Odysseus Is Not a Hero free essay sample

I have to write an essay, but it seems that every essay I write to the teacher, she just doesnt end up liking it, if you can please help me with what I am doing wrong that would be great. Thanks Not So Much a Hero A heroic person is who does courageous acts for the sake of his family and peers. In the epic poem, The Odyssey by Homer, the protagonist, Odysseus, has not been a heroic person throughout the poem. Odysseus, Son of Laertes, has journeyed off with his crew in search of returning home and has not met the requirements of being a hero. Instead he displays he is insensible towards others, disloyal, and untrustworthy. One characteristic that Odysseus presents is being insensible towards his crew members. An example of this is when Odysseus and his men are trapped in the Cyclopes cave, Odysseus says â€Å"Now came the time to toss for it: who ventured along with me? Whose hand could bear to thrust and grind that spike in Cyclops eye† (279). We will write a custom essay sample on Odysseus Is Not a Hero or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This shows that Odysseus fails to symbolize what his members are feeling. For this reason because Odysseus want to decide who to help him brawl Cyclops with a toss of a coin, he does not show a heroic decision. Each time when Odysseus does something wrong the Gods, particularly Zeus, would give his men troubles on Odysseus’s actions. For example, just after wanting to depart the island, Zeus â€Å"disdained the offering: destruction for my ships he had in shore and death for those who sailed them, my companions† (512). This shows Odysseus has disobeyed Zeus; leading him to destruct Odysseus’s ships and men. Proving that Odysseus is endangering his crew members by his absent of feeling towards others. Not only does Odysseus lack feeling, but is untrustworthy to his peers. Odysseus has many conflicts of whether he is a trustworthy person. An example of showing Odysseus being untrustworthy is when the Cyclops asks why he is here, Odysseus answers â€Å"He thought he’d find out, but I saw through this and answered with a ready lie: My ship? Poseidon. Lord. Who set the earth a tremble†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (226). This shows that Odysseus dishonest his way out of things. A hero should be upright towards other people and not lie to achieve what he wants. Another conflict that Odysseus has with his men is when sailing towards Scylla, Odysseus says to himself â€Å"But as I sent them on towards Scylla. I told them nothing, as they could do nothing† (785). This proves that he cannot be trusted by leaving him men to find out for them. This is the reason why Odysseus is untrustworthy to his crew mates. Odysseus has not only been not trusted by his men, but disloyal to his family. To be disloyal is when false to ones obligations. Odysseus has showed this many times throughout the poem. An example is when he has secret relationships with Circe even though married â€Å"Circe, persuades Odysseus to stay, share her meat and wine, and restore his heart† (1054). This shows that Odysseus has cheated on his wife while out at sea. This proves that Odysseus is a treacherous man to his family. While Odysseus’s men kill a ram, Zeus punishes them by a thunderbolt, killing everyone but Odysseus â€Å"The dangerous nymph Calypso lives and sings there, in her beauty and she received me, loved me† (985). This shows that Odysseus has sailed away without his men and going to Calypso. Showing how Odysseus is disloyal to his crew, leaving their bodies and only caring about himself. Odysseus has many characteristics that he shows throughout his journey, but not heroic. Dragging his members into his own faults by the Gods, being a untrustworthy leader, and a bad husband to his wife. Odysseus is not a heroic person, just arrogant. Overall in this epic poem, Odysseus shows no characteristics of a heroic person.

teds1 essays

teds1 essays Since 1989 all shrimp nets have had to have TEDS or Turtle Excluder Devices sewn into them. A TED is a metal grate that is sewn in the body of a net so when a turtle hits it, it is launched out the top of the net, supposedly returning it to the wild. In my opinion TEDS are a good thought but they have done nothing but hurt the fishing Since the introduction of TEDS in 1989 there has been a 10% decline in the number of shrimp caught each year. This is because when trash is caught it becomes entangled in the TED holding it open and releasing the catch. These TEDS dont come free to anyone. A basic TED cost two hundred dollars and each boat has about eight nets so that means sixteen hundred dollars. With the lose of production and price of the TEDS many fleets have gone bankrupt. The fleet in Texas alone has dropped from 5,200 boats to about 3,500 today. As more and more of these boats are filing bankruptcy the burden of helping the families who run these boats is Besides the cost of the TEDS they are also a danger to the crew. The average TED is four foot by 2 1/2 feet with an average weight of 40 pounds. A boat will have four of these on deck so there is a danger of being hit by one. If someone was to get hit and killed by one the money to help the family would once again come from the boats account. The settlement could set a boat in bankruptcy once again putting a family on The argument of the opposition is that there were a lot of turtles being caught before the introduction of TEDS. If you talked to anyone was a shrimping before TEDS were introduced they will tell you that they have never seen one or have only caught one in thirty years of shrimping. My father has been shrimping for over thirty years and he says that he has never even seen one of them. TEDS are also ineffective at excludin ...

