Amazom

Part 1 Amazon. com is a popular and well-known multinational E-commerce company in the world, based in United State and expended the retail web site in United Kingdom on 15th October 1998 (D Brown, 2008), which composes of buying and selling products or services through internet and another essential computer network systems. Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon claimed that a company can be resilient is made by focusing on the customer (Zach, article, 2013).Obviously, customer centricity (Mark, YouTube, 2009) is the tenet that Amazon is working on, which is the strongest key to raise the global prominence and earn the credits from their consumers and suppliers. By reaching the goal of customer satisfactions, Amazon divided their internal operation aim into five main parts of components to ensure that they have delivered what consumer needs, which is controlled by Lean system combined with the efficiency of Six Sigma system (Andrew, 2009, Mark, YouTube, 2013) and Pull system to shor ten the time of operation and focus on identifying the needs of customer or place order to co-sourced.After that, both of them will send the parcel to Royal Mail or commercial courier after certificated and packed by Total Quality Management system (TQM) (Nigel, Alistair, Robert, 2011) and ABC Warehousing system (Jay, Barry, 2008) respectively. The first one is provide an easy purchase process and platform to customer that contain a user-friendly web page and mobile â€Å"app† (Annual report, legal proceeding, 2013) with clear catalogues, simple order and payment procedure to reduce the time of procurement.Second one is offer a wide range of goods selection (Annual report, Overview, 2013) from all over the world to fulfill different type of customer needs. Pricing management (Annual report, consumer, 2013) is also another important element; it can separate into two parts that are internal and external. Internal is the price of products that tempted the consumers with lowest p ossible price, which is operated by Amazon. External part is postage, Amazon provide Prime and Supersaver to lower the cost of shipment (Annual report, consumer, 2013) to their customers, but the delivery part is still handling by Royal mail or other logistic company.The next component is quality (Annual report, 2013) of the products that they have a set of quality level to decrease the defect or product return. The last one is efficiency (Annual report, 2013), sequence the duration of the operation from the order placed until ship out the parcel. In the meantime, Drop Shipping (Annual report, 2013) is providing by some of the vendors of Amazon to shorten to procedure. Furthermore, the speed of problem solving is fast since Amazon is using E-mail and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) (Nigel, Alistair, Robert, 2011) to communicate with their customer and vendors.Amazon is performed well in the internal supply chain system, yet there still have some conundrum appear frequently such as the unpredictable delivery time, delivery address label and document missed (Cathrin, 2007), postmen did not even knock their door to save time when deliver (Andrew B, 2012), no one response during long holiday (G. Charlton, 2013), ignore the request from customers (A. Jones, 2011) and customer needs to postpone the shipping time (M. Lewis, 2011). Here also have some customer reviews as following that had experience of online shopping.Fiona blamed that she got her parcel a year late (Andrew B, 2012). Tony Rudder said that he had been waiting a package for a whole day in his house, but he just discovered a little note on the floor saying that they tried to delivery his parcel at the end (Andrew B, 2012). Richard Wilding claimed that his parcel was founded about half a mile away from his house few weeks later (Andrew B, 2012). The above customers’ reviews showed that the system of delivery is existence some significant factor that infuriating their customers and also losing th e confidence from the consumers.According to the research studies, since the whole system of Amazon is complex and unsure with people involved such as unpredictable human being of psychological issues that may affect the outcome, so that, Soft System Methodology (SSM) (Checkland, 1999) with tools CATWOE, â€Å"Rich Picture† and Root Definition will be the ideal way to apply in this case. As shown in the â€Å"Rich Picture† (Figure 1), it indicated that once the computer system received the order from customer, it directly assign to the distribution center.But then, there has a blockage appear between the logistic part and customers after Amazon passed the parcel to Royal Mail or other commercial couriers, it is because of customer is unable to predict and check the exact arrive time of the parcel by themselves. Moreover, when customer tries to contact with the customer service of Amazon, the staff may not answer immediately due to the part of delivery is not under thei r control. With the reviews and tools of CATWOE (Appendix 1), Root Definition will be formed. Amazon owned system operated by staffs of Amazon that supports since received order from customer to parcel delivered.All goods need to passed a standard quality control in order to provide a quality products and also with good service of delivery on time, while recognizing the constraints of the barriers of third party logistic company. Concluded with the analysis of delivery conundrum of Amazon, we found that they should strengthen the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) (Andrew, 2009) to achieve the objective of delivery service to meet customer expectation. Besides, cooperate with a logistic company that operated with good Technology Management (TM) (Jay, Barry, 2008) with new IT system to enhance the value of delivery.To begin with the whole delivery process, three best delivery dates and time selected by customers should be added in the purchase procedure. Secondly, use GPS (eCouri er, 2013) real time tracking system to monitor the parcel once it passed to the logistic company; let customers check with their smartphone. In the meanwhile, the computing system will send a pre-delivery alert SMSy (Whitepapers) and 1 hour before the parcel arrive reminder to the customer that make sure the parcel can be well delivered.The other advantage would be allowing customer to rearrange the delivery time with SMS (Whitepapers). At last, use a PIN code (The iBin, 2013) to identify the parcel delivered to the right person. Figure 1 CATWOE of Amazon Customers| Customer/ Buyer| Actors| Staff of Amazon| Transformation process| Received order from customer transformed into parcel delivered| World View| Parcel delivered means ensured that customer received a quality products which passed the standard control and good service of delivery. | Owner| Amazon| Environment constraints| Barriers by the third party logistic company|

“I’m A Fool” by Sherwood Anderson Essay

â€Å"I’m A Fool† by Sherwood Anderson takes the reader into the mind of a lying, ambivalent, uneducated and somewhat foolish youth. It is a story of a foolish incident in which he lies to a beautiful girl in attempt to win her love. His plan backfires when he realizes that she likes him for who he is, not the imaginary character whom he claimed himself to be. The theme in â€Å"I’m A Fool†, deals with the consequences associated with dishonesty and deceitfulness, and he is able to effectively reveal this theme with the use of dramatic irony. The narrator believes that stealing, swearing, getting drunk, and bandaging horses is of far greater importance than a high school diploma or university degree. Anderson is implementing irony because what the narrator says is not what the reader knows to be true; the reader knows that these skills are of little or no importance in our society. Another example of irony is when the narrator believes the whiskey and the well-dressed dandy caused him to lie to Lucy Wesson. We know, however, that the narrator lied in fear of rejection. One aspect of â€Å"I’m A Fool† is its incorrect grammar and simple, unexpressive and reoccurring descriptive words. The story is riddled with simple adverbs and injections that are used to describe the narrators emotions such as ‘Gee whizz!’, ‘Peachy’, and ‘gay’. The primitive vocabulary in some ways prevent the reader from receiving an accurate portrayal emotion therefore making the reader guess what the narrator is feeling in certain situations. For instance, â€Å"Gee whizz!† is used to describe four seemingly different emotions: enjoyment (paragraph 8), amazement (paragraph 10), regret (paragraph 38), and love (paragraph 55). Throughout the story, we see the narrator being deceptive and dishonest to others and him self on several occasions. For instance, he shows resentment towards the educated claiming that they ‘don’t know nothing at all,’ however he presents us with a new perspective towards the educated saying that ‘There are some†¦ that are all right.’ His ambivalent attitude is emphasized when he expresses thankfulness towards  his mother for teaching him ‘not be noisy and rough like a gang you see around a race track.’ If he was thankful for the morals that he was taught by his mother, one might wonder why he disobeyed his mother and became a swipe in the first place. The narrator dealt with his emotions in an immature way. Dealing with the self-disappointment resulting from his dishonesty towards Lucy Wesson, he convinces himself that he is worthless and undeserving of his job. Tragically, the narrator does not learn from his consequences. Most of us know that being dishonest towards other people is wrong and carries a consequence, yet we may deceive ourselves without realizing it. We should understand that before we can be truthful to others, we must be truthful to ourselves.

