareholders who monitor Pepsi’s annual growth and progress. Empowered people are those loyal Pepsi employees, partners, manufacturers, and consumers who stand behind a product which is created with quality in mind. These commitments are maintained based upon guiding principles that genuinely care about people, the world, truth and honesty, success in many aspects, and balancing short term goals with long term dedication to achievement and change. Pepsi’s objectives lie hand in hand with its commitments and guiding principles. One of Pepsi’s objectives as seen in its proxy statement is to sustain its long term performance by stretching out its financial goals, maintaining its great retirement plans for employees, and continue to nominate managers into governing positions within Pepsi who support Pepsi’s vision and mission statement. Both financial as well an non-financial objectives are referred to in the proxy statement, which reflects how well balanced these objectives truly are. Overall, Pepsi’s vision, values, mission statement, and objectives all intertwine around the idea of sustainability; whether it be sustainability of people, governance of Pepsi, global market, partnerships, marketing strategies, development, success, or growth. Assignment: Question 2 In order to evaluate if TCCC (The Coca-Cola Company’s) vision and objectives is conforming to its strategic business model, we must uncover from its annual reports, SEC 10-K Form, and other such public documents if this is so. TCCC’s strategy and business model lies in its desire to have sustainable and long term growth by relying on its key visions: inspiring employees in the workplace, globally bringing a solid beverage portfolio of products which addresses peoples desires, creating a network of loyal partners, maintaining an inspirational global citizenship practice on our planet, and maximizing profits for shareholders. Recognizing that strategy and business models must forever be willing to adaptive to changing conditions, TCCC has sought to reevaluate its consumer marketing via advertising investments geared to make consumer aware of their products. Such efforts have included activities such as sales promotions, advertising, and point-of-sale merchandising of TCCC items. Furthermore, the company’s strategy has included obtaining feedback from consumers which has enabled the company to know what its present consumers feel and what they would like to see change. As the firm sells its products to various global retailers it must identify and conform to the needs of those clientele. Hence, TCCC has made differentiated package offerings which are adjusted to the expectations and needs of all kinds of retailers. This allows for the company to directly compete with its competitors. Considered a â€Å"work in progress† the SEC 10K Form iterates how the company uses the right promotional tools to enhance value in their products for various retailers seeking to growth their businesses or distributional facilities. As the business model and strategy adheres to the idea of new business approaches, TCCC’s annual report indicates that it constantly has new franchise options and new leadership approaches which tend to allow for an overall flexibility between the parent company and its consumer’s wants and needs. As the supply chain network of its bottling partners is a resilient procession it has used this growth to aid in its competitive edge. Part of maintaining this edge is identifying distinctive elements that pose as opportunities, risks, or direct threats to the company well-being. This shows that TCCC is on the right track because it gauges its own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats on many different levels of marketing and advertising. The annual report indicates that some threats include obesity problems among its consumers, water quality and quantity on the part of its risk management program, consumer preferences that are in constant change, and increased competition in the marketplace. TCCC has positively made action plans which seek to respond to these market conditions. Partaking in obesity programs and donating to research of diet foods, the firm has seen that this would aid in its sustained growth because consumers would feel that diet items are a viable alterative beverage. In terms of water quality and quantity problems, the firm knows that as water is a limited resource, alterative programs must be in place with provide water treatment or risk evaluation of the dire situation. This collaborative partnership with research and other beverage companies has shown the firm as having a strong dedication to social responsibility. From an external perspective, should TCCC not participate in such programs then consumers would be driven to advocate switching to other beverage companies. These factors have led proponents to challenge the health component of the quality of products being produced. This way TCCC can point out that it has heard the feedback and acted on it. By promoting and employing surveys and research, TCCC has strengthened its capabilities to monitor and adapt to consumer preferences to diet beverages while maintaining a strong consumer brand loyalty. Its corrective measures have shown that its business model is prospering and being measured via increases in its annual profits.   Acknowledging that there might be required adjustments to its business model to ensure that the company was making a profit, TCCC discloses concerns over foreign exchange due to monetary fluctuations overseas, interest rate changes between fixed and variable rate debts, and value at risk increases. By monitoring and simulating how these external elements could adversely affect the company, TCCC can also evaluating the overall company performance in terms of shareholder equity and cash flow generalizations. These public reports all reflect that TCCC’s business model and strategy are constantly being monitoring and adjusted as the need arises. By communicating to shareholders the affects or predictions of changes made, TCCC can promote new marketing ideas or suspend activities if called for.   This is all a positive support of the company’s mission and objectives because it allows for TCCC to remain on its toes in the event of a need to make a strategic or business model modification. 2 Websites Used:-References: Coca-Cola’s Official Website: http://ir.thecoca-colacompany.com/ and annual report: http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/investors/pdfs/form_10K_2006.pdf Pepsi Official Website’s: http://www.pepsico.com/