Definitions and Glosses

Definitions and Glosses Definitions and Glosses Definitions and Glosses By Mark Nichol A definition is a phrase or sentence (or more) that explains the meaning of a term, and a gloss is a brief definition offered parenthetically after the term. This post includes examples of sentences in which definitions and glosses are erroneously presented. Discussion after each sentence explains the error, and a revision demonstrates the correct treatment. 1. The term uncertainty is defined as not knowing how or if potential events may manifest themselves in the context of achieving future objectives and business strategies. Enclose explicit definitions (those preceded by means, â€Å"is defined as,† and the like) in quotation marks to signal that the definition is the exact wording from another source: â€Å"The term uncertainty is defined as ‘not knowing how or if potential events may manifest themselves in the context of achieving future objectives and business strategies.’† 2. The organization defines â€Å"relevant information† as information that facilitates informed decision-making. This sentence is constructed differently from the previous example, but the rule is the same: â€Å"The organization defines ‘relevant information’ as ‘information that facilitates informed decision-making.’† (In this case, because the term consists of more than one word, it is enclosed in quotation marks as well, rather than italicized.) However, if a definition follows is or another form of â€Å"to be,† do not set it off in quotation marks: â€Å"Relevant information is information that facilitates informed decision-making.† Note, too, that in this sentence, â€Å"relevant information† is treated as the thing itself, not the term for the thing, so the phrase is not set off with quotation marks. However, in some sentence constructions, the word or phrase may be emphasized because it is a reference to the term itself, and not the concept, while the definition is not treated as a quotation; see, for example, â€Å"‘Relevant information’ refers to information that facilitates informed decision-making.† 3. Administrative adjudication is one of several methods the agency may use to enforce compliance with federal consumer financial laws; it refers to the process by which an administrative agency engages in an adversarial proceeding with a supervised party. â€Å"Administrative adjudication† is referred to here as a concept, but â€Å"it refers to† implies that the reference is to the phrase for the concept, like relevant information in the parenthetical example in the discussion above. (Also, compare â€Å"A pencil is a writing instrument† and â€Å"Pencil denotes a writing instrument.†) It is equivalent to the concept, not the term for it, so the phrase preceding the definition must be revised to reflect this: â€Å"Administrative adjudication is one of several methods the agency may use to enforce compliance with federal consumer financial laws; the term refers to the process by which an administrative agency engages in an adversarial proceeding with a supervised party.† 4. The Gospel of Matthew, the only one of the four canonical gospels to mention the Wise Men, or Magi, makes no mention of the number who came to worship the baby Jesus. Here, two designations for the same thing, the group of men said to have visited Jesus shortly after his birth, are described, but it makes no sense to first provide the more transparent of the two terms, followed by the more esoteric one. The designation that is more well known should be offered as a subsequent gloss, or brief definition, of the more obscure term: â€Å"The Gospel of Matthew, the only one of the four canonical gospels to mention the Magi, or Wise Men, makes no mention of the number who came to worship the baby Jesus.† 5. Alice in Wonderland syndrome, or micropsia, is a neurological disease that affects the visual cortex and makes you see things much, much smaller than they really are. Again, why include a more technical term in addition to a vernacular alternative unless it is introduced first, followed by the more familiar or accessible name as a gloss? Revise as shown here: â€Å"Micropsia, or Alice in Wonderland syndrome, is a neurological disease that affects the visual cortex and makes you see things much, much smaller than they really are.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Common Mistakes category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:35 Synonyms for â€Å"Look†When to Form a Plural with an ApostropheCaptain vs. Master