Why did the Oslo Peace Process of the 1990s fail to deliver the Dissertation

Why did the Oslo Peace Process of the 1990s fail to deliver the promise of a just and lasting peace between Israel and the Pales - Dissertation Example Scholars and academics have dissected the facts and circumstances and attempted to discover the reasons for the failure of the Oslo Accords. Two dominant themes were identified in the literature. One theme demonstrates a tendency to blame the internal political contestations between the PLO and Hamas as the culprit. The other them is Israeli-related and points to Israel’s ambitions to enlarge and normalize its occupation of Palestine. This research study analyzes both themes and concludes that is was a combination of both Israeli political ambitions and internal political contestation. The 21st century remains haunted by a number of long and unresolved conflicts, none more turbulent than the Israeli-Arab conflict (Kittrie, 2003). Long-standing uncertainties about Palestine’s state status are juxtaposed against Israel’s determination to secure its borders in an increasingly hostile and contentious region. Yet in1993, the on-going conflict that appeared to be on it s final legs as it appeared Palestine and Israel had agreed to a peace settlement also known as the Oslo accords (Sayigh, 2002). However, by 2000, the conflict intensified and the need for a solution is more important than ever before. Instability in the region threatens peace in the Middle East and the rest of the world. Thus by identifying the reasons for the failure of the Oslo accords during the 1990s can help us to identify what went wrong for the construction of a new and more realistic intervention scheme. Scholars and academics have conducted significant research into the causes of the Oslo accord failure. Findings are varied although two main themes have been identified in the literature. One theme demonstrates a tendency to attribute the Oslo peace failure to internal political contestation with Palestine. The other theme tends to shift blame for the Oslo peace failure to Israel’s behaviour and sense of entitlement. The arguments in the literature that will be exami ned in this research study are therefore divided into two main categories: Palestinian-Related Factors and Israeli-Related Factors. Palestinian-Related Factors Using the theory of internal political contestation, Pearlman (2008/09) argues that the Oslo Peace Conference failed because, internal conflicts over contested leadership in Palestine led to violence and disruptions specifically calculated to spoil the peace negotiation process (p.80). Similar arguments are made by Shikaki (2002) who argue that internal political conflict over perceived failure by the Palestinian Liberation Army (PLO) and its failure to secure an independent Palestine is the catalyst for the failed Oslo accords of the 1990s. Indyk (2003) likewise attributes the failed Oslo peace settlement of the 1990s to internal conflicts and places the blame on insurgencies and terrorism and poor government institutions in Palestinian territories. Kydd and Walter (2002) use a game theory model to demonstrate that extremism and a lack of confidence within Palestine which led to the deliberate â€Å"

Financing_Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Financing_Entrepreneurship - Essay Example From the findings of this study, the MD of this case study Pimlico Plumbers is reluctant to do a franchise kind of business. Unless a business’ operations can be conducted from a central point, spatial expansion of activities would not be advisable due to its expensiveness. An example of performing business activities in different locations is that of one establishment in a given town and another in a different town or even a restaurant with the expectations of purchasing equipment and recruiting staff as well as renting of other business premises. Otherwise, if carrying out business operations in various geographical locations becomes hard, there is an alternative of licensing a format of business to other 3rd parties asking them for an opportunity of franchise. Pimlico Plumbers Ltd can be advised to consider franchising and on that note the MD, Charlie Mullins may consider the information provided by the growingbusiness.co.uk website. Under circumstances where third parties are seeking franchise just like in this case Zockoll, then there is need to understand this type of business approach. In such situation, franchisees have to take care of the entire or a portion of their cost outlay of launching franchised parent business’ version. Charlie Mullins’ fear of not Franchising is not losing control. ... It says that franchising presents an opportunity of growing a business both nationally and internationally and where the parent business need not make investments in premises and staff. Franchising is not advisable for all businesses in entirety. While it works for some, others are not likely to make it by way of franchising their businesses. All there needs to be is a recognisable or a widespread brand. (growingbusiness.co.uk, 2009) Pimlico Plumbers has been in business since three decades ago, with a staff made up of 133 engineers besides 42 personnel working in their offices. It is the biggest independent service body corporate. It is atleast known nationally in the UK and thus business franchising can work for the company. The clients of the company are with the inclusion of Chelsea football members of the team, Daniel Craig, Hugh Grant and Keira Knightley. The MD has appeared on Secret Millionaire a programme by Channel 4. (pimlicoplumbers.com, 2010) A franchise business is not free of merits and demerits alike. Franchises are advantageous to owners in that they get to undertake their own operations using the brand provided by an already existing business. A franchise also gains a profit share as well as upfront fee. Franchisees take financial risk while a business profile is being grown besides ample revenue. On the other hand, it is hated for its hindrance to expand in future since the only existing potential is that of staking in profits while franchisees enjoy the remainder. Poor management of franchises as likely to demolish a business brand is another disadvantage that should be put in mind. (growingbusiness.co.uk, 2009) (2). External Finance and Bank Borrowing On the issue of

Summery of the studies been done by 3 researchers (B.K. CAMPBELL, Outline

Summery of the studies been done by 3 researchers (B.K. CAMPBELL, HELEN PICTON and MC NEILY) on folliculogenesis in Female ewes - Outline Example Concentration of FSH decreased during follicular growth, while that of LH surged. FSH concentration increased on day 1 and a second batch of follicles with 5 mm diameter emerged. The researchers concluded that preovulatory follicles emerge from large follicle population supported by FSH generation. Building up on this research, Campbell and Baird (1998) examined the antral of follicle development of genetic variation in ovulation rates for different sheep breeds. Two strategies have evolved to help achieve high fertility, the Finnish Landrace and the Fec gene, and these suppress FSH. The research indicated an unidentified gene mutation that brings this effect. An interesting research by Campbell (et al. 2000) helped to develop cortical autograft procedures to restore fertility in aged sheep. The results indicate the FSH helps to modulate folliculogenesis, and it can be used for early follicle and oocyte development. Campbell and Baird (2001) undertook a research to evaluate the local actions, the origin and control of inhibin A in sheep. The research concluded that inhibin A acts as an FSH-responsive marker of granulosa cell differentiation, and that it performs paracrine and autocrine activities. In the same years, Campbell (et al. 2001) examined the role of Booroola gene, an autosomal mutation that influences the ovulation rate, and discovered that it leads to the growth of antral follicles that increases the ovulation rate in sheep. Campbell (et al. 2003) undertook further research on the FecB Booroola gene that acts at the ovary of sheep, and enhances the sensitivity of the ovaries to stimulation. Examining the FecB (Booroola) gene, Campbell (et al. 2009) presented a paper on the mechanism of action of the FecB mutation at a conference in Pune, India. In another research, Campbell (et al. 2007) examined the use of LH on growth of large preovulatory follicles and hormone secretion in Ewes. T he study indicated that LH is required

A long way gone 'Ishmael Beah and Allegory of the cave Plato's Essay

A long way gone 'Ishmael Beah and Allegory of the cave Plato's - Essay Example In this article, I will use the two texts, Allegory of the Cave by Plato and A long Way Gone’ by Ishmael Beah to justify the statement ‘can childhood ever be lost beyond recovery?’ The childhood ages are characterized by innocence of the mind and soul. Children are notable for being able to express their feelings and emotions in a manner that is straight, often hiding nothing compared to the older generations where hypocrisy characterizes most of their talks and manner of expressions. In his Memoir, Ishmael creates his protagonist; a child aged 12 years of age at the beginning of the story. Ishmael at this age has an innocent mind of a child making him central to the flow of the story. Living in a country rocked with war and violence due to the locals’ invasion by the country rebels, the young boy is forced to join the militia forces in order to fight and be able to defend himself and those close to him. Alongside other young boys from his tiny village in Sierra Leone, Ishmael, while traversing the lonely war torn fields develop feelings and emotions that derails him completely of his innocent childhood feelings. He looses his innocence in the field as he comes into close encounter with the war atrocities. Killing, sights of blood and dead people all around him becomes his usual norm in his war days. Contrary to the feelings of childhood that is free from crimes and the normalcy of reveling in criminal offences, Ishmael totally loose his childhood innocence and becomes a child combatant. However, the even as Ishmael revels in war and engages in serial killings as a combatant, his childhood likings such as the love for rap music remain his most revered hobby. Even though his present perception is derailed by the events encountered during combat, his childhood perception of life, far from that of evil combat remains and when this is discovered, he

