Amniotic Fluid Volume In Pregnancy

Amniotic Fluid Volume In Pregnancy Objectives . To assess the relationship between the amniotic fluid volume (AFV) in low risk pregnancy and the perinatal outcome, using either AFI or SDP, and to evaluate the effects of different fetal positions and Attitudes on those measurements Methods . A prospective study was performed, in which a sample of 3000 low-risk pregnant women were studied using routine ultrasound, including fetal biometry and measurement of AFI, and SDP. Data were analysed using multiple linear regression, and constructing a curve for both the AFI, and SDP measurements, according to gestational age, the fetal positions and attitudes, in addition to the assessment of the final perinatal outcome. Results . The 50th percentile remained practically constant at approximately 150 mm between the 20th and 33rd week, after which there was a decline in volume, which became evident after the 38th week. At the 40th week, the 10th percentile was around 62 mm and the 2.5th percentile around 33 mm. Among the group with intact membranes, no significant differences in perinatal outcome could be seen in relationship to the AFI and SDP, although a 50% increase in emergency operations for fetal distress was seen in women with oligohydramnios. Fetal position had significantly affected the AFI, which was remarkably lower in breech pregnancies, but without similar effect on SDP. There was no significant difference for either SDP (P = 0.8) or AFI (P = 0.3) between fetuses lying on the right or the left side of the maternal abdomen. Conclusions . The percentiles incidence of amniotic fluid measurements in low-risk pregnant women showed significant decrease with gestational age, especially after the 33rd week pregnancy. Fetal position and laterality had affected significantly the AFI, but not the SDP. Key words: Amniotic fluid index, low-risk pregnancy, obstetric ultrasonography Abbreviations: AFI: amniotic fluid index, AFV: amniotic fluid volume, GA: gestational age, p: percentile Introduction The importance of variations in volume of amniotic fluid to fetal well-being has been particularly well-established, and are closely correlated to an increase in perinatal mortality and morbidity rates (1, 2), although some doubts have recently been raised (3). Fetal well-being is an important question that can, however, remain unanswered in many situations, but progress in diagnostic techniques has resulted in better perinatal outcomes, and has also contributed to understanding the complex physiological and pathological interaction between fetus and mother (4, 5). AFI and SDP are the sonographic parameters most commonly used to estimate amniotic fluid volume. Both use a two-dimensional measurement to estimate a three- dimensional parameter and are therefore subject to error. Amniotic fluid index (AFI), a semiquantitative ultrasound measure used to denote the volume of amniotic fluid, was first described in 1987 by Phelan et al. (6, 7). Since AFI involves measurements in four quadrants and SDP only measures the deepest pocket, it is possible that fetal position would affect these two indices differently. The relative accuracy of SDP and AFI is still controversial. Using invasive methods, some studies have shown these methods to be comparable, while others have shown that one index might be better than the other. However, none of these studies took into account the potential effect of fetal position on the amniotic fluid volume indices (8). Many studies have shown an increased risk of intrapartal fetal distress in parturient women with oligohydramnios, as identified by ultrasound examination. The exact pathophysiologic mechanism of olighydramnios has not been defined, but one likely explanation is an increased risk of umbilical cord compression during uterine contractions (7,9). However, doubts remain concerning normal values of AFI for each gestational age. The reference curves established some years ago are still in use in current obstetrical practice, but there is a need for new data, using a reliable reference low-risk pregnant women sample, to establish the limits of AFI that would indicate perinatal risk (9). Some existing curves (10 13), were based on relatively small sample sizes, and normal AFI for each gestational age was not yet definitely established. The purpose of this study was to estimate the curve for the amniotic fluid volume in low risk pregnancy, using a set of obstetric sonograms of women between the 20th and 42nd week, using two established parameters, the AFI and SDP, and to assess the effects of those measurements on the final perinatal outcome, in addition to studying the effects of different fetal positions and attitudes on those measured parameters. Material and methods A prospective study was carried out to estimate and evaluate the reference curve of AFI values in low-risk pregnant women, and to follow its effects on the final perinatal outcome. The study was performed at the Feto-maternal Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at El-Minya University, Egypt. Inclusion criteria were: gestational age clearly established by last menstrual period, and confirmed by early ultrasound examination performed in first trimester of pregnancy; and gestational age between 20 and 42 weeks. Women excluded were those with pregnancy-induced hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic hypertension, gestational diabetes, fetal macrosomia, ruptured membranes, placental senescence, twin pregnancy, fetal growth restriction, fetal abnormalities, fetal death, fetal isoimmunisation, or other conditions, such as metabolic disorders, kidney and heart disorders, and hypo- and hyperthyroidism. Amniotic fluid volume was measured using a 3.5 MHz linear transducer linked to a ALOKA SS 280. A scanner using the 4-quadrant technique for the assessment of AFV, described by Phelan et al.(6, 7, 9), with a modification proposed by Jeng et al.(11). A total of 3000 women between the 20th and 42nd week of pregnancy were evaluated in this study, between August 2008 and December 2010. In order to avoid any possible bias due to repetition of examinations in women with some undetected problem, an independent sample was chosen. Therefore, only the first ultrasonographic examination of each woman was included in the study, and different sample populations were used for each gestational age, in a cross-sectional design. A formal consent had been taken form the women included in the study, after full explanation and counseling, and approval of the regional ethical committee. The uterus was imaginarily divided into right and left halves along the linea nigra on the surface of the maternal abdomen. Using the mid-point between the fundus uteri and the pubic symphysis, the uterus was also divided into upper and lower halves. With the transducer head perpendicular to the ground, the largest amniotic fluid pocket in each quadrant was identified. The vertical diameter of this largest pocket of each one of the four quadrants was then measured. The AFI was defined as the sum of the measurements of each quadrant in millimeters. All examinations were performed by only one professional in order to avoid inter-observer variability. The intra-observer variability of the measures performed with this technique was estimated to be high (correlation coefficient 0.92) (14-18). Both AFI and SDP were measured at the same time during the examination. SDP was obtained by measuring the depth of the single deepest vertical amniotic fluid pocket that was clear of umbilical cord or fetal parts (19,20). AFI was calculated as the sum of the depths of the deepest pockets from each of the four quadrants of the uterus. The position of the fetal trunk was characterized by three parameters. Initially, the ultrasound probe was placed transversely on the maternal abdominal wall, with the midpoint of the probe over the sagittal midline of the maternal abdomen, at the level of the fetal abdominal circumference (Figure 1). A vertical line (Line Y) was drawn downwards from the center of the ultrasound probe. A horizontal line (Line X) was drawn across the maximum diameter of the fetal abdominal circumference. Line X was thus divided by Line Y into a shorter part (S) and a longer part (L). The first parameter to be determined was the position of the fetal trunk. This was assigned as either fetal trunk left or fetal trunk right depending on whether L was on the left or the right side, respectively, of the maternal abdomen (21-24). Next, we determined by how much the fetal trunk lay to one side of the uterus, by calculating the laterality score, defined as S/(S + L). This score ranged from 0 to 0.5; a score of exactly 0.5 meant that the fetal trunk was on the sagittal midline of the maternal abdomen, and a score of 0 meant that the fetal trunk was to the side and did not cross over Line Y. The use of the laterality score has not been reported previously. Finally, we determined the orientation of the ventral part of the fetal abdomen: a line (Line Z) was drawn from the fetal hepatic vein to the fetal spine, and the angle (A) between Lines Z and Y was determined. Fetuses were classified into one of three groups: ventral anterior (A = 300.1 360- or0-60-), ventral lateral (A = 60.1 120- or 240.1 300-) and ventral posterior (A= 120.1 240-). Figure I. The study population was categorized into different groups according to the fetal position, and AFI and SDP in the different groups were compared. Pearsons correlation coefficient between laterality score and AFI was considered the primary outcome measure. For an r of 0.25, a minimum of 62 cases was needed at a Type I error of 0.05. Based on the curve of Jeng et al. (25), and adopting a mean AFI measurement of 140 mm at 40 weeks, and a standard deviation of 48 mm, a sample size of at least 120 measurements for each week of pregnancy was estimated, assuming an ÃŽ ± error of 0.05 and a maximum difference of 10 mm between population and sample measurements. The AFI was correlated to perinatal outcome based on the Apgar score, umbilical cord blood pH, birthweight, frequency of cesarean section for fetal distress, operative delivery for fetal distress, including both cesarean section, vaginal forceps, and ventous extractions, and referral to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Fishers exact test was used for statistical evaluation. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The computer program nQuary Advisor Release 3 (Statistical Solutions Ltd, Cork, Ireland) was used to calculate the sample size needed in order to obtain significance levels at p < 0.05 and 0.01 with 90% confidence intervals (CI). Data were analysed using multiple linear regression, and by constructing a curve of the 2.5th, 10th, 50th, 90th and 97.5th percentiles of the amniotic fluid measurements according to gestational age. All statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences for Windows version 10.0 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA). Students t- test, Pearsons correlation coefficient, linear regression and ANOVA were used as appropriate. A P-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The 3000 pregnant women included in the study had a mean age of 25.9 years (range 13 46), with low parity (45% were primigravida). The sample was basically from a low risk population because of the exclusion criteria used. The values of the 2.5th, 10th, 50th, 90th and 97.5th percentiles of the AFI, and SDP according to gestational age are shown in Figure II, III and IV show the data after being submitted to a smoothing process using quadratic polynomial adjustments. Analysis of the 50th percentile measurements of the AFI, and SDP curve at different gestational ages revealed that these values remained practically constant, at around 150 mm, between the 20th and 33rd week of pregnancy. At this point, values began to decrease, and this decline became particularly evident after the 38th week, reaching 130 mm at the 39th week, 120 mm at the 41st week and 116 mm at the 42nd week of gestation. Table I, and II The mean gestational age at the time of examination was 33.3 Â ± 2.8 weeks. The mean SDP and AFI were 5.5 (range, 2.8 9.3) cm and 14.5 (range, 6.7 29.3) cm, respectively. There were no significant differences in mean AFI measurements when these data were controlled for age, race, literacy, parity or previous caesarean scar (data already published elsewhere) (18). Measurements of the 10th percentile remained 100 mm until the 33rd week, when an accentuated decrease started, declining even more sharply after the 38th week of gestation, reaching values 80 mm and 40 mm at the 42nd week. According to the published normal ranges, six cases had polyhydramnios (AFI = 29.3 cm at 29 weeks gestation, SDP = 9.1 cm at 37 weeks and SDP = 9.3 cm at 33 weeks gestation) and two cases had oligohydramnios (AFI = 6.7 cm at 36 weeks gestation). Twelve hundreds and five (42%) cases were fetal trunk right and 1663 (58%) were fetal trunk left. There were no significant differences between these groups with respect to gestational age (33.1 Â ± 2.4 vs. 33.4 Â ± 2.7 weeks, P = 0.7), mean SDP (5.4 Â ± 1.3 vs. 5.5 Â ± 1.4 cm, P = 0.3) and mean AFI (15.1 Â ± 5.1 vs. 14.1 Â ± 4.0 cm, P = 0.8).Table III In fact, our results showed that fetal position had a significant effect on AFI but not on SDP; the more the fetus was positioned to one side of the