Introducation to organisation and management Assignment

Introducation to organisation and management - Assignment Example The two firms that are the subject of these case studies are really night and day as far as culture and leadership goes. The first case study is Watson’s. Watson’s has a hierarchy that is authoritative, which means that employees have little input in decision-making and are really not respected. Management and unions have a toxic history due to a lack of trust. The managing director, Gordon Watson, is man who is stuck, in that he is not proactive, but prefers to keep things the status quo. He is also older and ready to retire, and does not interact with the workers. His underling, Ahmed Khan, however, does seem to have more vision, and he has excellent ideas that would be very beneficial to the company’s productivity. However, he is not being heard by the people higher up in the hierarchy. The same situation is present with the staff, in that they, too, have good ideas, but these ideas are not heard of given respect. The people in the organization do not have flu idity, in that they do not move between different positions, therefore there is little flexibility in fulfilling orders, so part of the staff is overburdened, while others are underburdened. The different departments do not communicate with one another. The staff is having high absenteeism, and there is also high turnover. The Human Resource Manager, instead of trying to find solutions to the high absenteeism and retention, makes excuses and does not take sexual harassment seriously. Consequently, the firm appears to be falling apart. On the other hand, H&M Consulting seems to have it together. Where Watson’s is a dinosaur, in that it refuses to go forward with new technology and ideas, H& M is the opposite, as they use new technology and ideas as their focus. H&M is not hierarchical, and centralized leadership is not strong, as it is composed of groups that have team leaders, and uses technology to coordinate what the different teams are doing. The teams are constantly chang ing, and constantly going to different projects. All this is not to say that there is not leadership, because there is. Theo Wolf, who is the CEO, is a visionary, his staff respects him, and has been called inspirational. He is communicative with his staff, and is very motivational. He encourages his staff to try new approaches and be proactive with company issues. Its staff is valuable, and learning and development are encouraged. The employees are given autonomy, so that they are responsible for their own development. In short, this organization values their employees, has trusted leadership who creates a shared vision, encourages its employees to be proactive with solutions, and does not have tyrannical leadership. Discussion Examining these two different companies is a study of a difference in organizational culture. The culture is â€Å"the coding of values and deeply-held beliefs that mold an organization's decision patterns, guide its actions, and drive individual behaviorâ €  (Dauphinais & Price, 1998, p. 190). Culture is also belief patterns that come from group norms, informal activities and values (Ivancevich et al., 2008, p. 503). The culture of an organization is visible to the members and to outsiders as the way things are done(Dauphinais & Price, 1998, p. 190). It is also subtle and invisible, in that it makes up the values, beliefs and attitudes that go throughout the organization. Culture can be an asset, if it is in line with company's vision, thus catalyzing the vision. Or it can be a drawback, hindering the vision if the culture is not so in line and the fit between the culture and the vision is flawed, as the beliefs that permeate the organization propel it to mediocrity, not to greatness. According to Dauphinais & Price, culture and culture change are not triggered from the top down, but from the bottom up and is created by â€Å"practical tools such as measures, rewards, and carefully structured people practices† (Dauphinais & Price, 1998, p. 191). The two companies cultures are night and day –

Strengths and Weaknesses of Internal and External Recruitment Essay

Strengths and Weaknesses of Internal and External Recruitment - Essay Example This essay describes today’s dynamic companies needs to adapt swiftly to the changing environment. Often the human resources department is required to fill vast number of jobs as the company develops new markets and pursues new strategies. New positions tend to require specialized skill sets while new management philosophies look for softer skills such as interpersonal skills. To complicate the matter further, today’s employees are more likely to change jobs, due to the availability of myriad opportunities. The researcher focuses on describing of the process of th human resources department that must define the job requirements, advertise the position, sort though the applicants and choose the best candidates effectively and efficiently. The most successful recruitment depends on the amount of preparation before the actual process. There are many ways to attract a pool of suitable applicants that are described in the essay. The method chosen depends on the time and reso urces the organisation can afford and the nature of the business. This can be accomplished by weighing the knowledge level, skills etc. of the required candidate to fill the job, how much training he will require, and how much value add the candidate would bring to the table. Investing the time and resources in getting a successful recruit represents sound business practice. Above all, the researcher states that being an employer of choice is a reputation that recruiters need to build within their industries and that is a powerful tool in attracting top talent.