The Nature of Computing. Why Programming Paradigms and Languages Essay

The Nature of Computing. Why Programming Paradigms and Languages - Essay Example This paper presents a detailed overview of computer programming languages. This paper will discuss the evolution of computer programming languages, change in a diversity of languages and explore how languages such as Python, Perl, Ruby and C# emerged as a convergence of previous languages. Introduction to Programming and Programming Languages The computer programming is the process of writing the computer programs (also called software applications) to solve different kind of problems as well as to manage different processes of the computer. In fact, a computer is useless without a computer program. In addition, a computer program is written after understanding the problem. In this scenario, we must be clear about the processing steps to be performed by a computer. It means that we must understand the logic of the program before writing a program; we must learn how to plan the theoretical framework of the program. Basically, the program instructions are written in such a way that the computer can follow the program instructions in the correct sequence to solve the problem productively. Hence, in order to write an accurate (or successful) program, the programmer must write the program instructions in an accurate order. On the other hand, if the program instructions are not written in a correct sequence, then the result of the program will be wrong. Thus, the computer programs must be planned before they are written into the computer (Shelly et al., 2005; Norton, 2001). Moreover, the programming languages are used to prepare computer programs or software applications. Early computer programs were written straightforwardly in machine language for instance in binary code. Additionally, it was very difficult to write programs in machine code. However, at the present, a wide variety of the programming languages are available for writing different types of programs. In addition, each programming language has its own rules for witting the programs, which need to be fol lowed in order to get accurate results. For instance, FORTRAN is used for scientific purposes, ADA for defense applications, COBOL for business solutions, etc. (Shelly et al., 2005; Norton, 2001). In simple words, the computer programming is an art of writing instructions and problem solving for a computer. However, the standards of programming are independent of the computer programming language utilized. Moreover, different programming languages have different weaknesses and strengths, making different types of programs difficult or much easier to write, however the fundamental theories remain the same regardless of language (Nasir, 1996; Tatum, 2012). Programming Diversities The computer programming languages are divided into two categories: system programming and application programming. The system programming is mainly concerned with the use of a computer system. On the other hand, the application programming deals with the computer programs which are directly utilized by many people. In addition, the application programming paradigm is further divided into more categories such as (Milo, 2007) Scientific programming Business programming Web-based programming Businesses programming Personal or home programming Game programming Embedded systems programming History of Programming Language Generations This section outlines the history of programming in the form of programming langu

Is Socrates a feminist How might one argue that he is How would they Essay

Is Socrates a feminist How might one argue that he is How would they argue that he is not Which position is right - Essay Example Significantly, to an extent Plato promoted the notion of both men and women being equal with some of his views supporting this claim specifically in book 5, where he tackled on Socrates’ view that women have plenty potential as philosopher-rulers or guardians of the state (VanHeest 1). On the support for women equality platform, the foundation of this claim is his assertion that a human should be judged on his or her soul and not on external appearance altogether. However, there are more of his views that entrench his stand on feminism i.e. that woman’s biology should not settle the question of her destiny and women’s intelligence and reason should also be utilized when it comes to the running of the state; matter of fact, these two views are the ones that serve the basis for the belief that to a certain extent Plato supports the feminist’s views (Cuizon 1). Socrates radically states that women should also get the same training in the society as men, in th e areas of geometry, gymnastics, music, and with these most people fall under the misconception that Socrates is a feminist. Considerably, he gives a lot of support to women arguing that they should also be allowed to have active roles in the republic; however, this campaign is not based on feminism or because he feels that they deserve it due to the centuries of uneven status in the society. Socrates views both men and women to be equal in all aspects except strength, and is aware that both genders fall into one of the three parts of the soul, being either spirited, rational or appetitive, hence they all have uses in the city (Vilchez 1). Additionally, he is familiar with biological essentialism noting out that even though women might not be strong as men they play a fundamental role to the city and its comprehensive success. The overall analysis of women by Socrates gives him the idea that they are of use in any perfect society despite the diversity in strength when compared to me n; however, he believes that there is no single thing that only men or women can do. Significantly, Socrates speaks against gender roles that are still relevant in the world of today stating out that no profession is suited solely for man or for woman despite the many junctures where people believe that, especially when it comes to leadership. In the world of today, the payment/salary varies with men being paid more than women and it has been hard to address this issue until recently with a significant number of people continuing to fight against the gender discriminations (VanHeest 1). One of the factors that make Socrates sound like a true biological essentialist is his notion that men are stronger than women which is typically true. The point on no one task is a job that can only be done by one sex is encouraging since nowadays there are men cooking and women who fight; nonetheless, there are still tasks that are dominated to one gender like the army’s are full of men who have proven to be stronger than women. There is often the confusion between biological essentialists and feminists for instance in this case, Socrates is more of a biological essentialist than a feminist, believing that even though men tend to be stronger than women, it does not justify the women being denied involvement to their full