uterus, the lower was the AFI. Both methods show good correlation between the measurements and the actual volume of amniotic fluid. The effect of laterality score on amniotic fluid volume indices was assessed by Pearsons correlation coefficient and linear regression. It had no significant effect on SDP (r = 0.13, ÃŽ ² = 1.1, standard error = 0.9, P = 0.23). However, it did significantly influence AFI (r = 0.31, ÃŽ ² = Transverse section of maternal trunk level of fetal abdomen8.7, standard error = 3.0, P = 0.005). The regression line is shown in Figure III. In other words, when the laterality score increased, the AFI increased proportionately. When the laterality score was 0.5 (fetal trunk positioned at the midline of the maternal abdomen), the AFI was, on average, 4.35 cm higher than it was when the laterality score was 0 (fetal trunk lay on the side and did not cross the midline of the maternal sagittal plane). Figure III, IV. There were two case of high AFI (29.3 cm) in the study population. In order to exclude the possibility that the results were influenced by this single case, we repeated the analysis quadrants of the ipsilateral side, the vertical depth of these two quadrants being be much shallower compared with those on the contralateral side. Although amniotic fluid should be displaced to the contralateral side, this may not be reflected completely in a two-dimensional measurement of the depth of the other two pockets. Therefore, it is not surprising to find that AFI measurement is lower when the fetus lies on one side of the uterus instead of centrally. The difference was statistically significant and is clinically important. When the fetus lay on one side of the uterus, the AFI was, on average, 4.35 cm lower compared with the AFI for a fetus lying centrally. On the contrary, SDP is apparently rather inert to fetal position. Since SDP only measures the deepest pocket, it is understandable that the effect of fetal position on its measurement is less. Based on the results of this study, SDP may be a better index for estimation of amniotic fluid volume than is AFI, because the association between SDP and laterality score remained non-significant (P = 0.4, ÃŽ ² = 0.8, standard error = 0.9). Further analysis was also performed with linear regression to control for the effect of gestational age. These results showed that the laterality score had a significant effect on AFI (ÃŽ ² = 9.6, standard error = 3.0, P = 0.002) that was independent of gestational age (ÃŽ ² = −0.4, standard error = 0.2, P = 0.019). AFI was significantly higher in cephalic fetal position, more than with breech ones. This result had been clearly apparent after 32 weeks gestation, and with less AFI with the ventral fetal trunk attitude with the breech position, than other. SDP had not show the same picture in different fetal positions, either breech or cephalic, so SDP as an AFV parameter had not been affected with the different fetal positions. Of the 3000 fetuses, 345 were ventral anterior, 1720 were ventral lateral and 803 were ventral posterior. The respective gestational ages of these groups were 33.5 Â ± 2.7, 32.8 Â ± 2.7 and 34.2 Â ± 2.8 weeks, the SDPs were 5.5 Â ± 1.4, 5.5 Â ± 1.3 and 5.5 Â ± 1.4 cm, and the AFIs were 14.5 Â ± 5.3, 14.4 Â ± 4.4 and 14.8 Â ± 4.4 cm. None of these was significantly different between the three groups (P = 1.0, P = 0.14 and P = 0.9, respectively). The 3000 pregnant women were divided into two subgroups according to the status of the fetal membranes. The membranes were found to be ruptured at the time of the examination in 1400 (44%) women; 750 (25%) had oligohydramnios. The membranes were intact in 1600 (55); 350 (15%) had hydramnios. Table I shows the maternal variables of the two groups. The median interval between the ultrasound examination and delivery was 4 h (range 0-24 h) in the group with ruptured membranes and 6 h (range 0-70 h) in those with intact membranes. In the group with ruptured membranes there was a significant difference in the frequency of operative delivery due to feta distress between the parturients with oligohydramnios and those with a normal volume of amniotic fluid [10.6% and 3.0%, respectively, p < 0.02, OR 3.86 (range 1.34-1.11)]. No significant differences were found regarding the other variables of perinatal outcome (Table II). In the group with intact membranes, there was a 50% increased risk of operative intervention due to fetal distress (OR 1.5), though not significant (CI 0.48-4.63) (Table III). Discussion There is a variation in AFI measurements according to gestational age. Values in the current study remain relatively constant until the 33rd week of pregnancy when a progressive decrease starts, becoming particularly evident after the 38th week of gestation. The normal lower and upper limit values of the AFI commonly used up to now, which vary between 50 and 200 mm, are similar to those found in the present study up to the 40th week of pregnancy. When adopting reference values between 80 and 180 mm for every week of pregnancy (19,20), incorrect diagnosis are likely to occur. Our findings, suggested a strong influence of fetal position on sonographic indices of amniotic fluid volume. Furthermore, we recruited women with apparently normal pregnancies and hence most likely with normal amniotic fluid volumes. Further studies should look at the relationship between fetal position and amniotic fluid volume indices in cases of oligohydramnios and polyhydramnios. Pregnant women, who are classified as having oligohydramnios by these criteria, may possibly be considered normal if a reference curve of AFI specific to gestational age were used, especially in term and post-term pregnancies. The adopted limit values indicating an alteration in the AFV are variable. For the fetal biophysical profile, the measurement of just one pocket is adopted, varying from 1 to 3 cm, and considered the lower normal limit by some authors (21,22); however, in this case, total volume would be considered decreased if the AFI were used. In fact, a RCT comparing both techniques showed an overestimation of abnormal results with AFI in post term pregnancies, increasing the number of obstetric interventions (23). These variations in classifying oligohydramnios reflect doubts regarding which percentiles best express the correlation between the decrease in AFV and poor fetal outcome. When the 50th percentile AFI was compared with that reported in a previous study (14), measurements were always higher in our study at all gestational ages by approximately 50 mm up to 28 weeks, and by 30 40 mm between 32 and 40 weeks of pregnancy. On the other hand, the current 50th percentile showed fewer variations, around 10 mm at all gestational ges, compared to the results of the indian study population (15). The importance of a curve that includes the 10th and 90th percentiles is reflected in its greater capacity to identify abnormal cases. Therefore, if the 10th percentile is used as the lower normal limit, there would be less likelihood of missing a case of real oligohydramnios. A curve that included the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles would diagnose fewer cases of abnormal AFI, and this could result in more cases of oligohydramnios or polyhydramnios being included within the normal range. By adopting the 10th percentile of AFI as the diagnosis for oligohydramnios in our population, the values are higher than those found for the Chinese study up to 36 weeks, but similar around 40 weeks of pregnancy (14). When we compare the results of this study to previous published curves (10-17), similarities can be seen for the 50th percentile of AFT at all gestational ages. However, when comparing the 2.5th percentile, it is evident that the measurements in Moore and Cayles curve are lower up to the 35th week of pregnancy, after which they are higher than the values found in our study curve. The 97.5th percentile of the Moore and Cayle curve is slightly higher at all gestational ages except for the 41st and 42nd weeks. The lower limit of 2 standard-deviations and the mean values of the Jeng et al. (11) curve are slightly lower in relation to the present curve at corresponding gestational ages, except from the 37th to the 42nd week, when values remain higher than those in the present curve. The definition of normal AFI cannot, in itself, guarantee good perinatal outcome. For instance, a 42-week pregnancy with an AFI of 45 mm would be considered normal, but how physiological this value is and what real risk it represents are questions that still need to be fully answered. If the correlation between AFV and perinatal outcome can be established, this curve may have a broader clinical application in prenatal diagnosis and care. Moreover, the curve of the 2.5th, 10th, 50th, 90th and 97.5th percentiles of the AFI measurements shows a significant decrease according to gestational age, especially after the 32nd week. This measurement could, therefore, considered a normal reference curve for the evaluation of AFI. The results of the present study suggest that oligohydramnios after rupture of the membranes in low-risk pregnancies is associated with a nearly four-fold increased risk of operative delivery due to fetal distress. An ultrasound examination of AFI could thus identify those who may need intensified fetal surveillance during labor. The present study was performed on a selected group of women with low-risk pregnancy. As AFI is one of the parameters checked in high-risk pregnancies at our hospital, these parturients were excluded in order to make the study blind. By adding high-risk pregnancies, a much smaller sample size would be needed. The frequency of oligohydramnios in cases with intact membranes was unexpectedly high: 15% instead of 5% in the controls. Although our pregnancies were low-risk, a few showed signs of pregnancy complications on admission to the labor ward (Table I), which might explain the higher frequency of oligohydramnios in this group. Although there was a significant correlation between operative delivery due to fetal distress and oligohydramnios in cases of ruptured membrane (Table II), sensitivity was low (11%), and false-positive and negative rates were 46% and 23%, respectively. Thus the knowledge of oligohydramnios in these low-risk pregnancies did not cause any immediate action, only more intense surveillance during labor. In the present study there was a 50% increased risk of operative fetal delivery due to fetal distress in parturients with oligohydramnios and intact membranes. Teoh et al. studied 120 pregnancies as an admission study in early labor with intact membranes. The frequency of oligohydramnios (AFI < 5 cm) in their study was 22%, and operative delivery due to fetal distress frequency among these was 27%. Based on these data, a sample size of 100 would be sufficient. We chose, however, three times that size, as the low-risk status of their population was uncertain (9, 11). The pathophysiology of oligohydramnios before membrane rupture is unclear. One theory is that a reduced perfusion of the placenta causes hypovolemia in the fetus, and/or an automatic redistribution of fetal blood volume to vital organs with a resultant reduced blood supply to the kidneys. This in turn could lead to reduced production of urine, and thus reduce the volume of amniotic fluid. Bar- Hava et al. studied signs of redistribution, renal blood flow, and signs of oligohydramnios, but could find no correlation. There was no change in the renal artery pulsatility index (12, 14, 19). Oligohydramnios in labor after the rupture of membranes in a low-risk pregnancy is probably not caused by a reduced perfusion of the placenta, but is more probably caused by the loss of large amounts of amniotic fluid at the time of the rupture. One explanation for the significantly increased risk of operative delivery due to fetal distress in the group with ruptured membranes might be that there is an increased risk of the umbilical cord becoming trapped in an ad- verse position, at the time of the rupture, if a large amount of amniotic fluid is lost. Amnioinfusion may be a way to treat such cases in order to restore the volume of amniotic fluid and reduce the risk of compression of the umbilical cord, thus averting the need for operative delivery (11, 21, 23). As a conclusion of the current study, assessment of the AFV during pregnancy using the SDP appears to be more accurate than the AFI, especially the SDP evaluation has not been affected significantly with either different fetal positions or attitudes, but still we are in need for further controlled studies to compare the accuracy of the two modes of AFV assessment. Another conclusion drawn from our study is that an ultrasound examination, including measurement of AFI as an admission test for women presenting at the labor ward with ruptured membranes after an uneventful pregnancy, could help identify those with an increased risk of intrapartum fetal distress, namely those with oligohydramnios. Moreover Measuring AFI in low-risk pregnancies on admission to the labor ward might detect cases needing special surveillance. We are currently preparing a new ongoing study, as an extension to the current study, comparing the previous two parameters of AFV assessment in high risk pregnancies, and the preliminary results could confirm the previously mentioned results, but it is too early to get to a final conclusion.