M.L.K and Malcolm X Compare/Contrast

The two most influential civil rights activists in American history were Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. They supported equal rights for every race, but when comparing MLK’s â€Å"I Have a Dream’ and Malcolm X’s â€Å"The Ballot or the Bullet,† one sees the similarities in their rhetorical styles and differences in their tone and message. As seen in â€Å"I Have a Dream,† MLK has a more civilized and peaceful solution to the nation’s problems; whereas in X’s he has a will to do whatever it may take to solve the problems. Martin Luther King Jr. nd Malcolm X use the same rhetorical strategies to enhance their message in their speeches. One device or strategy is repetition. In King’s speech he repeated the phrase â€Å"I have a dream’ in order to emphasize to his audience the importance on their cause and to stimulate the people’s pride furthering civil rights. King wanted everyone to see America’s true potential and beauty and how America could be. Malcolm X also demonstrated the use of repetition when he repeats â€Å"I’m not here. † He illustrates to his audience that he is not there to talk about himself, but of the greater cause, in other words, the fight for civil rights. Though both may have used the same devices and advocated the same goal, both had opposite solutions to the nation’s problem. Another shared quality in their works is the use of antithesis. In Dr. King’s â€Å"I Have a Dream†, he states â€Å"Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. † He depicts that the nation should end all discrimination and come together as one and become a unit of one another harmonizing. X also had great use of this device to amplify compassion for his cause. An excellent example is the phrase and title, â€Å"The ballot or the bullet. † He like King wanted to end all the racial barriers that the nation had, but instead of encouraging the act of nonviolence he told the â€Å"negro† community that they either take â€Å"the ballot† signifying that they wouldn’t do anything or â€Å"the bullet† that symbolizes and provokes the need to take action into their own hands and fight. Both King and X used the same methods to captivate their audiences towards their view, though communicated different messages. King and X employed figurative language in their methods of persuading their audience. In King’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech he conveys the use of similes in the phrase, â€Å"We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream,† in order to illustrate the need for justice until all are equal. He stresses the need of discrimination to end and for justice to let all nondiscriminatory in society. He used the negativity of injustice and turned it into a positive of justice being endless water that roars through a mighty stream that will forever be flowing. X also used similes to describe that all â€Å"negroes† are in the same boat and all will get the same treatment from the white man in the phrase, â€Å"†¦you’re going to catch hell just like I am. † He emphasizes that all â€Å"negroes† whether educated or illiterate or wealthy or poor will gain the same result of the hell that is being brought upon the by the same man who happens to be white. Both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X felt the lack of acceptance and the treachery being brought upon them by the white man in their use of similes. Although Martin Luther King and Malcolm X may have used the same rhetorical devices to persuade the same general audience, both broadcasted entirely different messages, with entirely different tones, on what should be done on their problems. King concentrated on a more pacifist approach in his speech with the use of such words as dream, happy, greatest, and freedom. His message was to thwart racism with as much nobility as possible, so that when viewed upon you’d be the light in the darkest of rooms. He wanted people to not give up on their dreams and not lose their self control of humanity even though they were trying to abolish such wrongdoing that was very inhumane. On the other hand, Malcolm X couldn’t have had a more contrasting message and tone in his â€Å"the Ballot or the Bullet† speech. He chose words like hell, suffered, degrading, treachery and false promises to instill the vengeance in the minds of his audience and for them to commend the will to fight for freedom. He wanted to create total chaos and outrage in the souls and mind of his listeners to ensure the quickest way possible for them to hear the core of his motives. He had no intentions in believing that racism would subside or that any of the white men would see the error in their ways and beg for their forgiveness and to live in complete harmony. He thought that the only way for the black community to really get what they deserve is to use the bullet and fight. King had a solution to end the nationwide problem with a more passive and civilized solution, the brought out the goodness in humanity because â€Å"an eye for an eye will make the world blind†; whereas X wanted the use of forces on the enemy no matter how much damaged caused in order for them to give equal rights to all. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X definitely had the same ambition to end segregation and discrimination, but the question as to whose message was more effective and which was a right way to address the cause is still questionable. King sought to spread pacifism and tolerance- the moral right that you should always live by; whereas Malcolm X sought the need of destructiveness in a highly troublesome situation. One must look at the outcome and the current civil rights situations to find an answer to that question to see that without both types of arguments there would be no balance. For every light there is a cast of shadows that follow it.