Comparing Schools Essay Example for Free

Comparing Schools Essay This report provides advice on the collection and reporting of information about the performances of Australian schools. The focus is on the collection of nationally comparable data. Two purposes are envisaged: use by education authorities and governments to monitor school performances and, in particular, to identify schools that are performing unusually well or unusually poorly given their circumstances; and use by parents/caregivers and the public to make informed judgements about, and meaningful comparisons of, schools and their offerings. Our advice is based on a review of recent Australian and international research and experience in reporting on the performances of schools. This is an area of educational practice in which there have been many recent developments, much debate and a growing body of relevant research. Our work is framed by recent agreements of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), in particular, at its meeting on 29 November 2008: C OAG agreed that the new Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority will be supplied with the information necessary to enable it to publish relevant, nationally-comparable information on all schools to support accountability, school evaluation, collaborative policy development and resource allocation. The Authority will provide the public with information on each school in Australia that includes data on each school’s performance, including national testing results and school attainment rates, the indicators relevant to the needs of the student population and the school’s capacity including the numbers and qualifications of its teaching staff and its resources. The publication of this information will allow comparison of like schools (that is, schools with similar student populations across the nation) and comparison of a school with other schools in their local community. (COAG Meeting Outcomes) Our work also has been framed by the recently endorsed MCEETYA Principles for Reporting Information on Schooling (see Section 1. 4). Before summarising our specific recommendations, there are some general conclusions that we have reached from our review of international research and experience. The specific recommendations that follow are best understood in the context of these general conclusions: †¢ Vigilance is required to ensure that nationally comparable data on individual schools does not have the unintended consequence of focusing attention on some aspects of the purposes of schooling at the expense of other outcomes that are as important but not as easily measurable. Parents/caregivers and the public are interested in a broad range of information about schools, and nationally comparable data should be reported in the context of this broader information. †¢ Although it has become popular in education systems in some other parts of the world to use statistical models to develop ‘measures’ of school performance and to report these measures publicly in league tables, we believe that there are very v Reporting and Comparing School Performances  sound technical and educational reasons why school measures of this kind should not be used for public reporting and school comparisons. †¢ Related to this point, we are not convinced of the value of reporting ‘adjusted’ measures of student outcomes publicly. Measures of student outcomes should be reported without adjustment. †¢ To enable the comparison of unadjusted student outcomes across schools, we believe that a ‘like-schools’ methodology should be used. This methodology would allow parents/caregivers, the public, and education systems to compare outcomes for schools in similar circumstances. †¢ While point-in-time measures of student outcomes often are useful, it is difficult to establish the contributions that teachers and schools make to point-in-time outcomes. In general, measures of student gain/growth across the years of school provide a more useful basis for making judgements about the value that schools are adding. †¢ Measures of gain/growth are most appropriately based on measurement scales that can be used to monitor student progress across the years of school. The NAPLAN measurement scales are an example and provide educational data superior to that available in most other countries. Consideration should be given to developing national measurement scales for early literacy learning and in some subjects of the national curriculum. †¢ Initially reporting should build on the understandings that parents and the public have already developed. For example a school’s NAPLAN results should be reported in forms that are consistent with current NAPLAN reports for students. Although much work needs to be done in defining the most appropriate measures, the principle should be to build on the representations of data that are already familiar to people. Recommendations Our report makes the following specific recommendations: student outcome measures †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the literacy and numeracy skills of students in each school, using NAPLAN (Years 3, 5, 7 and 9). †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the tertiary entrance results of students in each senior secondary school. These data could be reported as the percentage of students achieving tertiary entrance ranks of 60 or above, 70 or above, 80 or above, and 90 or above (calculated as a percentage of the students achieving tertiary entrance ranks). †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the percentage of students in each senior secondary school completing Year 12 or equivalent; the percentage of students applying to all forms of post-school education; and the percentage of students completing VET studies. vi Reporting and Comparing School Performances †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the achievements of students in core national curriculum subjects (English, mathematics, science and history), beginning in 2010. National assessments could be developed initially at Year 10. †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the early literacy learning of children in each primary school. These assessments will need to be developed and should be administered upon entry to school and used as a baseline for monitoring progress across the first few years of school. physical and human resources †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected about sources and amounts of funding received by each school, including all income to the school from State and Commonwealth governments, as well as details of fees payable by parents, including those that are mandatory and any voluntary levies that parents are expected to pay. †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the numbers and qualifications of teaching staff in each school. Basic data would include academic qualifications, details of pre-service teacher education, and details of any advanced certification (eg, Advanced Skills Teacher; Level 3 Teacher). student intake characteristics †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the socio-economic backgrounds of students in each school. Data should be based on information collected at the individual student level, using at least parental occupation and, possibly, parental education levels, under the agreed MCEETYA definitions. †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the percentage of students in each school of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander background under the agreed MCEETYA definition. †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the percentage of students in each school identified as having a language background other than English (LBOTE) under the agreed MCEETYA definition. †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the geo-location of each school using a 3-category scale: metropolitan, provincial, and remote. †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the percentage of students in each school with special educational needs. A nationally agreed definition of this category will need to be developed. like-school comparisons †¢ In reporting student outcome data for a school, data for like-schools should be provided as a point of comparison. Like-schools will be schools in similar circumstances and facing similar challenges. †¢ In determining ‘like-schools’, account should be taken of the percentage of students with Indigenous backgrounds, the socio-economic backgrounds of the students in the school, and the percentage of students from language backgrounds other than English. vii Reporting and Comparing School Performances †¢ For each school separately, like-schools should be identified as the schools most similar to that school on the above characteristics (rather than pre-defining a limited number of like-school categories). †¢ Work should commence as soon as possible on the development of an appropriate like-schools methodology. public reporting †¢ For the purpose of providing public information about schools, a common national website should be used to provide parents/caregivers and the public with access to rich information about individual schools. †¢ The national website should provide information about each school’s programs, philosophies, values and purposes, provided by the school itself, as well as nationally comparable data, provided centrally. †¢ Nationally comparable student outcome data should, wherever possible, provide information about current levels of attainment (ie, status), gain/growth across the years of school, and improvement in a school over time. †¢ The complete database for each state/territory should be made available to the relevant state/territory departments of education and other employing authorities, enabling them to interrogate data for their schools and to make judgments about school performances using aggregated data and national summary statistics. We believe that almost all nationally comparable data collected centrally could be reported publicly. The exceptions would arise when the public reporting of data may have negative and unintended consequences for schools. For example, we can envisage negative consequences arising from the reporting of the socio-economic backgrounds of students in a school, or of the financial circumstances of struggling, small schools (both government and non-government). We also believe that data reported publicly should be factual data about a school, and not the results of secondary analyses and interpretations that are open to debate (eg, value-added measures). viii Reporting and Comparing School Performances 1. INTRODUCTION In education, good decision making is facilitated by access to relevant, reliable and timely information. Dependable information is required at all levels of educational decision making to identify areas of deficiency and special need, to monitor progress towards goals, to evaluate the effectiveness of special interventions and initiatives, and to make decisions in the best interests of individual learners. The focus of this  paper is on the provision and use of information about individual schools. The starting point is the observation that relevant and reliable information about schools is required by a range of decision makers – including parents and caregivers, school principals and school leadership teams, system managers and governments, and the general public – all of whom require dependable information that they can use to maximise opportunities and outcomes for students. 1. 1 Audiences and Purposes  Parents and caregivers require valid and reliable information to evaluate the quality of the education their children are receiving, to make informed decisions in the best interests of individual students, and to become active partners in their children’s learning. They require dependable information about the progress individuals have made (the knowledge, skills and understandings developed through instruction), about teachers’ plans for future learning, and about what they can do to assist. There is also considerable evidence that parents and caregivers want information about how their children are performing in comparison with other children of the same age. And, if they are to make judgements about the quality of the education their children are receiving, they require information that enables meaningful comparisons across schools. School leaders require reliable information on student and school performances for effective school management. Research into factors underpinning school  effectiveness highlights the importance of the school leader’s role in establishing an environment in which student learning is accorded a central focus, and goals for improved performance are developed collaboratively by staff with a commitment to achieving them. School managers require dependable pictures of how well students in a school are performing, both with respect to school goals for improvement and with respect to past achievements and achievements in other, comparable schools. Governments and system managers require dependable information on the performance and progress of individual schools if they are to exercise their responsibilities for the delivery of quality education to all students. Effective management depends on an ability to monitor system-wide and school performances over time, to gauge the effectiveness of special programs and targeted resource allocations, to monitor the impact of policies, and to evaluate the success of initiatives aimed at traditionally disadvantaged and underachieving sections of the student population. Accurate, reliable information allows system managers to measure progress against past performances, to identify schools and issues requiring special attention, to target resources appropriately, and to set goals for future improvement. 1 Reporting and Comparing School Performances 1. 2 Forms of Information Because there are multiple audiences and purposes for information about schools, the forms of information required for effective decision making are different for different stakeholders. Parents and caregivers require a wide range of information, including information relating to their immediate needs (eg, Is the school easily accessible by public transport? Does it have an after-school program? What fees and/or levies does it charge? ); the ethos of the school (eg, What evidence is there of bullying/harassment? What are the espoused values of the school? Do students wear uniforms? What level of discipline is imposed? Who is the principal? ); their child’s likely educational experience (eg, Who will be my child’s teacher next year? Will they be in a composite class? How large will the class be? Does the school have a literacy intervention program? What extra-curricular activities are provided? ); and the school’s educational results (eg, Does the school achieve outstanding Year 12 results? ). School leaders require other forms of information, including information relating to staffing and resources (eg, What resources are available for music next year? How many beginning children have special learning needs? ); the effectiveness of initiatives (eg, Is there any evidence that the extra class time allocated to literacy this year made a difference?); and academic results (eg, How many Year 5 students did not meet the minimum performance standard in Reading? Have our results improved since last year? Are we still below the state average? How did last year’s Year 12 results compare with those of the neighbouring school? ). System managers and governments require still other forms of information, including information to monitor system-wide trends over time, to evaluate the effectiveness of attempts to raise standards and close gaps, and to identify schools that are performing unusually well or unusually poorly given their circumstances. In general, the schoollevel information required by system managers and governments is less fine-grained than the information required by parents, teachers and school leaders. Figure 1 displays schematically various forms of information that could be made available about a school, either publicly or to specific audiences (eg, system managers). The forms of evidence represented in Figure 1 are: A: student outcome measures that a school could choose to report Most schools report a wide range of information about the achievements of their students to their school communities. This information is reported in school newsletters, local and community newspapers, school websites, and at school events. The information includes details of Year 12 results, analyses of postschool destinations, results in national mathematics and science competitions, language certificates, awards, prizes, extra-curricular achievements, community recognition, and so on. Most schools take every opportunity to celebrate the achievements of their students and to announce these achievements publicly. 