Teenage Dramas And Pop Culture Media Essay

Teenage Dramas And Pop Culture Media Essay American teenage drama series such as Glee, Gossip Girl, 90210, One Tree Hill, the O.C. and etcetera have won over the hearts of adolescents in this era. These teen drama series have become pop culture phenomenon such that they have expanded their fan base in Asian countries like Malaysia. The teen series craze is rather palpable among the students of Mara College Banting. However, to what extent are we aware of the effects of watching these teenage drama series? Are these trend-setting drama shows a good or bad influence on the students of Mara College Banting in terms of language and cultural interaction? These questions have inspired me to investigate my research question, How Does Watching American Teenage Drama Series Affect Mara College Banting Students Written Vocabulary? The main focus of my paper will be investigating how the dialogues of the characters and the visual stimulations of the teenage drama series affect Mara College Banting students own vocabulary. I specifically chose teenage drama series from the United States due to the intriguing colloquial language and the massive influence they have on the viewers. My area of study encompasses written vocabulary, particularly in terms of informal writing. It is worthy to realize just how much we have learned from watching these teen series and incorporating them in our daily language. Hence, observations on daily written texts in social networks, online conversations and diary entries will provide solid evidence relevant to this research. The focal aim will be colloquialism, abbreviations, idiomatic expressions and expansion of vocabulary. This research question is worthy of investigation because it scrutinizes the effects of watching American teenage drama series towards Mara College Banting students. From this research, I can determine whether or not the students incorporate what they learned unconsciously from watching these series into their daily written production. Language is so vital to human culture and social interaction.  [1]  After all, the Western media have greatly influenced the youths of Malaysia. With the growing popularity of teenage drama series, it is best to consider the implications it might have on the students English, specifically vocabulary. Background Mara College Banting students are truly huge fans of American teenage drama series. To conduct my research, I randomly selected 30 students from different types of courses (Medicine, Engineering and Biotechnology). The age group of my respondents ranges from 18 to 20 years old. To prove how much these teenage drama series have affected Mara College Banting students, I have extracted two Facebook  [2]  entries. Azzeem Shahren : Im out of GG, out of GLEE and out of Vampire Diariesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and theres just no waiting for the next episode/season when you only got 2 weeks leftà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ can someone supply me with other things to watch?  [3]  May 28, 10:51 pm Azmir Seed Fakkri: been watching Gossip Girls, Glee and next up is the Vampire Diaries.  [4]  May 26, 2:26 pm Evidently, the students of Mara College Banting are loyal fans of these teenage drama series. In fact, 93.3% of my respondents have admitted that what appealed to them the most about these series is the interesting storyline. The central characters are mainly adolescents, so the dilemmas that they face are relatable to the students. All the drama that drives the plot of the series is what keeps audiences glued to their television sets or computer screens. Mara College Banting students look up to the characters of the series because they envy the characters attractive appearances, talents and fabulous lifestyle. Diagram 1: Factors that appeal to the students most from watching teen series The bar chart illustrates the main factors that make teen series appeal to the students of Mara College Banting. Each respondent selects two main factors. With such a strong fan base, how much impact has these characters made on Mara College Banting students vocabulary? We should consider whether the dialogues performed by the actors are appropriate for us to apply in our own Eastern society. Most importantly, do watching these teenage drama series improve the students vocabulary or worsen it? If it indeed affects their language, what aspect of vocabulary does it influence? These questions will be answered once we probe the vocabulary used by Mara College Banting students in their informal written production. Colloquialism Colloquialism may be defined as a word or phrase that is not formal or literary, and is typically used in ordinary or familiar conversations.  [5]  Sometimes, it may come of as mildly pejorative, due to its intended use for informal settings.  [6]  There are many branches or types of colloquialism found in American teenage drama series, many of which are quickly learned by the students of Mara College Banting. Slang or contemporary youth language Slang is usually considered to be a low form of language and consistently associated with younger speakers.  [7]  Consequently, slang is more commonly adopted in informal conversations among friends. The characters in teen series use these slangs to avoid from being perceived as out-of-date.  [8]  Many students in Mara College Banting have confessed that they prefer using slang when communicating among friends because the phrase is much more catchy. Spread by television, music and now the Internet, American youths have generated a lexicon of their own.  [9]   As previously stated, characters in teenage drama series are trendsetters. The students of Mara College Banting have adopted the slang that they use as well. The following table shows a list of slang or contemporary youth language that they have learned from watching American teenage drama series. Table 1: Slang/ contemporary youth language  [10]   SLANG DEFINITION SERIES Bro Friend; commonly used for greetings Glee Pot Marijuana 90210 Freak out To panic/lose control Glee Dude A name for everyone, stereotypically surfers and skateboarders Expressing awe or emphasis 90210 Crack head One who partakes in smoking crack cocaine Gossip Girl Whacked Demented Glee Babe Endearing term used for girls, and sometimes describe boys Glee Booze An alcoholic beverage 90210 Noob Lacks intelligence or experience in a specific field The 0.C. Hot Attractive 90210 Mara College Banting students commonly use slang during informal conversations. This is a branch of functional linguistics- a theory of language that adopts a view of language as social interaction. According to Tom McArthur, slang is the equivalent of fashion and serves the same purpose. Like chic clothes and modes of entertainment, effective slang must be new, appealing and able to gain acceptance in a group quickly.  [11]  For instance, the students greet by referring to each other as dude, bro or babe in social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Myspace. Fizree Azreen Azhar : safe journey, bro Aizat Finggly : okay dude, I will consider Naqjwa Naq : Happy Birthday Ezzy babe! These slang terms act as social tools that enable teens to communicate and express themselves freely. They act as substitutes to certain words or phrases that may sound too formal. For example, if one wants to express his or her panicked emotions, that person would not say, I am in a state of panic! as this would be considered out-dated or just plain silly. Instead, the students of Mara College Banting would express their emotions as such: Arlina Arshad : I freak out knowing everyone has started or finished their homework.  [12]  June 8, 1:39 am Nadd Khar : haha, omg omg  [13]  hes hot. * drool * June 11, 1:30 am Social network is defined as a style of organization of social relationships characterized by highly mobile, interconnected links between individuals or groups.  [14]  After all, the main purpose of social networks and online chat rooms is to reconnect with old friends and perhaps make new ones. Therefore the tone or register of the written text should be informal. The students are free to use slang as they wish because their audience is just fellow teenagers. However, the use of slang is not limited to just social networks alone. The students also use contemporary youth language in their blogs  [15]  because these sites allow the freedom of writing and self-expression. This area of study is known as ethno methodology or conversational analysis. The student wishes to express his or her feelings towards her peers, and hence would apply slang to make the blog more accessible and conversational. The following extracts are a few examples of blog entries and text messages from the students of Mara College Banting: Im not dead yall. I just havent been writing for 4 months.  [16]   Whaddup homie Slang is sensitive to current styles so it changes rapidly in time. Most slang terms used in these teenage drama series are cool now, but would ultimately disappear from use within our generation or become standardized after frequent usage. Swear words /Vulgar terms Swear words, or bad words, on the other hand, are an extreme form of colloquialism. Consequently, some or all members of the society frequently consider these words taboo.  [17]  These words are mostly intended for offensive remarks and at extreme conditions; they affect racial and cultural issues. Cursing is not an unusual problem among the teenagers of America. Unfortunately, the students of Mara College Banting are slowly picking up this colloquial language themselves. Many, if not all American teenage drama series include vulgar terms in the dialogues. The curse words are underlined: Table 2: Curse words used in American teenage drama series SERIES DIALOGUE MEANING OF WORD Glee Season 1 : Preggers Puck: Sup, MILF? Acronym for Mother Id Like to Fornicate 90210 Season 1: Pilot Naomi: Well, you sound like a little bitch. And just to be clear, you are so disinvited from my birthday party. Annoying and whining female. Navid: Why didnt you kick his ass? To describe the buttocks Gossip Girl Voice-over: As much as a BFF can make you go WTF Acronym for what the fuck Twitter entry by a student: I think I see a double chin. FML (fuck my life)  [18]   Facebook comment by a student: Hey ass hole listen up!  [19]   The swear words used by the characters are quickly picked up by the students. In fact, 80% of my respondents agree that the language used in American teenage drama series include vulgar terms. Visual stimulation from these teenage drama series is also to be blamed for injecting the students with vulgar vocabulary. The most recent and prominent example would have to be the advertisement campaign for Gossip Girl in April 2008: gossip-girl-omfg.0.0.00.432325.jpeg The term OMFG stands for Oh My Fucking God- a rather abrasive and extremely colloquial phrase. The commercial for this campaign itself explains exactly what this word means to the public. No doubt, the show used this term to attract viewers and boost their ratings. Every respondent who watched Gossip Girl learned what OMFG meant just by watching the advertisement for this series. Due to the controversial nature of this term, Gossip Girl has succeeded in gaining popularity. However, the students of Mara College Banting do not resort to such profanity. They often use euphemisms to replace the F word with words like screw or shit. The students are rather cautious on what they write in the Internet because it is public domain. According to Kimberly Cunningham, ones positioning in social networks has a large implication on the span of an individuals power in a contemporary informational society.  [20]  Considering that the students want to fit in and make new friends, they would surely be careful in choosing their words. Making a good impression in order to make new friends online is really important to teenagers. Hence, the students of my college rarely write swear words in their profiles. After all, these students would only use curse words with friends that they are truly familiar with. When dealing with new friends or acquaintances, Mara College Banting students make use of slang in order to break the ice. As the friendship develops even further and the students become closer together, then the circumstances would permit the students to use these swear words. Abbreviations With the growing use of the Internet, written texts have evolved tremendously. The Internet is primarily a reading medium that encourages brevity, but often of the wrong sort.  [21]  Real-time text-based communications such as Facebook, Twitter, e-mail and Short Message Service (SMS) have caused the emergence of a new language suited to the compactness of this new media.  [22]   Teenagers like the students of Mara College Banting use acronyms instead of typing full sentences because it is more convenient. They utilize acronyms as much as they can to save time and money. The following table shows the acronyms that my respondents have learned from watching American teenage drama series. Table 3: Acronyms learned from watching teenage drama series ACRONYM TRANSLATION SERIES OMG Oh My God Gossip Girl MILF Mother Id Like to Fornicate Glee XOXO Hugs and kisses Gossip Girl LOL Laugh Out Loud 90210 XOXO actually symbolizes hugs and kisses. The X symbolizes a kiss and O is the shape of a hug. It is popularized through Gossip Girl because XOXO is the narrators catchphrase. In most episodes, the narrator would always include it as such: And who am I? Thats one secret you know Ill never tellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ You know you love meà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ XOXO Gossip Girl.  [23]   This abbreviation has become popular among the students of Mara College Banting. A lot of them use XOXO to express their fondness among friends while others simply write XOXO to quote Gossip Girl. This clearly shows how much impact watching teenage drama series had on the students vocabulary. In fact, 83.3% of my randomly selected questionnaire respondents use acronyms in their text messages and written productions online. The following phrases are comments written by the students in social networks: Dhania Haron : Hey Farah! Well have to wait for Fred for the venue and date. XOXO, Dhania   [24]  June 1, 10:03 am Azmir Seed Fakkri : à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦careful Mr S, the internet might bring more benefits than you think it isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ XOXOà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ gossip girl Azmir Seed Fakkri : à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ can you give me your blog link? XOXO blogger boyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [25]   May 26, 8:01 pm Azhari Rosli : Im awesome-er hahahaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I know you love meà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ XOXO haha  [26]   June 11, 3:33 pm However, the most frequently used acronyms are OMG which stands for Oh My God and LOL which is an abbreviation for laugh out loud. The OMG acronym is picked up from many teenage drama series, mostly from the characters dialogue and text messages. It is usually to portray disbelief or awe. LOL, on the other hand is usually intended for written texts to express laughter. A lot of Mara College Banting students apply the acronyms they learned from teenage drama series in their text messages and social networks. Nadiah Bajunid : OMG I wanna go if theres a hot guy too! Is this the one in OU? Rofi Dang : LOL. Totally. Haha Azzeem Shahren : Btw (by the way)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ upload the vids (videos)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ whoever has it! Farah Farhana : babeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ sorry I was awayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Will do the comment *ASAP (as soon as possible). Expanding vocabulary New Terminology A lot of teenage drama series tend to create new terms to keep audiences wondering what those terms really mean. As preciously stated, Gossip Girl had popularized the acronym OMFG and used XOXO as its trademark. However, it is not the only teen series that have introduced new terms. My questionnaire respondents interestingly pointed out some terms that they have learned from watching other teenage drama series; most of which are not even in the dictionary. For instance, Chrismukkah is a term that was popularized in the O.C. whereby it is a celebration of both Christmas and Hanukkah. The character, Seth Cohen had parents who had separate beliefs. His father was Jewish whereas his mother was Protestant. Hence, to combine both beliefs, Seth claimed to have created this holiday.  [27]  The term had already existed prior to the series, but it was the O.C. that had made the term popular among viewers, which include the students of Mara College Banting. Another example would be the pop cultural phenomenon- Glee. This teenage drama series had literally invented a term of its own. Episode 11 of Season 1 was entitled Hairography. The definition of this term was explained in the dialogue of Rachel Berry with the Glee Club advisor, Mr. William Schuester. The following excerpt is Rachels description of the term: What they were doing were all just smokes and mirrors- its called hairography. All of the whizzing of their hair around just to distract from the fact that theyre not really good dancers and their vocals were just so-so.  [28]   Besides that, Glee also coined the term Lima loser. A Lima loser is a person that will not amount to anything and would always be a loser for the rest of his or her life. Lima is actually an abbreviation for lost in the middle of America (L.I.M.A.) where the characters in the series live.  [29]  This term was introduced through Quinn Fabrays dialogue when Puck confronted her: Youre a Lima loser and you will always be a Lima loser.  [30]  Season 1 Episode 4 From the dialogue performed by the characters, the students of Mara College Banting now understand the definition of the word Hairography and Lima Loser even if they did not exist previously. Considering that Glee is a musical series, the terms introduced by this teen series will most certainly be related to music. The perfect examples would be Mash-Up and Theatricality. Once again, the character explains the definition of the term verbally. The following is the script that describes the terms: Mr Schuester : A mash-up is when you take two songs and mash them together to make an even richer explosion of musical expression Season 1 Episode 6 Shelby Corcoran: But being theatrical doesnt mean you have to be a nuclear explosion. It can be like, like a quiet storm. You just have to radiate emotion, express whats deep inside you. Thats what theatricality is truly about.  [31]  S1 Episode 20 The musical jargons are also introduced from the dance routines. In the episode Throw down, Sue Sylvesters character wanted Mike Chang to show his pop and lock moves. Mike Chang started to dance to the pop and lock style, thus demonstrating what the term really meant without saying a word. 14.1.jpgimages.jpeg Pop and lock is a style of break dancing which involves short, rapid movements of the arms and the legs (popping), combined with brief pauses in between movements (locking).  [32]  Mike Changs character had perfectly demonstrated these dance moves in many episodes. Rather than explaining it in lines, Mike shows it to the audience. This is an example whereby visual stimulation from teenage drama series can expand the students vocabulary. Therefore, teenage drama series had clearly been educational to some extent. The students who are not musically inclined are now more knowledgeable in music by watching teenage drama series like Glee. The new words that they have learned, regardless whether or not they were invented by the series or established in the English dictionary have greatly expanded their vocabulary. Even Fox Entertainment Boss, Pete Rice quoted, In just one year, Glee has transcended the television landscape and emerged as a global pop culture phenomenon. Glee has gained so much popularity worldwide that the fans of Glee have been given the nickname Gleek. The word is actually a combination of Glee and geek. Therefore, all the students of Mara College Banting that are obsessed with Glee would refer to each other as a Gleek. Adjectives In relation to learning new words, a minor group of Mara College Banting acknowledged that these American teenage drama series had taught them new adjectives. Since adjectives are important to describe the characters emotions or actions, a lot of these adjectives are added into the students ever expanding vocabulary. Table 4: New adjectives learned through watching teen series: ADJECTIVE SERIES DEFINITION Abrasive Glee A person who is rude and unkind Fugly Gossip Girl Fucking ugly Slampy One Tree Hill Very small; not covering much Most adjectives used in American teenage drama series are in a sense, invented. Only one or two new terms learned from watching these series are actually real English words. Words like fugly and slampy are terms that the series have introduced on their own. Fugly uses the F word (euphemism for fuck) to give a much stronger impact or emphasis on the adjective ugly. Slampy is also another negative term created by teenage drama series. (c) Idiomatic Expressions Despite the negative terms that have been injected into the vocabulary of the students of Mara College Banting, there are also pros to watching these teenage drama series. Some teenage drama series include idiomatic expressions in the script. My respondents have learned many idioms while watching these shows. Table 5: Idiomatic expressions learned from Glee (extracted from questionnaires): IDIOM DEFINITION Cock o the walk Used to describe a person who is too cool for school On the down low A man, who for all intents is straight, however once in a while likes to engage in gay sex Over the shoulder boulder holder Large bra One in the oven Pregnant woman Washed up Someone that has once led its peak of greatness far too long ago Judging from the list of idioms used in the script of teenage drama series, there is no denying that watching these series can also be educational. It is difficult to learn idiomatic expressions through memorization. Hence, the visual stimulation from teenage drama series would make it easier for the students to remember the idioms. When the terms are applied in daily situations like the teenage drama shows, the students would know the proper way of applying those idioms. They would be able to widen their vocabulary with ease. CONCLUSION The main objective of this Extended Essay is to investigate on how watching American teenage drama series can affect the vocabulary of Mara College Banting students. The dialogue and visual stimulations of the teenage series have indeed affected their written vocabulary, particularly in informal written texts. Applications such as social networks, blogs and text messaging provide the students the freedom of language and self-expression. Therefore, the students incorporate the vocabulary they have learned from watching those series into these applications. Collectively, these teenage drama series have added slang or contemporary youth language into the students vocabulary. Considering that the register in social networks and text messaging is informal, the students feel free to use slang. Besides contemporary youth language, the students have also applied abbreviations in their vocabulary. Acronyms are used, as they are more convenient compared to writing out complete sentences. This technique is picked up from watching the characters text using their phones or any other visual stimulations of the sort. However, these American teenage drama series often introduce terms that are rather offensive. Swear words are often written in the script to portray teenage angst and the degrading language in our society today. If used carelessly, these swear words might offend other teenagers and damage their self-esteem. The tone of conversation among youngsters may be informal, but care must be taken not to use colloquial language irresponsibly. Though there are some negative implications of watching teenage drama series, there is no denying that these shows are also beneficial to the students of Mara College Banting. More often than not, new terms are being introduced to these students. A lot of the students have learned new words by simply watching these shows. The visual stimulus also helped them memorize the words better. Hence, watching these teenage drama series have indeed affected Mara College Banting students written vocabulary. The new terms are learned and applied in informal written production such as social networks, text messaging and blogs.