2 Reporting and Comparing School Performances Figure 1. Forms of information that could be made available about a school B:a sub-set of student outcome measures on which it is agreed to collect nationally comparable data Within the set of student outcome information that might be reported for a school, there could be a sub-set of outcomes on which it was agreed to collect nationally comparable data. A reason for identifying such a sub-set would be to ensure some common measures to facilitate school comparisons – within a local geographical area, across an entire education system, nationally, or within a group of ‘like’ schools. Inevitably, nationally comparable data would be collected for only some of the outcomes that schools, parents and communities value. Performances on common literacy and numeracy tests in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are an example of nationally comparable data currently in this category. C. physical and human resources measures that a school could choose to report Schools provide information in various forms and to various audiences about their physical and human resources. Information of this kind includes details of staff qualifications and teaching experience, staff turnover rates, school global budgets, computers and other technology, newly constructed facilities, bequests, results of fundraising drives, and so on. Some of this information may be reported to the school community; some may be kept confidential to the school, education system or government departments. D: a sub-set of physical and human resources measures on which it is agreed to collect nationally comparable data Within the set of physical and human resources measures reported for a school, there could be a sub-set of measures on which it was agreed to collect nationally comparable data. For example, there have been recent calls for greater consistency and transparency in the reporting of school funding arrangements (Dowling, 2007; 2008) and for more consistent national approaches to assessing and recognising teacher quality (Dinham, et al, 2008). 3 Reporting and Comparing School Performances E. student intake measures that a school could choose to report Most schools have considerable information about their students. For example, they may have information about students’ language backgrounds, Indigenous status, socio-economic backgrounds, learning difficulties and disabilities. This information usually is reported only within education systems or to governments and is not reported publicly, although schools sometimes provide information to their communities about the range of languages spoken by students in the school, the countries from which they come, the percentage of Indigenous students in the school and the school’s special Indigenous programs, or the number of severely disabled students and the facilities and support provided for these students. F: a sub-set of student intake measures on which it is agreed to collect nationally comparable data. Within the set of student intake characteristics reported for a school, there could be a sub-set of measures on which it was agreed to collect nationally comparable data. Some progress has been made toward nationally consistent definitions and nationally consistent data collections on student background characteristics. G. all other information that a school could choose to make available Beyond information about student outcomes, student backgrounds and their physical and human resources, schools provide a range of other information to the communities they serve. 1. 3 Nationally Comparable Data Acknowledging the many purposes and audiences for information about schools, and the various forms that this information can take, the specific focus of this paper is on the collection and reporting of nationally comparable data for the purposes of evaluating and comparing school performances. In other words, the focus is on categories B, D and F in Figure 1. We envisage three broad uses of such data: †¢ use by parents and caregivers in judging the quality of educational provision and in making informed decisions in the best interests of individual students; †¢ use by school leaders in monitoring a school’s improvement and benchmarking the school’s performance against other, comparable schools; and †¢ use by education systems and governments in identifying schools that are performing unusually well or unusually poorly given their circumstances. As noted above, these three stakeholder groups are likely to have different needs. The ways in which nationally comparable data are analysed, combined and reported may be different for different purposes. We see the process of reaching agreement on the core data that should be available about a school as a national collaborative process, and see little value in arriving at different conclusions about these data for different parts of the country. 4 Reporting and Comparing School Performances 1. 4 Principles for Reporting The Principles for Reporting Information on Schooling (see pages 6-7) adopted by the Ministerial Council for Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCCETYA) provide an important point of reference for any proposed collection and use of nationally comparable data on schools. These principles recognise the multiple audiences and purposes for information about schools, the need to collect broad evidence about student and school performances, and the desirability of monitoring intended and unintended consequences of reporting information on schools. Australian governments have undertaken to ensure that data provided for the purposes of comparing schools are reliable and fair and take into account the contexts in which schools work. Governments also have undertaken not to develop simplistic league tables of school performances. 1. 5 Structure of Paper This paper first considers the kinds of nationally comparable data that might be collected about schools for the purposes outlined above. We draw on national and international research and experience, attempt to anticipate the likely requirements of different audiences, and take into account what measures currently exist and what additional measures might be desirable in the future. Each of the three data categories in Figure 1 is considered in turn: †¢ †¢ †¢ student outcome measures physical and human resources measures student intake measures (sections 2-3) (section 4) (section 5) We then consider alternative ways of evaluating and comparing school performances. Two broad methodologies are discussed: †¢ †¢ the direct comparison of student outcomes the construction of measures of school performance (section 6) (section 7) Finally, we consider issues in reporting publicly on the performances of schools: †¢ †¢ audiences and purposes for reporting options for public reporting on schools (section 8) (section 9) 5 Reporting and Comparing School Performances MCEETYA PRINCIPLES FOR REPORTING INFORMATION ON SCHOOLING There is a vast amount of information on Australian schooling and individual schools. This includes information about the educational approach of schools, their enrolment profile, staffing, facilities and programs, and the education environment they offer, as well as information on the performance of students, schools and systems. Different groups, including schools and their students, parents and families, the community and governments, have different information needs. The following principles provide guidance on requirements for information on schooling, including the types of information that should be made readily available to each of the groups noted above. These principles will be supported by an agreed set of national protocols on the access to and use of information on schooling. Good quality information on schooling is important: FOR SCHOOLS AND THEIR STUDENTS. Principle 1: Schools need reliable, rich data on the performance of their students because they have the primary accountability for improving student outcomes. Good quality data supports each school to improve outcomes for all of their students. It supports effective diagnosis of student progress and the design of quality learning programs. It also informs schools’ approaches to provision of programs, school policies, pursuit and allocation of resources, relationships with parents and partnerships with community and business. Schools should have access to: †¢ Comprehensive data on the performance of their own students that uses a broad set of indicators †¢ Data that enables each school to compare its own performance against all schools and with schools of similar characteristics †¢ Data demonstrating improvements of the school over time †¢ Data enabling the school to benchmark its own performance against that of the bestperforming schools in their jurisdiction and nationally FOR PARENTS AND FAMILIES. Principle 2: Information about schooling, including data on the performance of individuals, schools and systems, helps parents and families to make informed choices and to engage with their children’s education and the school community. Parents and families should have access to: †¢ Information about the philosophy and educational approach of schools, and their staffing, facilities, programs and extra-curricular activities that enables parents and families to compare the education environment offered by schools †¢ Information about a school’s enrolment profile, taking care not to use data on student 1  characteristics in a way that may stigmatise schools or undermine social inclusion. †¢ Data on student outcomes that enables them to monitor the individual performance of their child, including what their child knows and is able to do and how this relates to what is expected for their age group, and how they can contribute to their child’s progress †¢ Information that allows them to assess a school’s performance overall and in improving student outcomes, including in relation to other schools with similar characteristics in their jurisdiction and nationally. 1 Any use or publication of information relating to a school’s enrolment profile should ensure that the privacy of individual students is protected. For example, where the small size of a school population or of a specific student cohort may enable identification of individual students, publication of this information should be avoided. 6 Reporting and Comparing School Performances FOR THE COMMUNITY. Principle 3: The community should have access to information that enables an understanding of the decisions taken by governments and the status and performance of schooling in Australia, to ensure schools are accountable for the results they achieve with the public funding they receive, and governments are accountable for the decisions they take. Students are an important part of our society and take up a variety of roles within it after leaving school. The community is therefore a direct and indirect consumer of the product of our schools, as well as providing the means of public funding. Information about schools in the public domain fulfils the requirement that schools be accountable for the results they achieve with the public funding they receive, including relative to other ‘like’ schools; it should also give the community a broad picture of school performance and a sense of confidence in our school systems. The community should have access to: †¢ Information about the philosophy and educational approach of schools, and their staffing, facilities, programs and extra-curricular activities that enables the community to compare the education environment offered by schools. †¢ Information about individual schools’ enrolment profile, taking care not to use data on student characteristics in a way that may stigmatise schools or undermine social inclusion †¢ National reporting on the performance of all schools with data that allows them to view a school’s performance overall and in improving student outcomes, including in relation to other schools with similar characteristics RESPONSIBLE PROVISION OF SCHOOLING INFORMATION Australian Governments will ensure that school-based information is published responsibly so that: †¢ any public comparisons of schools will be fair, contain accurate and verified data, contextual information and a range of indicators to provide a more reliable and complete view of performance (for example, information on income, student body characteristics, the spread of student outcomes and information on the value added by schools) †¢ governments will not devise simplistic league tables or rankings and will put in place strategies to manage the risk that third parties may seek to produce such tables or rankings, and will ensure that privacy will be protected. †¢ reports providing information on schooling for parents and families and the community will be developed based on research on what these groups want to know and the most effective ways the information can be presented and communicated. FOR GOVERNMENTS Principle 4: Governments need sound information on school performance to support ongoing improvement for students, schools and systems. Government also need to monitor and evaluate the impacts (intended and unintended) of the use and release of this information to improve its application over time. Good quality information on schooling enables governments to: †¢ analyse how well schools are performing †¢ identify schools with particular needs †¢ determine where resources are most needed to lift attainment †¢ identify best practice and innovation in high-performing schools that can be mainstreamed and used to support improvements in schools with poorer performance †¢ conduct national and international comparisons of approaches and performance †¢ develop a substantive evidence base on what works. This will enable future improvements in school performance that support the achievement of the agreed education outcomes of both the Ministerial Council for Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs and the Council of Australian Governments. 7 Reporting and Comparing School Performances 2. STUDENT OUTCOMES Information about the outcomes of a school’s efforts is key information for parents and caregivers if they are to judge the quality of educational provision; for school leaders to monitor a school’s performance and improvement; and for education systems and governments to identify schools in need of additional support. However, schools work to promote many different kinds of outcomes for their students. For some schools, an important objective is to improve school attendance rates. For others, assisting students to make successful transitions into the workforce is a high priority. Some schools are more focused than others on supporting the social, spiritual and emotional development of students. Still others measure their success in terms of entry rates into highly sought-after university courses. Decisions about the outcomes to be reported publicly for schools are important because they influence judgements about how well individual schools are performing. This is particularly true when education systems and governments attempt to construct ‘measures’ of school performance: Perverse incentives can arise when the [school] performance measure has both a large impact upon actors and focuses on an aspect of schooling that does not reflect the true or overall purpose and objectives of schools. Unfortunately, this can be common in school performance measures if the performance measure is too narrowly defined. (OECD, 2008, 26).