Vergangenheitsbewältigung in The Reader :: Reader

Vergangenheitsbewältigung in The Reader Germany's history is different from all other countries in the world. From 1933 to 1945 Adolf Hitler and the Nazis ruled the people. Everyone was forced to follow the Nazis rules and individuals were stripped of all of their freedom. The Nazis were also committing mass executions of certain classes of people. Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, handicapped, and other groups of people were treated unfairly and stripped of all their rights. This cruel treatment attracted the attention of countries from all around the world. The events taking place in Germany and neighboring countries led to the outbreak of World War II. Many Germans are not proud of their country's history. It is hard for individuals to do, but everyone must cope with it. Coping with the past, or Vergangenheitsbewältigung, has influenced the way people in Germany have lived their lives. In The Reader there are many examples of individuals having to cope with the past. Hanna Schmitz was a member of the SS during the Holocaust. She served in concentration camps in Auschwitz and a camp near Cracow. Although Hanna never killed anyone herself, she was involved in taking people to be executed. She must go to court for her actions while being in the SS. When Hanna was a guard she would pick certain girls to read to her. "Yes she had favorites, always one of the young ones who was weak and delicate," says a survivor of the Holocaust during Hanna's trial (Schlink 116). Hanna knew the younger, weaker girls would not tell anyone what they were doing for her. Hanna was illiterate so she enjoyed being read to by the girls. Hanna's entire life is being influenced by all the actions that happened in her past. Hanna is involved in a love affair with a boy less than half her age named Michael Berg. Their relationship is kept secret from people and is rather strange, mostly because of Hanna's past. Their relationship is based around the same principles as Hanna's special prisoners in the concentration camps. After many meetings together Hanna and Michael do not know each other's names. When Michael asks Hanna about her name she suspiciously replies, "Why do you want to know?

Project Management is an Art Form NOT a Science Essay -- Business, Case

Project Management: Art to the Rescue! "Is project management more of a science or more of an art form?" Introduction Today’s business executives are asking their managers and employees â€Å"to do more†¦ with less†. Fewer Project Managers are leading more projects with poor results, the latest Standish Group – Chaos Report shows that only 28% of IT projects succeed. Many believe that the key to Project success in not applying technical management principles, but rather, more artful soft skills such as communication and creativity. (Belzer, 2004). This case study will present and discuss why the application of soft skills will help today’s stressed-out Project Managers implement successful projects. Not only must projects be deployed on time and within budget, they must ultimately bring value to the stakeholder. Often times relating this information to the project sponsor requires creativity rather than a montage of colorful Gantt charts and graphs. The truly gifted Project Managers are those that can apply the systematic hard skills in an artful manner by using soft skills. To that end, some systematic or science related management skills will be discussed, along with the soft skills and how they are used together to successfully manage projects. Scientific Approach Systematic or â€Å"hard† skills such as Gantt Charting or diagramming are just some of the tools Project Managers use to track project activities. While they are important to project success they are not the end all. Successful Project Leaders know the winning formula for combining hard skills with soft skills. A thorough understanding of the technical system to be deployed allows project leaders to break the project down into many smaller tasks. Assign... ...also qualities of successful managers. Good leaders apply artistic traits to scientific tools in order to effectively manage complex projects. Bibliography: Kate Belzer (2004) Project Management: Still More Art than Science Andrew D. Brown, Matthew R. Jones (1998) Doomed to failure: narratives of inevitability and conspiracy in a failed IS project. Organization Studies, Winter. Michael Greer (1999) 14 Key Principles for PM Success. Chapter 6: Planning and Managing Human Performance Technology Projects, "Handbook of Human Performance Technology, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass Craig Schiff (January, 2004) Maximize Business Performance: Getting Started: The BPM Project Life Cycle Paul Worthington (2001) Case Study – Developing Project Management Skills in Managing Death March Projects. Working paper, School of Business, Curtin University, Perth, AU

Coca: Strategic Planning and Coca-cola Company

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Strategic Management Issues of Coca-Cola Company Every successful study should have specified and well-defined objectives. A careful statement of the objective helps in preparing a well-decorated report facilitating others to take decision on it.The specific objectives of the study are to have knowledge about- To know about the strategic management issues of multinational companies To know about the strategies of the multinational companies To characterize the challenges of international strategic management To know about the international strategic management process To identify and characterize the levels the international management strategies To know about the Coca-Cola Company’s strategies management process. SCOPE OF THE STUDY This study has focused upon the Management Issues those are followed by the Coca-Cola Company for capturing the global market.Through our report we try to find out the global challenges of International Strategic Management to assess the basic strategies, describe the international strategic management process of Coca-Cola Company. We hope this study will help to whom, who want to know more clearly about strategic management, its issues as well as the key factors which affect the process of Internationalization for a company. Data and Methodology We examine secondary data of which related to the Strategic Management Issues at the global based Market. Data are collected on various issues from annual report of Coca-Cola Company (2005-2009).In our report we analysis the monthly, quarterly, half-yearly news Review of this company. Based upon this data we like to analysis the Economic Review, Statistical Strategic condition of the Coca-Cola Company. Both the official and regional website helps us to find out more related to the issues with the global market. Form those huge data we take the necessary and used them for the analysis. Our analysis data are clearly represented in our main part of the report thr ough relevant chart, graph with proper description. LIMITATIONS OF THE REPORTAs a student of faculty of Business Administration and Management, 7th semester, this is our first initiative for making a report on â€Å"Strategic Management Issues of Multinational Companies (MNCs): A Case Study on Coca-Cola†. We were really unable to collect enough information from due to their official restrictions. Many things were so confidential that we were not entitled to access there. Beside this we have faced the following hindrances in preparing this report: †¢ Lack of knowledge and experience †¢ Short of time †¢ Lack of computer facilities †¢ Lack of sufficient privileges †¢ Lack of communication facilitiesStrategic management is the process of specifying an organization's objectives, developing policies and plans to achieve these objectives, and allocating resources so as to implement the plans. It is the highest level of managerial activity, usually performed by the company's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and executive team. It provides overall direction to the whole enterprise. International strategic management is a comprehensive and ongoing management planning process aimed at formulating and implementing strategies that enable a firm to complete effectively internationally.The process of developing a particular international strategy is often referred to as strategic planning. Strategic Management is the study of function and responsibilities of senior management. Five Essential Parts of Strategic Management Goal-setting Goal-setting enables a firm to articulate its vision: identify what needs to be accomplished, define short-and long-term objectives, and relate them to what the organization needs to do. Analysis Analysis guides to collect and consider information so that a firm understands the situation.Assess external environments and internal situations to identify the strengths and weakness of the organization and the opportuniti es and threats face to reach the goals. Strategy Formulation To determine a strategy, the firm reflects prioritize, develop options, and make decisions. Review the results of the analysis, identify the issues that a firm implementing partners need to address, and prioritize them in terms of their urgency and magnitude. Use these results to design alternative strategies and plans that address the key strategic issues.Strategy Implementation To implement the strategy, assemble the necessary resources and apply them. Put the chosen plans into practice, marshal the resources and commitments necessary for moving ahead, tap existing capacity and/or build new capacity, and seek to achieve results. Strategy Monitoring Monitoring allows checking the progress toward achieving the firm’s goals and assessing whether any changes in the environment necessitate alternatives to the firm’s strategy. Modify plans and actions to adjust to the impact of changing in the operating environme nt.SIGNIFICANCE OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Strategic management integrates the knowledge and experience gained in various functional areas. It helps to understand and make sense of complex interaction in various areas of management. It helps in understanding how policies are formulated and in creating appreciation of complexities of environment that the senior management faces in policy formulation. Managers need to begin by gaining an understanding of the business environment and to in control. They should know to manage and understand information technology, which is changing the face of business.As public and common investors own and more companies managers need to acquire skills to maximize shareholder value. To have/take a strategic perspective, managers should foresee the future and track changes in customer expectation. Intuitive, logic reasoning is required for proper decision- making. Significance of Strategic As corporate are becoming more integrated with the public life, cor porate governance is becoming important which Management manager may have to practice. To the shape the Its helps to increase Future of business the productivity Effective strategic idea To Makes discipline Mangers and employer areTo make control innovative and It’s decentralized the Page 7 Management To makes forward s Issues in Strategic Management Decision Making †¢ While making a decision the company might have different people at different periods of time. †¢ Decision requires judgments; personal related factors are important in decision-making. Hence decision ma y differs as person change. †¢ Decisions are not taken individually, but often there is a task in decisions which could be Individual Vs Group decision making. There will be a difference between the individual and group decision-making. On what Criteria a company should make its decision, for evaluation of the efficiency & effectiveness of the decision making process, a company has to set its obje ctives which serves as main bench mark. †¢ 3 Major Criteria in decision Making are— a. The concept of Maximization. b. The concept of satisfying. c. The concept of instrumentalism. Based on the concept chosen the strategic decisions will differ. †¢ Generally decision-making process is logical and there will be rationality in decision-making. When it comes to Strategic decision making point of view there would be proper evaluation & then exercising a choice from various available alternative resources, which leads to attain the objectives in a best possible way. †¢ Creativity in decision-making is required when there is a complete situation & the Decision taken must be original & different. †¢ There could be variability in decision-making based on the situation & Circumstances. International strategic management results in the development of various international strategies, which are comprehensive frameworks for achieving a firm’s fundamentals goals .Conceptually, there are many similarities between developing a strategy for competing in a single country and developing one for competing in multiple counties. In both cases, the firm’s strategic planners must answer the same fundamental questions— †¢ What products and/or services does the firm intend to sell? †¢ Where and how will to make those products or services? †¢ Where and how will it sell them? †¢ Where and how will it acquire the necessary resources? †¢ How does it expect to outperform its competitors? But developing an international strategy is far more complex than developing a domestic one.Because managers developing a strategy for a domestic firm must deal with one Company national government, one currency, one accounting system, one political and legal system and usually a single language and a comparatively homogeneous culture. But managers responsible for developing a strategy for an international firm must understand and deal with multiple governments, multiple currencies, multiple political and legal system, and variety of language and cultures. Various Roles of Strategic Management Senior management plays an important role in Strategic Management.Role of Board of Directors: Board of Directors is the supreme Authority in a company. They are the owners/ shareholders/ lenders. They are the ones who direct and responsible for the governance of the company. The Company act and other laws blind them and their actions & they sometimes do get involved in operational issues. Professionals on the B. O. D help to get new ideas, perspectives and provide guidance. They are the link between the company and the environment. Role of C. E. O: Chief Executive Officer is the most important Strategist and responsible for all aspects from formulations/Implementation to review of Strategic Management.He is the leader, motivator & Builder who forms a link between company and the board of directors and responsible for managi ng the external environment and its relationship. Role of Entrepreneur: They are independent in thought and action and they set / start up a new business. A Company can promote the entrepreneurial spirit and this can be internal attitude of an organization. They provide a sense of direction and are active in implementation. Role of Senior Management: They are answerable to B. O. Directors and The C. E.O as they would look after Strategic Management a responsible of certain areas / parts of terms. Role of SBU – Level Executives: They Co-ordinate with other SBU’s & with Senior Management. They are more focused on their product / burners line. They are more on the implementation role. Role of Corporate Planning Staff: It provides administrative support tools and techniques and is a Co-ordinate function. Role of Consultant: Often Consultants may be hired for a specified new business or Expertise even to get an unbiased opinion on the business & the Strategy.Role of Middle Level Managers: They form an important link in strategizing & Implementation. They are not actively involved in formulation of Strategies and they are developed to be the future management. COMPANY OVERVIEW The Coca-Cola Company (Coca-Cola) is a leading manufacturer, distributor and marketer of Non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, in the world. The company owns or licenses more than 400 brands, including diet and light beverages, waters, juice and juice drinks, teas, coffees, and energy and sports drinks. The company operates in more than 200 countries.Approximately 74% of its products are sold outside of the US. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and employs 71,000 people as of September 2006. The company recorded revenues of $24,088 million during the fiscal year ended December 2006, an increase of 4. 3% over 2005. The increase in revenue was primarily due to increase in sales of Unit cases of company’s products from approximately 20. 6 billion unit cases of the company’s Products in 2005 to approximately 21. 4 billion unit cases in 2006, the increase in the Price and Product/geographic mix also boosted the revenue growth.The company-wide gallon Page 12 13. Strategic Management Issues of Coca-Cola Company sales and unit case volume both grew 4% in 2006 when compared to 2005. The operating profit of the company was $6,308 million during fiscal year 2006, an increase of 3. 7% over 2005. The net profit was $5,080 million in fiscal year 2006, an increase of 4. 3% over 2005. HISTORY OF COCA-COLA Coca-Cola was first introduced by John Smyth Pemberton, a pharmacist, in the year 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia when he invented caramel-colored syrup in a three-legged brass kettle in his backyard.He first â€Å"distributed† the product by carrying it in a jug down the street to Jacob’s Pharmacy and customers bought the drink for five cents at the soda fountain. Carbonated water was teamed with the new syrup, whether by acc ident or otherwise, producing a drink that was proclaimed â€Å"delicious and refreshing†, a theme that continues to echo today wherever Coca-Cola is enjoyed. Dr. Pemberton’s partner and book-keeper, Frank M. Robinson, suggested the name and penned â€Å"Coca-Cola† in the unique flowing script that is famous worldwide even today. He suggested that â€Å"the two Cs would look well in advertising. The first newspaper ad for Coca-Cola soon appeared in The Atlanta Journal, inviting thirsty citizens to try â€Å"the new and popular soda fountain drink. † Hand-painted oil cloth signs reading â€Å"Coca-Cola† appeared on store awnings, with the suggestions â€Å"Drink† added to inform passersby that the new beverage was for soda fountain refreshment. By the year 1886, sales of Coca-Cola averaged nine drinks per day. The first year, Dr. Pemberton sold 25 gallons of syrup, shipped in bright red wooden kegs. Red has been a distinctive color associate d with the soft drink ever since. For his efforts, Dr. Pemberton grossed $50 and spent $73. 6 on advertising. Dr. Pemberton never realized the potential of the beverage he created. He gradually sold portions of his business to various partners and, just prior to his death in 1888, sold his remaining interest in Coca-Cola to Asa G. Candler, an entrepreneur from Atlanta. By the year 1891, Mr. Candler proceeded to buy additional rights and acquire complete ownership and control of the Coca-Cola business. Within four years, his merchandising flair had helped expand consumption of Coca-Cola to every state and territory after which he liquidated his pharmaceutical business and focused his full attention on the soft drink.With his brother, John S. Candler, John Pemberton’s former partner Frank Robinson and two other associates, Mr. Candler formed a Georgia corporation named the Coca-Cola Company. The trademark â€Å"Coca-Cola,† used in the marketplace since 1886, was register ed in the United States Patent Office on January 31, 1893. The business continued to grow, and in 1894, the first syrup manufacturing plant outside Atlanta was opened in Dallas, Texas. Others were opened in Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California, the following year.In 1895, three years after The Coca-Cola Company’s incorporation, Mr. Candler announced in his annual report to share owners that â€Å"Coca- Cola is now drunk in every state and territory in the United States. † As demand for Coca-Cola increased, the Company quickly outgrew its facilities. A new building erected in 1898 was the first headquarters building devoted exclusively to the production of syrup and the management of the business. Strategic Management Issues of Coca-Cola Company the year 1919, the Coca-Cola Company was sold to a group of investors for $25 million.Robert W. Woodruff became the President of the Company in the year 1923 and his more than sixty years of leadership took the busines s to unsurpassed heights of commercial success, making Coca-Cola one of the most recognized and valued brands around the world. HISTORY OF BOTTLING Coca-Cola originated as a soda fountain beverage in 1886 selling for five cents a glass. Early growth was impressive, but it was only when a strong bottling system developed that Coca-Cola became the world-famous brand it is today.Year 1894: A modest start for a bold idea In 1894 the Coca-Cola Company is in a candy store in Vicksburg, Mississippi, brisk sales of the new fountain beverage called Coca-Cola impressed the store's owner, Joseph A. Biedenharn. He began bottling Coca-Cola to sell, using a common glass bottle called a Hutchinson. Biedenharn sent a case to Asa Griggs Candler, who owned the Company. Candler thanked him but took no action. One of his nephews already had urged that Coca-Cola be bottled, but Candler focused on fountain sales. In 21st century the Coca-Cola bottling system grew up with roots deeply planted in local com munities.This heritage serves the Company well today as consumers seek brands that honor local identity and the distinctiveness of local markets. As was true a century ago, strong locally based relationships between Coca-Cola bottlers, customers and communities are the foundation on which the entire business grows. Page 15 16. Strategic Management Issues of Coca-Cola Company 1920s and 30s †¦ 1950s †¦ Packaging 1916 †¦ International innovations expansion Birth of the contour bottle VISION OF COCA-COLA COMPANY Our mission declares our purpose as a company.It serves as the standard against which we weigh our actions and decisions. It is the foundation of our Manifesto. †¢ To refresh the world in body, mind and spirit †¢ To inspire moments of optimism through our brands and our actions †¢ To create value and make a difference everywhere we engage. Page 16 MISSION OF COCA-COLA COMPANY To create consumer products, services and communications, customer service and bottling system strategies, processes and tools in order to create competitive advantage and deliver superior value to; †¢ Consumers as a superior beverage experience Consumers as an opportunity to grow profits through the use of finished drinks †¢ Bottlers as an opportunity to grow profits in volumes †¢ Bottlers as a trademark enhancement and positive economic value added †¢ Suppliers as an opportunity to make reasonable profits when creating real value-added in an environment of system-wide team work, flexible business system and continuous improvement †¢ Indian society in the form of a contribution to economic and social development. †¢ Refresh the World†¦In body, mind, and spirit †¢ Inspire Moments of Optimism†¦ Through our brands and our actions †¢ Create Value and Make a Difference†¦ Everywhere we engage. VISION FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH Our vision guides every aspect of our business by describing what we need to accompl ish in order to continue achieving sustainable growth. People: Being a great place to work where people are inspired to be the best they can be. Portfolio: Bringing to the world a portfolio of quality beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy people's desires and needs.Partners: Nurturing a winning network of customers and suppliers, together we create mutual, enduring value. Planet: Being a responsible citizen that makes a difference by helping build and support sustainable communities. Profit: Maximizing long-term return to shareowners while being mindful of our overall responsibilities. QUALITY POLICY Coca-Cola Company follows different quality standard for different countries across the globe. Coca-Cola Company has a long-standing commitment to protecting the consumers whose trust and confidence in its products is the bedrock of its success.In order to ensure that consumers stay informed about the global quality of all Coca-Cola products sold in World, Coca-Cola products carry a quality assurance seal on them. The ‘One Quality Worldwide’ assurance seal appears on the entire range of Coca-Cola Company’s beverages. CURRENT ORGANIZATIONAL ORGANOGRAM BRANDS OF COCA-COLA Coca-Cola Zero ® has been one of the most successful product launch hes in Coca-Cola’s history. In 2007, Coca Cola’s sold nearly 450 million cases globally. Put into perspective, that's roughly the same size as Coca Cola’s total business in the Philippines, one of our top 15 markets.As of September 2008, Coca-Cola Zero is available in more than 100 countries. Energy Drinks For those with a high-intensity approach to life, Coca Cola’s brands of Energy Drinks contain ingredients such as ginseng extract, guarana extract, and caffeine and B vitamins. Juices/Juice Drinks We bring innovation to the goodness of juice in Coca Cola’s more than 20 juice and juice drink brands, offering both adults and children nutritious, refreshing and flavorful beverages Soft Drinks Coca Cola’s dozens of soft drink brands provide flavor and refreshment in a variety of choices.From the original Coca-Cola to most recent introductions, soft drinks from The Coca-Cola Company are both icons and innovators in the beverage industry. Sports Drinks Carbohydrates, fluids, and electrolytes team together in Coca Cola’s Sports Drinks, providing rapid hydration and terrific taste for fitness-seekers at any level Tea and Coffee Bottled and canned teas and coffees provide consumers' favorite drinks in convenient take- anywhere packaging, satisfying both traditional tea drinkers and today's growing coffee culture.Water Smooth and essential, our Waters and Water Beverages offer hydration in its purest form. Other Drinks So much more than soft drinks, Coca Cola’s brands also include milk products, soup, and more so you can choose a Coca Cola Company product anytime, anywhere for nutrition, refreshment or other needs. CONSUMER CHOICE AT A GLANCE Limca Common Fanta Basically Preferred by Maaza also Ladies and drink. Kids Sprite not clearly Kinley Soda Mostly those who defines consume liquor Factors affecting the strategic management issues of domestic and international operations of Coca-Cola Company.Language| English used as a second language| Use the local language in many situations required| Cultures| Relatively homogeneous| Quite diverse, both between countries and within countries| Politics| Unstable| Often volatile and of decisive importance| Economy| Underdeveloped| Wide variations among countries and among regions within countries| Governmental interferences| Reasonably Predictable| Often extensive and subject to rapid change| Labor| Skilled labors are not available| Skilled labors are often scarce, requiring trainings or redesigned of production methods| Financing| Moderately developed financial markets| Often poorly developed financial markets; capital flows subject to governmental control| Market Researc h| Data collect is not very easy| Sometimes data difficult and expensive to collect| Advertising| Media are available with some restrictions| Media limited; many restrictions; low literacy rates rule out of prints media in some countries| Money| | Must change from one currency to another| Transportations| It is not developed| Often Adequate| Control| Always a problem| A worse problem| Labor Relations| Collective bargaining, layoff of workers| Layoff of workers often not possible, may have mandatory participation in management; workers may seek political change rather than collective bargaining| Factors affecting the strategic management issuesThere are some factors which affect strategic of Coca-Cola Company in case of international operation. Language is one of the main considerations when it does business domestically, they generally domestic language. But when it does business outside the country it follows Polycentric policy that is it used different language in different countr ies. Side by side culture is relatively homogeneous in domestic operation and quite diverse, both between countries and within countries. Political stability and policy also be considered by the Coca-Cola Company. Control function is done by centrally in case of domestically but when it goes beyond outside, it must work a tightrope between over centralizing and losing control to much decentralizing.Labor is another consideration because their skills and collective bargaining that is labor relation differ from country to country. Advertising in domestic country is very easy because domestic cultures are known to them. But in case of international operation it faces many problems for advertising such as shortage of media, huge advertising cost and so forth. However economy is relatively uniform in domestic’s country but outsides, it faces wide variation among countries and among region within country. In case of Coco-Cola Company the market research data is easy to collect but when it goes to foreign sometimes face difficult and expensive to collect data.At last we see that government interference in case of domestically, it is minimal and reasonably predictable but in international operation it is often expensive and subject to rapid change. Strategic Alternatives of Multinational Companies Multinationals corporations typically adopt one of four strategic alternatives in their attempt to balance the three goals of global efficiencies, multinational flexibility, and worldwide learning. There four strategies are as follows— Home Replication Strategy In this strategy, a firm utilizes the core competency or firm- specific advantage it developed at home as its main competitive weapon in the foreign markets that it enters. That is, it takes what it does exceptionally well in its home market and attempts to duplicate it in foreign markets.Multi-domestic Strategy It is the second alternative available to international firm. A multi-domestic corporation vi ews itself as a collection of relatively independent operating subsidiaries, each of which focuses on a specific domestic market. Global Strategy It is the third alternative available for international firms. A global corporations views the world as a single marketplace and has as its primary goal the creation of standardized goods and services that will address the needs of customers worldwide. Transnational Strategy The transnational corporation attempts to combine the benefits of global scale efficiencies with the benefits of local responsiveness.Strategies for Coca Cola Company These four strategy are shown in the following figure— Home Multi-domestic Replication Strategy Strategy v Transnational Global Strategy Strategy From these four strategies Coca-Cola Company follow the Multi-domestic strategies. They produce their products independently in different countries. All countries product are not same. They produce their products by following different strategy for differ ent countries, based on the internal and external environment of the country. Coca-Cola Company developed their strategy by considering the nature of the people of different county’s people, culture, status and so many other related factors.Behind the reasons of following of this strategy may be that, different countries’ economies of scale for production, distribution, and marketing are low, side by side cost of coordination between the parent corporation and its various foreign subsidiaries is high. Because each subsidiary in a multi-domestic corporation must be responsive to the local market, the parent company usually delegates considerable power and authority to managers of its subsidiaries in various host countries. Levels of Strategies followed by Coca-Cola Company There are three levels of strategies followed by Coca-Cola Company. This may be stated as the following Figure: Levels of Strategies Corporate Level Strategy Corporate level strategy attempts to defin e the domain of business the firm intends to operate.Corporate level strategy fundamentally is concerned with the selection of businesses in which the company should compete and with the development and coordination of that portfolio of businesses. A firm might adopt any of three forms of corporate strategy: †¢ A single business strategy †¢ Related diversification strategy and †¢ Unrelated diversification strategy. Coca-Cola Company follows related diversification strategy that is calls for the firm to operate in several different but fundamentally related businesses. Each of its operations linked to the others Coca-Cola characters, the Coca-Cola logo, and a theme of wholesomeness and a reputation for providing high quality family products.Coca-Cola Company follows this strategy because it has several advantages. At first, the firm depends less on a single products so it is less vulnerable to competitive or economic threats. Secondly, related diversification may produ ce economies of scale for a firm. Thirdly, related diversification may allow a firm to use technology or expertise developed in one market to enter a second market more cheaply and easily. Corporate level strategies of Coca-Cola Company is following Business Unit Level Strategy A strategic business unit may be a division, product line, or other profit center that can be planned independently from the other business units of the firm.Corporate strategy deals with the overall whereas business strategy focuses on specific business, subsidiaries or operating units within the firm. Business seeks to answer the question â€Å"how should we compete in each market we have chosen to enter? † The firms develop unique business strategy for each of its strategic business units, or it may pursue the same business strategy for all of them. The three basic business strategy are differentiation, overall cost leadership and focus. Coca-Cola Company uses the differentiation strategy effectivel y. Functional Level Strategy The functional strategies attempts to answer to question â€Å"How we manage the function? The functional level of the organization is the level of the operating divisions and departments. The strategic issues at the functional level are related to business processes and the value chain. Functional level strategies in marketing, finance, operations, human resources, and R;D involve the development and coordination of resources through which business unit level strategies can be executed efficiently and effectively. Functional units of an organization are involved in higher level strategies by providing input into the business unit level and corporate level strategy, such as providing information on resources and capabilities on which the higher level strategies can be based.Once the higher-level strategy is developed, the functional units translate it into discrete action-plans that each department or division must accomplish for the strategy to succeed . E-COMMERCE OF COCA-COLA COMPANY Good points of Coca-Cola Company †¢ Brand Promotion †¢ Attractive products selection †¢ Look and feel 8 †¢ Provision of multimedia product, catalogue pages †¢ Personal attention †¢ Community relationships Weak points of Coca-Cola Company †¢ Performance and service: that is not easy navigation, shopping and purchasing, and prompt shipping and delivery. †¢ Discount pricing is not being offered. Developing International Strategies Developing international strategies is not a one-dimensional process.. Simply put, put strategy formulations deciding what to do and strategy implementation is actually doing it.Firms generally carry out international strategic management in two broad strategies- Strategy Formulation In strategies formulation, a firm establishes its goals and strategic plan that will lead to the achievement of their mission goals. In international strategy formulation, managers develop, refine, and agre e on which markets of enter (or exit) and how best to compete in each. Strategy Implementation A firm develops the tactics for achieving the formulated international strategies is known as strategy implementation. Strategy implementation is usually achieved via the organization’s design, the work of its employees, and its control systems and processes. Every Multinational Companies are developing their international strategies so that they can survive in the complex business situation.Now the modern market is fully globalized and as a result it’s really difficult for every multinational organization in the right track. In such aspect the importance of strategy formulation and strategy implementation played an important role. Side by side there is some important process which helps in international strategy formulation. Developing International Strategies in Aspects of Coca-Cola Company TCCQS is the Coca-Cola system’s branded quality management system. It helps c oordinate and guide our activities to ensure quality in everything they do. For entering in to a new market and be survive in the market it always ready to cope with change. Different government policy, economic condition, political situation, barrier and ban are associated with different market.Coca-Cola Company’s basic strategies are to develop a mission statement for entering a new market depending on a fully fledged market survey. Identifying external and internal environment strength, weakness, opportunity, and threats is the next management strategies. Depending on the scope and opportunity the company will go forward as well as try to resolve the weakness and threats. After entering into a new market Coca-Cola Company try to achieve strategic goals and guide its daily activities with proper observation. Lastly this company establishes a control framework for controlling the managerial and organizational systems and process as well. This company believes that, for takin g a position in a new country is fully depends on the good formulation strategies and keeping it.To do business outside the local market is depending on the quality control of the product and quality ensures the customer perception and the choice for consuming this products. Through this model, we see that the company is first take the response of customers and consumers through market survey. Then the management accumulates the best quality resources for making their products. This process includes- †¢ Skilled employee involvement for production and quality control †¢ High quality materials for production †¢ Up to date technology for quality control †¢ Effective methods and newly developed strategies They will follow some sequential steps in developing the international strategy formulation.Those steps help the Coca- Cola Company to enter and establish their business in multinational base. They are following multi-domestic strategies for their produced product a s well as their marketing system. The analysis of different levels of strategic formulating of Coca-Cola Company is given below. Developing the Mission Statement Coca-Cola Company begins the international strategic planning process by creating a mission statement, which clarifies the organization’s purpose, value, and directions. The mission statement is often used as a way of communicating with internal and external constituents and stakeholders about the firm’s strategic direction. Mission statement of Coca-Cola CompanyThis company focused on driving growth in of their business in selected profitable and emerging categories. To develop, implement and continuously improve the integrated management systems in a culture of continuous improvement which: †¢ Directs the continual up-gradation for efficient and environment friendly manufacturing technology. †¢ Monitor and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of all business processes. †¢ Promotes professi onal and flexible work environment, teamwork and innovation through employee participation and process ownership. †¢ Drives customer orientation at all levels within the organization. †¢ Monitor and economize the Cost of Quality.Comments on mission Statements (In terms of how they support the strategies) The vision statement of this company supports the existing strategies that are (generic strategy) that Coca Cola needs to pursue is that of differentiation. In their current vision and mission statements, the company says it aims to be a low cost leader, yet through their analysis of the strategic direction, the company needs to adopt a generic strategy of differentiation. This will allow Coca cola to do two things; 1. Increase unit sales 2. Gain buyer loyalty However, at the expense of sounding simplistic, it is necessary that the company communicate its differentiation to its customers, otherwise these two advantages will not avail themselves.Initially Coca cola will nee d to adopt a focused differentiation approach, which means that they should selectively choose which markets will profit them the most and then target only those markets until such provisions are in place from where the company is able to expand its target base. After which they should opt for a broad differentiation generic strategy. COCA-COLA COMPANY, THE SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT ANALYSIS The Coca-Cola Company (Coca-Cola) is a leading manufacturer, distributor and marketer of Non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, in the world. Coca-Cola has a strong brand name and brand portfolio. Business-Week and Inter brand, a branding consultancy, recognize Coca-Cola as one of the leading brands in their top 100 global brands ranking in 2008.The Business Week-Interbred valued Coca- Cola at $67,000 million in 2008. Coca-Cola ranks well ahead of its close competitor Pepsi which has a ranking of 22 having a brand value of $12,690 million The Company’s strong brand value facilitates cus tomer recall and allows Coca-Cola to Page 37 38. Strategic Management Issues of Coca-Cola Company penetrate markets. However, the company is threatened by intense competition which could have an adverse impact on the company’s market share. Analyzing the primary competitor and identifying their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT Analysis) help determine target markets, marketing plan, and customer service, sales forecasting and sales planning.Examining the following will assist in the competitive analysis: Identify the level of rivalry among competing sellers in the industry Review strategies of companies to encourage customers to switch from a competitor Analyze ease of entry for new competitors Determine bargaining power for suppliers of key materials and components Determine bargaining power for buyers of the product SWOT Analysis represents the analysis of the following four things— STRENGTHS Distribution network: The Company has a strong and r eliable distribution network. The network is formed on the basis of the time of consumption and the amount of sales yielded by a particular customer in one transaction. It has a distribution network consisting of a number of efficient salesmen, 700,000 retail outlets and 8000 distributors.The distribution fleet includes different modes of distribution, from 10-tonne trucks to open-bay three wheelers that can navigate through narrow alleyways of Indian cities and trademarked tricycles and pushcarts. Strong Brands: The products produced and marketed by the Company have a strong brand image. People all around the world recognize the brands marketed by the Company. Strong brand names like Coca-Cola, Fanta, Limca, and Maaza add up to the brand name of the Coca-Cola Company as a whole. The red and white Coca-Cola is one of the very few things that are recognized by people all over the world. Coca-Cola has been named the world's top brand for a fourth consecutive year in a survey by consul tancy Inter brand. It was estimated that the Coca-Cola brand was worth $70. 