Data Application Development Earthquake and Breast Cancer

Data Application Development Earthquake and Breast Cancer Data Application Development for Earthquake and Breast Cancer Datasets Abstract-This report is a general study of two datasets, the first contains data from the earthquake occurred in the region of Marche, Italy in the year 2016 and the second dataset is mammography data, with mean values of measurements and structures of tumors found in patients, for both studies different techniques related to data science were applied, with the intention of revealing conclusions that a priori are impossible to visualize. Keywords-Italy Earthquake, Mammongraphy studies, MapReduce algorithm, Python. With the high processing power that modern computers have acquired, one of the scientific branches that have been most developing is data science, which consists of the generalized extraction of knowledge from information and data. Unlike statistical analysis, data science is more holistic, more global, for using large volumes of data to extract knowledge that adds value to an organization of any kind. In this project, the breast cancer dataset contains information on the geometry, size and texture of tumors found in approximately 5100 patients. The main idea with this database is to construct a predictive model that will be able to detect when a tumor is carcinogenic in other words, predict whether the cancer is benign or malignant, from the descriptions of the same one. In the other hand, the second dataset contains information about the earthquake that occurred in Italy in year 2016, contains all the replicas that occurred by three days after and all earthquakes are geotagged, with this dataset the main idea is to do data mining, to visualize the information of an innovative way, applying geospatial theory and statistical techniques specific of data science. A. Italy 2016 Earthquake Dataset This database is Open-Source accessible to the community and is part of the extensive catalog offered free of charge by the Kaggle website, its structure is as follows: template dataset Time Latitude Longitude Depth Magnitude UTC time WGS87 WGS87 Km Richter scale It has 8086 records with full data history, each row represents an earthquake event. For each event, the following properties are given: the exact timing of the event in the format Y-m-d hh:mm:s.ms the exact geographical coordinates of the event, in latitude and longitude the depth of the hypocenter in kilometers the magnitude value in Richter scale The dataset was collected from this real-time updated list from the Italian Earthquakes National Center. From now on we will call this dataset A B. Breast Cancer (Diagnostic) Data Set Features are computed from a digitized image of a fine needle aspirate (FNA) of a breast mass. They describe characteristics of the cell nuclei present in the image. n the 3-dimensional space is that described in [1]. Attribute Information: 1) ID number 2) Diagnosis (M = malignant, B = benign) 2)Ten real-valued features are computed for each cell nucleus: (a) radius (mean of distances from center to points on the perimeter) (b) texture (standard deviation of gray-scale values) (c) perimeter (d) area (e) smoothness (local variation in radius lengths) (f) compactness (perimeter^2 / area 1.0) (g) concavity (severity of concave portions of the contour) (h) concave points (number of concave portions of the contour) (i) symmetry (j) fractal dimension (coastline approximation 1) 3) The mean, standard error and worst or largest (mean of the three largest values) of these features were computed for each image, resulting in 30 features. For instance, field 3 is Mean Radius, field 13 is Radius SE, field 23 is Worst Radius. 4) All feature values are recoded with four significant digits. This database was obtained from Kaggle website. It belongs to their repository and is open to scientist of the world that want to study it. From now on we will call this dataset B Knowledge extraction is mainly related to the discovery process known as Knowledge Discovery in Databases (KDD), which refers to the non-trivial process of discovering knowledge and potentially useful information within the data contained in some information repository [2]. It is not an automatic process, it is an iterative process that exhaustively explores very large volumes of data to determine relationships. It is a process that extracts quality information that can be used to draw conclusions based on relationships or models within the data. A. Data selection Both databases were carefully chosen based on the following details: Reliable source or repository, which guarantees the reliability of the data, for this report the source is Kaggle who maintain a database open to the public and that users can comment. Data without an excessive amount of white space, since having to fill this spaces with 0 can cause distortions in the model, making the predictions or conclusions of the studies are invalid. That they contain at least 5000 rows, to make substantial the study and the conclusions had measurable. B. information preprocessing For both datasets, some simple statistical tests were performed with the intention of filling the missing data in the most effective way. For example, for the data of the B the standard deviation and the mean value was calculated, besides raising a frequency histogram to check that the data followed a Gaussian distribution, in fact the data is distributed in this way, so it was completed with values taken randomly based on the mean and standard deviation of the data, this way ensures that the missing data does not provide incorrect information. For the data of A, the average values were obtained and the latitudes and longitudes of each exact point where the earthquake occurred, rounded off in order to be able to made a geospatial label with a region of each Italian province. C. Transformation For both datasets, MapReduce algorithm was applied it is based on the HDFS data architecture. The idea is to be able to map key values, with each of the data and its header, so that the access to them is efficient, with this it is tried to give robustly to data, in addition to reducing the processing times. The main idea of this type of algorithm is to be able to maintain the data in distributed systems, although for this project only a single node was configured. D. Data Mining At this stage of the process, it is already clear how are data distributed, and it is where we decide which Machine Learning or Data Mining algorithms to apply. For the case of data set B, we decided Machine Learning algorithm based on logistic regression, starting from the following arguments: It was verified that the data follow a linear distribution and are correlated with each other. As the result is a decision, Benign or Malignant (1 or 0) The most intuitive is to apply the logistic regression to predict the diagnoses. For the second set of data the technique used will be the a posteriori study of the cataclysm with the intention of revealing conclusions about earthquake, focused on the geospatial area, starting with the labeling WGS87 and with the coordinates of each earthquake it is possible to construct a density of earthquakes by region, With this data it is possible to determine which region was most affected, which was the epicenter of the earthquake and to determine if there is a correlation between the depth of the earthquake and the magnitude. There is no period after the et in the Latin abbreviation et al. The abbreviation i.e. means that is, and the abbreviation e.g. means for example. The implementation was made in Python version 2.7. There are a few key libraries that will be used. Below is a list of the Python SciPy libraries required for implement algorithms for B: Scipy, numpy, matplotlib, pandas sklearn, patsy and statsmodels. And other few more for implement A: Pandas, Numpy, Matplotlib, Basemap, Shapely, Pysal, Descartes, Fiona, Pylabs and Statsmodels, and the architecture for store and read the data is the Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) is the primary storage system used by Hadoop applications. HDFS is built to support applications with large data sets, including individual files that reach into the terabytes. It uses a master/slave architecture, with each cluster consisting of a single NameNode that manages file system operations and supporting DataNodes that manage data storage on individual compute nodes. In the next image, Fig. 1 are exposed the workflow diagram for the Machine Learning algorithm applied to B dataset Figure 1: Workflow for Machine Learning algorithm And in the second one, Fig. 2 the workflow for dataset A, this workflow was constructed from the selected methodology, the idea is to follow this pattern of work to increase the productivity of research as they are work frames highly tested by qualified researchers in the area. Figure 2: Workflow for Data Mining research For the data set B, a recursion stage is considered in case the final predictions are not satisfactory, this would entail rethinking the model and to get everything values again. For data set A, the diagram is focused on maximum representation of the data to extract a substantial number of conclusions from graphs. A. Dataset A The first result obtained is a map of the central region of Italy with each of 8000 points where earthquakes occurred. Figure 3: Scatter ploting with administrative subdivision Weve drawn a scatter plot on Italy map Fig. 3, containing points with a 50 meters diameter, corresponding to each point of A dataset. This is a first step, but doesnt really tell anything interesting about the density per region merely that there were more earthquakes in Marche Italy region than in the outer places. Figure 4: Density ploting with administrative subdivision Now we can see how was the distribution Fig. 4 of the earthquake. It is clear on the map that the regions most affected were Lazio, Marche and Umbria. Figure 5: Magnitude rolling mean Most of the earthquakes occurred at a depth of 10km. This can be seen in next graph Fig. 6 by a frequency histogram of depth. Figure 6: Frequency Histogram The following table shows the 5 earthquakes with the greatest impact and their regions where they occurred. table II: Greater magnitude earthquakes Time Region Depth Magnitude 2016-08-24 Lazio 8.1 6.0 2016-08-24 Umbria 8.0 5.4 2016-10-26 Umbria 8.7 5.4 2016-10-26 Brescia 7.5 5.9 2016-10-30 Brescia 9.2 6.5 B. Dataset B We are going to look at two types of plots: Univariate plots to better understand each attribute. Multivariate plots to better understand the relationships between attributes. 1) Univariate Plots: We start with some univariate plots, that is, plots of each individual variable. Given that the input variables are numeric, we can create box and whisker plots of each. Figure 7: whisker plots Fig. 7 gives a much clearer idea of the distribution of the input attributes It looks like perhaps most of the input variables have a Gaussian distribution. This is useful to note as we can use algorithms that can exploit this assumption also this can be seen in Fig. 8. Figure 8: Frequency histogram 2) Algorithm evaluation: In this step we evaluated the most important algorithms of Machine Learning in search of which is best adapted to the data. we used statistical methods to estimate the accuracy of the models that we create on unseen data. We also want a more concrete estimate of the accuracy of the best model on unseen data by evaluating it on actual unseen data. That is, we were held back some data that the algorithms will not get to see and we will use this data to get a second and independent idea of how accurate the best model might actually be. We split the loaded dataset into two, 80% of which we used to train our models and 20% that we will hold back as a validation dataset. We evaluated 6 different algorithms: Logistic Regression (LR) Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN). Classification and Regression Trees (CART). Gaussian Naive Bayes (NB). Support Vector Machines (SVM). This is a good mixture of simple linear (LR and LDA), nonlinear (KNN, CART, NB and SVM) algorithms. We reset the random number seed before each run to ensure that the evaluation of each algorithm is performed using exactly the same data splits. It ensures the results are directly comparable. Figure 9: Algorithm comparison LR: 0.658580 (0.027300) LDA: 0.661676 (0.026534) KNN: 0.606749 (0.023558) CART: 0.569616 (0.041578) NB: 0.621194 (0.032784) SVM: 0.641823 (0.025195) The LR algorithm was the most accurate model that we tested. Now we want to get an idea of the accuracy of the model on our validation set. This will give us an independent final check on the accuracy of the best model. It is valuable to keep a validation set just in case you made a slip during training, such as overfitting to the training set or a data leak. Both will result in an overly optimistic result. We can run the LR model directly on the validation set and summarize the results as a final accuracy score, a confusion matrix and a classification report. The accuracy is 0.75 or 75%. The confusion matrix provides an indication of the 25 errors made. As we can see the data science has a wide field of work, in areas so diverse that for the case of this report ranging from medicine to cartography and seismology. With this report, it is evident how important the Machine Learning algorithms in cancer diagnosis, although this small case in study is not perfect, there are more advanced tools and more sophisticated algorithms that allow penetrating in this field of An amazing form, the author recommend a degree project where Deep Learning algorithms and deep neural networks are applied in the diagnosis of diseases. It is certainly a prominent field. On the other hand, in the first dataset, it was possible to explore tools for the management of maps and the placement of big amounts of data on these, with the main idea of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹exposing results that looking at the raw data is impossible to observe. This allows you to find new points of view about phenomena already happened and learn from them to improve infrastructures or tools. In short, data science is a field in full swing that will give much to talk about in recent years, we live in an age where information is power and manipulate and understand information are the tools of the future. References K. P. Bennett and O. L. Mangasarian: Robust Linear Programming Discrimination of Two Linearly Inseparable Sets, Optimization Methods and Software 1, 1992, 23-34 Williams, G. J., Huang, Z. (1996, October). A case study in knowledge acquisition for insurance risk assessment using a KDD methodology. In Proceedings of the Pacific Rim Knowledge Acquisition Workshop, Dept. of AI, Univ. of NSW, Sydney, Australia (pp. 117-129).

Gender Stereotypes in Early Years

Gender Stereotypes in Early Years The purpose of this research project is to investigate whether gender stereotypes existing in todays society affects childrens choices in play. The research will focus mainly on children around the ages of 2 3 years as this is when gender identity and the adopting of gender specific behaviour begins to show (Hughes, 2010). For many years society has been full of gender stereotypes and children have regularly learnt to adopt to gender specific roles as a result of this (REF). The research will also explore whether bringing children up in their set genders will have any effects on their later development. Aims and objectives The aim of this research is to discover whether gender stereotyping has an effect on the choices children make in their play, particularly looking at toy selection and areas the children gather in, in an early years setting. A discussion of how gender identity is formed and as to how gender roles are learnt and adopted by children will be a main focus in this study. The research will also explore how children being steered towards playing and behaving gender specific can hinder their development and what practitioners can do to avoid this. Rationale Past research that I have done has widened my understandings of how many children in settings adopt gender specific behaviour, for example not to cry if youre a boy and to be innocent and pretty if youre a girl. After doing placement in an early years setting and experiencing children playing in traditional ways for example boys with cars and girls steered towards playing with dolls and dressing up, I am extremely interested in finding out why children play in this way and as to what kind of an effect playing to a specific gender can have on childrens later/overall development. Although many of us believe in giving children as many opportunities and policy is in place to make sure this happens we still subconsciously treat boys and girls differently (REF). Therefore gender stereotyping appears to create many barriers to children receiving all the opportunities to play equal and personally I believe that this will have significant effects on their later life choices. Research Questions I will centre my research around these four main research areas: How do children develop gender role behaviour? What is the policy context around equality for girls and boys? Does gender stereotyping hinder childrens overall development? How can practitioners support inclusive practice for both sexes in the early years setting? 2. Literature Review 1,500 There has been extensive research carried out on gender stereotyping in children and many ideas have been formed as to how children develop gender specific roles. However before we begin looking into this topic it is fundamental that we define what is meant by gender. How do children develop a gender role behaviour There are many ways in which it is said children learn and adopt gender specific roles such as, paretns, peers, media, literature and practitioner interaction.. there is much discussion on whether it is nature or nurture side. According to Yellend (1998), gender development is a systematic process beginning at birth and frequently reshaped thoughtout life depending on the sex of the child. There are many studies which have been carried out with the social learning perspective in mind which propose that parents contribute to sex-typed behaviours in children and are a great influence to shaping their childs sex role development (Golombok, 2004). This is done through the different types of toys they buy and the way in which they respond to their children for example a positive response would be given to a girl playing with domestic type toys and likewise a boy playing with cars (Bee, Boyd, 2010). Socialisation Parents are key to gender roles as imitation is a vital part of young childrens lives and they learn many things through imitation especially around the ages of 2 3 years( REF) it has been said that children learn their gender roles by coping their same sex parent e.g. girl watching her mum do the cooking will then maybe assume that that is a role to be carried out by the female. Family are key when it comes to toy selection as they are generally the first people who buy for their children/grandsonsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦adults selection of toys for their children/grandson are likely to be gender specific as society is so full of stereotypes we automatically separate boys and girls toys as it has become a subconscious motive? Many magazines will have toys under toys for girls and toys for boys having product such as dolls for girls and trucks, cars..for boys Peers can then continue the already existent believes children have about what should be played with if a girl or boy. Interaction with practitioners also contributes, use words such as pretty, boys discouraged from crying (touch gender). What is the policy context around equality for girls and boys? The equality act 2012 EYFS/ECM will have wrote something on opportunism Each setting will incorporate many policies within their setting The Early Years Foundation Stage, unique child states that children inclusive practice. Does gender stereotyping hinder childrens overall development? Does gender stereotyping have an effect on childrens academic achievents and later career choices? It is likely that traditional gender roles (stereotypes) will continue to limit both boys and girls academic opportunities little girls discouraged from leaderships tasks, and maths steered towards nurturing roles persistent adult beliefs about typical behaviour for boys or girls affect childrens experiences (Lindon, 2012, pg. 7). The ways in which children careers choices are relayed to children can be subtle but consistent, sending a clear message about the academic domains in which girls and boys are supposed to excel, for example giels are steered away from maths. Can be shown through the later academic achievements of children eg, girls do better in english? How can practitioners support inclusive practice for both sexes in the early years setting It is important that children receive as many opportunites as possible in the early years Hard cause we are so used to it we do it subconsciously Follow policy Gender neutral environment Challenging stereotypical thoughts within your setting. If a boy tells a girl she cant be a doctor, ask him why, and show him pictures of female doctors. If a girl tells a boy he cant be a ballet dancer have resources to hand that show a different story Role play is a great way to show gender equality Showing pictures of women firefighters, women builders etc. 3. Methodology 3.1 Sample The sample type I have chosen is a convenience sample, which refers to the collection of information from members of the population who are conveniently available to provide it (Sekaran Bougie, 2010, pg.276). Therefore I have chosen to interview practitioners in early years settings in the Northumberland area, I have chosen this area as firstly I know the area which means I will save on time as I wont have to find my way around a new place and secondly I have visited these settings before meaning they are easy accessible. 3.2 Research method Interviews I have chosen to use face to face interviews for my research. Interviews are a method whereby one person asks questions of an individual with the expectation of getting answers to a particular question (Mukherji Albon, 2010). Interviews are the best suited method for my research due to the in depth collection of data, allowing for exploration of issues (OLeary, 2010). I will be carrying out a semi structured interviews meaning I will be able to explore around the topic and not just collect responses to set questions. Interviews are a research method that provides us with qualitative data (REF). I have chosen a method that collects qualitative data rather than quantitative as the topic I have chosen to research requires in depth understandings and practitioners opinions and not just simple yes and no responses. 3.2(iii) Semi-structured approach There are many types of interviews however I have chosen to use semi structured interviews, often called a conversation with a purpose (REF). Semi structured interviews are where the interviewer has a checklist of topics and questions to explore however the way in which these are explored will vary dependant on the flow of conversation with each individual (Holmes, 2005). By using this type of interview I will be able to explore around the topic as there will be area for on the spot questions. The role of the interviewer is important to know to conduct an effective piece of research. The interviewer will probe the interviewee however will know when they need to be quiet (REF). The interviewer knows the areas he or she wants to cover with the interviewee, but allows the interviewee the options to take different paths and explore different thoughts and feelings. All interviews will be recorded and transcribed verbatim and this will contribute to the reliability of the research (Royse, 2008). After having transcribing the data I will analyse the data through content or discourse. 3.2(i) Advantages of method Interviews are an excellent qualitative research method meaning they allow for in depth rich data to be collected about key themes (REF). One to one interviews allow for a rapport to be developed between the interviewer and the interviewee (Matthews Ross, 2010). This could potentially lead to more information being expressed as the participant is likely to feel comfortable and therefore this gives reliable/valid data. Face to face interviews have traditionally been seen as the most effective method in regards to the response rate (Vaus, 2002 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) The response rate is always achieved as interviews are scheduled meaning answers are gurantueed Another advantage of using interviews is the way in which the interviewer is able to observe the interviewees facial expressions and body language which in turn will give the interviewer a clearer indication of the interviewees true feelings. This will add to the validity of the research. 3.2(ii) Disadvantages of method Although there are many advantages of using the research method interviews there are also many disadvantages. Firstly interviews are time consuming, scheduling the interview, conducting the interview, and transcribing recordings takes up a lot of time (May, 2011). Secondly the interviewers presence can have a great deal of an effect on the participant, factors such as tone of voice, the way a question may be rephrased, voicing an opinion, inadequate note taking, even the gender and appearance of the interviewer may lead to errors and bias (Fontana Frey, 2000). Thirdly achieving reliability is challenging because each interview is unique in some way (Conway,Jako Goodman, 1995). This can be because there are differences between the way each interview is conducted, difference in the way questions are asked due to there not being standardised responses, and the data collected. Fontana, A. Frey, J. H. (2000) The interview: from structured questions to negotiated text iin N.K. Denzin and Y.S. Lincoln (eds), Handbook of Qualitative Reasearch. 2nd ed. London: SAGE Conway, J. M., Jako, R. A., Goodman, D. (1995). A meta- analysis of interrater and internal consistency reliability of selection interviews. Journal of Applied Psychology, 80, 565-579. 4 Ethical considerations Before carrying out any research it is crucial that ethical considerations are taken into account (May, 2011). Informed consent is essential, and should ensure that the participants are fully informed prior to participation and are aware that their involvement is completely voluntary (McLaughlin, 2007). Therefore in advance to carrying out the research it is vital that I receive informed consent from all participants, this will be achieved by obtaining a signed consent form from each participant (See Appendix). It is fundamental that participants know who is doing the research, the aims and objectives, what is being asked of them, how the data will be used and what steps will be taken to ensure confidentiality (Walliman, 2011). Another ethical consideration to consider is confidentiality, thus meaning we are obliged to protect the participants identity (Silverman, 2011). Information will be treated with respect and the participants would remain anonymous; both of which are extremely important to the ethics base (Hobart, Frankel, 2004, GSCC, 2002) Therefore all participants names will be changed so as to protect them; participants will be informed of this. All participants have the right to withdraw themselves and their results fromthe research. Interviews will be recorded so that they can be transcribed, this means the data will be kept for some time (Matthews Ross, 2010) therefore it is important that this data is klept in a secure place. (data protection) Beneficence is another ethical issue that will be key in this study. Beneficence relates to the Non maleficence, the principle of not doing harmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦must be applied to all participants Although my research would have benefited from me carrying out observations of children in their early years environment unfortunately due to the University ethics statement I am prohibited from doing this and therefore unable to observe children in their environment as part of my research. Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach Uma Sekaran, Roger Bougie 5, illustrated John Wiley Sons, 2010 Surveys in Social Research Social Research Today Series Research methods/Sociology David A. De Vaus 5, illustrated, reprint Routledge, 2002