45billion.Low Cost of Operations: The production, marketing and distribution systems are very efficient due to forward planning and maintenance of consistency of operations which minimizes wastage of both time and resources leads to lowering of costs. WEAKNESSES Low Export Levels: The brands produced by the company are brands produced worldwide thereby making the export levels very low. In India, there exists a major controversy concerning pesticides and other harmful chemicals in bottled products including Coca-Cola. Small Scale Sector Reservations Limit Ability To Invest And Achieve Economies Of Scale: The Company’s operations are carried out on a small scale and due to Government restrictions and ‘red-tapism’, the Company finds it very difficult to invest in technological advancements and achieve economies of scale. OPPORTUNITIESLarge Domestic Markets: The domestic market for the produ cts of the Company is very high as compared to any other soft drink. Coca-Cola India claims a 58 per cent share of the soft drinks market; this includes a 42 per cent share of the cola market. Other products account for 16 per cent market share, chiefly led by Limca. The company appointed 50,000 new outlets in the first two months of this year, as part of its plans to cover one lakh outlets for the coming summer season and this also covered 3,500 new villages. In Bangalore, Coca- Cola amounts for 74% of the beverage market. Export Potential: The Company can come up with new products which are not manufactured abroad, like Maaza etc and export them to foreign nations.It can come up with strategies to eliminate apprehension from the minds of the people towards the Coke products produced in India so that there will be a considerable amount of exports and it is yet another opportunity to broaden future prospects and cater to the global markets rather than just domestic market. Higher In come among People: Development of India as a whole has lead to an increase in the per capita income thereby causing an increase in disposable income. Unlike olden times, people now have the power of buying goods of their choice without having to worry much about the flow of their income. The beverage industry can take advantage of such a situation and enhance their sales. THREATSImports: For example: As India is developing at a fast pace, the per capita income has increased over the years and a majority of the people is educated, the export levels have gone high. People understand trade to a large extent and the demand for foreign goods has increased over the years. If consumers shift onto imported beverages rather than have beverages manufactured within the country, it could pose a threat to the Indian beverage industry as a whole in turn affecting the sales of the Company. Tax and Regulatory Sector: The tax system in India is accompanied by a variety of regulations at each stage o n the consequence from production to consumption.When a license is issued, the production capacity is mentioned on the license and every time the production capacity needs to be increased, the license poses a problem. Renewing or updating a license every now and then is difficult. Therefore, this can limit the growth of the Company and pose problems. Slowdown In Rural Demand: The rural market may be alluring but it is not without its problems: Low per capita disposable incomes that is half the urban disposable income; large number of daily wage earners, acute dependence on the vagaries of the monsoon; seasonal consumption linked to harvests and festivals and special occasions; poor roads; power problems; and inaccessibility to conventional advertising media.All these problems might lead to a slowdown in the demand for the company’s products. COCA-COLA COMPANY, THE PEST ANALYSIS A scan of the external macro-environment in which the firm operates can be expressed in terms of th e following factors: †¢ Political †¢ Economic †¢ Social †¢ Technological The acronym PEST (or sometimes rearranged as â€Å"STEP†) is used to describe a framework for the analysis of these macro environmental factors. A PEST analysis fits into an overall environmental scan, which consists of significant political, economic, social and technological analysis for a firm to reach their desirable position or to attain the goals and objectives.For operating a business worldwide it is too much important, because its analysis represent the overall environmental scanning as shown in the following diagram: Environmental Scan / External Analysis Internal Analysis / Macro environment Microenvironment | P. E. S. T. Coca-Cola Company’s perform/ operate their business unit in different country based on the developing of the PEST analysis. The PEST analysis of Coca-Cola Company is as following— Political Factors It is one of the significant parts of a compa ny where, in which country they operate their business unit. Political factors include government regulations and legal issues and define both formal and informal rules under which the firm must operate. Some examples include: †¢ tax policy †¢ employment laws †¢ environmental regulations †¢ trade restrictions and tariffs political stability Economic Factors Another most imperative element for PEST analysis is economic factors. Economic factor affects the purchasing power of potential customers and the firm's cost of capital. The following are examples of factors in the macro-economy: †¢ economic growth †¢ interest rates †¢ exchange rates †¢ inflation rate Social Factors Social factors include the demographic and cultural aspects of the external macro environment. These factors affect customer needs and the size of potential markets. Some social factors include: †¢ health consciousness †¢ population growth rate †¢ age distributio n †¢ career attitudes †¢ emphasis on safetyTechnological Factors Technological factors can lower barriers to entry, reduce minimum efficient production levels, and influence outsourcing decisions. Some technological factors include: †¢ R;D activity †¢ automation †¢ technology incentives †¢ rate of technological change Develop Strategic and tactical goals and plans of Coca-Cola Company After completion of SWOT and PEST analysis as context, international strategic planning is largely framed by the setting of strategic goals. Based on different market situation as well as customers response this company will set up their tactical goals for being a strong position in the global market place.Strategic goals are the major objectives that the Company wants to accomplish through pursuing a particular course of action. The basic objective of set up this strategic and tactical plan and goals is to exploit the firm’s strengths and environmental opportunitie s, neutralize external threats and overcome the firm’s weakness. Depending on those vital factors this Coca- Cola Company is develop a Control Framework for their overall controlling of management. Through this framework managerial and organizational systems are observed, monitor, and processed. Findings By preparing this report about the strategic management issues of multinational companies (MNCS), the case study on the Coca-Cola Company, we get some important things.These findings are as follows— †¢ Coca-Cola Enterprises is the world's largest marketer, producer and distributor of Coca-Cola products. †¢ Coca-Cola was first introduced by John Smyth Pemberton, a pharmacist, in the year 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia when he invented caramel-colored syrup in a three-legged brass kettle in his backyard. †¢ It operates in 46 U. S. states and Canada, and is the exclusive Coca-Cola bottler for all of Belgium, continental France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Monaco a nd the Netherlands. Coca-Cola is the nonalcoholic bottled beverages. †¢ The company owns or licenses more than 400 brands, including diet and light beverages, waters, juice and juice drinks, teas, coffees, and energy and sports drinks. The company operates in more than 200 countries †¢ Strategic management integrates the knowledge and experience gained in various functional areas. †¢ 3 Major Criteria in decision Making are—the concept of Maximization, the concept of satisfying, the concept of instrumentalism. †¢ The vision of Coca-Cola Company is to refresh the world in body, mind and spirit †¢ Bringing to the world a portfolio of quality beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy people's desires and needs. †¢ Coca-Cola Zero ® has been one of the most successful product launch hes in Coca-Cola’s history †¢ It has soft drinks, energy drinks, juice drinks, sports drinks, tea and coffee, water and other drinks. †¢ Coca-Cola Comp any follows the multi-domestic strategy for operating their business. After entering into a new market Coca-Cola Company try to achieve strategic goals and guide its daily activities with proper observation. †¢ Good points of Coca-Cola Company are brand promotion, alternative products selections, Provision of multimedia product, catalogue pages and so on. CONCLUSION Being in such a tense competition (just like the brand Coca- Cola), Coca-Cola should not take the direct and tough attack upon it. There is no good to either side. The best way is to keep a peaceful relationship with it and always compare with others; we should find their disadvantages and show our advantages on this aspect. Then by and by, the people would think ours is betted Of course the most important rule is to improve ourselves to meet the consumers.An organization’s strategic thinking is governed by the situation prevalent in its external environment. The external environment comprises of the strategi c moves adopted by the organization’s competitors. The organization has to carefully study these moves and accordingly devise strategies to gain competitive advantage. For the same, the organization needs to conduct an industry and competitive analysis. The paper discusses the steps and processes involved in the same. In formulating business strategy, managers must consider the strategies of the firm's competitors. While in highly fragmented commodity industries the moves of any single competitor may be less important, in concentrated industries competitor

From 1600 †1763

From 1600 – 1763, several European nations vied for control of the North American continent. Why did England win the struggle? Support your answer with details of each nation's successes and failures. From the early 1600’s to the mid 1700’s, several European nations vied to control North America. Spain, Great Britain, and France were all powerhouses trying to colonize the free world and create a massive empire. Out of the three, England won the struggle because of failures made by the Spanish and French in the years before the American Revolution.The Spanish were the most powerful nation before the colonizing of the West Indies began. They had the Spanish Armada who was known for never losing a single battle. They also had all the riches in the world from all of their explorations. Unfortunately, during the early 1600’s, the Spanish began to experience fatigue from overextension with their army. The Spanish had to take care of problems in their Dutch terri tories causing them to leave the West Indian Islands and Jamaica open for grabs.Great Britain would eventually claim it and they began to work with sugar, the rich man’s crop. One difference between the British and Spanish motives for colonizing was that the Spanish based part of their time converting people to Catholic. The British were not concerned with religion, but more concerned with expanding their empire and making a profit. So by now, the British had colonized most of the Atlantic coast from Maryland down to Georgia. Another nation that wanted to have control over North America was the French.The French owned land from Quebec all the way down to the end of the Mississippi River in New Orleans. They basically controlled â€Å"middle† America. The French were in the business of trapping and fur trade. A very profitable business, but not a very sustainable one on its own. The French never really had a chance to control the New World because they were not as power ful as the Spanish or the British. France lost their hopes of having control in North America when they lost the French and Indian War with Great Britain.Great Britain’s victory over the French caused them to give up most of the land that they claimed and now half of the United States was in control of the British. England won the struggle for control of North America because when they saw a chance to pick up more land from another country, they would grab it. They had the army power to go to war with France and the Spanish had too much on their plate which weakened them. The English controlled the east coast of North America and had many profitable industries such as tobacco, sugar, and indigo. England won based on their power and strategy.