madonna Essay -- essays research papers

Have you ever heard a song once and was never able to get the tune out of your head no matter how hard you tried? I know that has happened to me on several occasions. Whether we enjoy the songs or not, there is something about music within popular culture that drives the American public wild. Sadly, for quite sometime the music industry was largely closed off to women. Of course there were obvious exceptions to this, since talented female artists have existed through the ages, but on the whole there were not many female artists that got a lot of airplay and certainly none were considered significantly influential in the music industry. Recently the United States has begun to experience a women’s musical renaissance. Women’s roles in pop music are steadily growing. There have been many outstanding female musicians and vocalists in the past that have aided in making the music industry less of a male opinionated society, from Aretha Franklin, Mo Tucker, and Ella Fitzgerald to pop icons like Courtney Love, Queen Latifa, and Melissa Ethridge. Along side these, there are two women who have conquered most obstacles they’ve faced and, in addition, forced the music industry to become more of a female friendly environment. Those two women are Madonna and Brittany Spears. Madonna is an artist that most Americans are very familiar with. From rudeness to charity, she is always in the public eye. Madonna took women and sex through a quantum leap and her unique style and flair has been imprinted on pop culture forever. Besides creating major trends in music she was responsible for many fashion statements throughout the eighties and nineties (Gandee 307). Up until 1982, female sexuality was largely a suggestion of cleavage and tight-fitting jeans, then Madonna showed up in 1983 wearing her Victoria's Secrets on the outside, and all hell broke loose. Madonna Ciccone was born in 1958 near Motown, to an engineer father and homemaker mother, the eldest of eight children. The one thing baby Madonna wanted more than anything was to become famous. She trained on piano and dance, and signed up for almost any activity that would put her face in public view. By the time she turned twenty, she felt she had waited long enough for fame to find her, and went out looking for it. Throughout her career as one of America’s superstars, Madonna maintained much of her creative control while... ...stry seem obtainable to everyone. Their accomplishments represent many of the recent victories won by women in the music industry; Accomplishments like Lilith Faire and Rock for Choice. Though many doors have been opened there are many that have remained shut. For instance, the way that many labels choose to market female artists like sex symbols instead of relying on their ability to perform. A women musician are becoming more and more visible, and with this visibility comes power. Ani DiFranco and Madonna are just two examples of women who are starting their own record labels and signing their own bands. By doing this they are insuring that female artists get heard. Obviously, not every women musician can have this kind of determination, but the fact that they are on stage playing what they love, music, makes them powerful. O’Dair, Barbara. "Introduction". The Rolling Stone Book of Women In Rock. Ed. Barbara O’Dair. New York: Random House, Inc., 1997. Udovitch, Mim. "Madonna". The Rolling Stone Book of Women in Rock. Ed. Barbara o’Dair. New York:Random House,Inc.,1997. Gandee, Charles. "In The Closet With Madonna". Vogue Oct. 1997: 306-313, 378.

Strangely Ordinary People Essay -- Movie Film Analysis

The movie â€Å"Ordinary People† was a very entertaining and educational movie. It looked into the dynamics of families and showed the different parts and dependencies. It also looked into a type of client/therapist relationship and how it evolved over time. The discussion below will attempt to explore deeper into these aspect of the film. Throughout the film a focus on family and the dynamics is prominent. A traumatic event, the loss of a son, brother, and friend, has influenced the Jarrett greatly. Due to the circumstances in which Conrad, a severely depressed teenager and the main character, was present during the death of his brother, feelings of guilt had built up in this young man. A great deal of stress and tension is built between the family members because of this tragic accident. Here is where the concept of, change in one part of the familial system reverberates through out other parts. (Duty, 2010) The relationship between the Conrad and his mother become even more absent because, in the film it is presented to show that the mother blames and has not forgiven Conrad for the death of his brother Buck. Six months after the death of his brother Conrad attempts suicide with razors in the bathroom of his home. His parents commit him to a psychiatric hospital and eight months later, he is trying to resume his â €Å"old† life. Conrad is socially withdrawn from his friends because of all he has experienced as well as the fact that he was held back in school due to missing so many days. The importance of his family and support is validated here. When looking at one of the most important challenges facing families today, the challenge of instilling â€Å"in its members a sense of belonging while also allowing members to individuate† is s... ...t it does not exist. The rapport and friendship built throughout this movie is vital to the success of the therapy exhibited here. This is a great example of Gestalt therapeutic approach and helps to identify most of the techniques incorporated. The techniques and ways of gently confronting but pushing a client all the way through are very beneficial to each viewer of this film. Works Cited Duty, G. (2010, December 10). Family Systems Therapy. Lecture presented at Principles of Counseling Class Notes, Bethany. Miller, F. C. (1999, September). Using the Movie Ordinary People to Teach Psychodynamic Psychotherapy With Adolescents -- Miller 23 (3): 174 -- Acad Psychiatry. Academic Psychiatry. Retrieved December 10, 2010, from http://ap.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/23/3/174 Redford, R. (Director). (1980). Ordinary people [Motion picture on DVD

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