Commands to the computer Essay Example for Free

Commands to the computer Essay Function keys across the top Letter keys in the main section A numeric keypad on the right Cursor movement and editing keys between the main section and the numeric keypad. The layout of the letters on a keyboard is standard across many countries and is called a QWERTY keyboard. The name comes from the first six keys on the top row of the alphabetic characters. Some keyboards come with added keys for using the Internet and others have an integrated wrist support. Ergonomic keyboards have been developed to reduce the risk of repetitive strain injury to workers who use keyboards for long periods of time. The computers processor scans the keyboard hundreds of times per second to see if a key has been pressed. When a key is pressed, a digital code is sent to the Central Processing Unit (CPU). This digital code is translated into ASCII code (American Standard Code of Information Interchange). For example, pressing the A key produces the binary code 01100001 representing the lower case letter a. Holding down the shift key at the same time produces the binary code 01000001 representing the upper case letter A. Advantages: Most computers have this device attached to it It is a reliable method for data input of text and numbers. A skilled typist can enter data very quickly. Specialist keyboards are available Disadvantages: It is very easy to make mistakes when typing data in It can be very time consuming to enter data using a keyboard, especially if you are not a skilled typist. It is very difficult to enter some data, for example, details of diagrams and pictures. It is very slow to access menus and not flexible when you want to move objects around the screen Difficult for people unable to use keyboards through paralysis or muscular disorder. Mouse A mouse is the most common pointing device that you will come across. It enables you to control the movement and position of the on-screen cursor by moving it around on the desk. Buttons on the mouse let you select options from menus and drag objects around the screen. Pressing a mouse button produces a mouse click. You might have heard the expressions double click, click and drag and drag and drop. Most mice use a small ball located underneath them to calculate the direction that you are moving the mouse in. The movement of the ball causes two rollers to rotate inside the mouse; one records the movement in a north-south direction and the other records the east-west movement. The mouse monitors how far the ball turns and in what direction and sends this information to the computer to move the pointer. Advantages: Ideal for use with desktop computers. Usually supplied with a computer so no additional cost. All computer users tend to be familiar with using them. Disadvantages They need a flat space close to the computer. The mouse cannot easily be used with laptop, notebook or palmtop computers. (These need a tracker ball or a touch sensitive pad called a touch pad). Trackball A tracker ball, is like an upside down mouse with the ball on top. Turning the ball with your hand moves the pointer on the screen. It has buttons like a standard mouse, but requires very little space to operate and is often used in conjunction with computer aided design. You will often find a small tracker ball built into laptop computers in place of the conventional mouse. Advantages Ideal for use where flat space close to the computer is limited. Can be useful with laptops as they can be built into the computer keyboard or clipped on. Disadvantages Not supplied as standard so an additional cost and users have to learn how to use them a joy stick is simalar to the mouse but turns at the sides a joy stick is used to play computer games it turns in 8 dirtion and is used for controlling things like cars advantge there is an idmete feel of dirction due to the movement of the stick disavantges its hard to controlthey can break ealisy This document was downloaded from Coursework. Info The UKs Coursework Database http://www. coursework. info/ This document was downloaded from Coursework. Info The UKs Coursework Database http://www. coursework. info/ This document was downloaded from Coursework. Info The UKs Coursework Database http://www. coursework. info/ This document was downloaded from Coursework. Info The UKs Coursework Database http://www. coursework. info/ This document was downloaded from Coursework. Info The UKs Coursework Database http://www. coursework. info/ This document was downloaded from Coursework. Info The UKs Coursework Database http://www. coursework. info.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Essay -- Essays on Anxiety Disorde

OCD: What's in Control? Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that is the fourth most common mental illness in the U.S. (8). OCD affects five million Americans, or one in five people (3). This is a serious mental disorder that causes people to think and act certain things repetitively in order to calm the anxiety produced by a certain fear. Unlike compulsive drinking or gambling, OCD compulsions do not give the person pleasure; rather, the rituals are performed to obtain relief from the discomfort caused by obsessions (2). OCD is more common than schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or panic disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (6). This disorder can be therapeutically treated, but not cured. The causes of OCD are not completely understood, and warrant further exploration of self-control and autonomy. There are many branches or types of OCD. Within all branches, ninety percent of people suffer from both obsessions and compulsions, rather than solely one or the other (1). One category of OCD sufferers tend to check and recheck items from 10-100 times - such as a locked door. The overwhelming impulse to recheck remains until the person experiences a reduction in tension despite the realization that the item is secure (1). OCD sufferers also tend to habitually wash due to fear of contamination. Another form of OCD is hoarding, which is excessive saving of typically worthless items such as shoes or computer disks due to an overwhelming fear that one day these items might be of use. People who suffer from the ordering branch of OCD, feels compelled to place items in a designated spot or order to alleviate worries of disorder and mayhem. Pure-O sufferers are those people who grapple wi... ...e.com/defineocd.htm 2) Obsessive Compulsive Foundation-What is OCD? http://www.ocfoundation.org/ocf1010a.htm 3) Most Frequently asked questions about OCD http://www.ocdhelp.org/faq.html 4) Obsessive Compulsive Foundation, related Disorders http://www.ocfoundation.org/ocf1020a.htm 5) Obsessive Compulsive Foundation-How is OCD treated? http://www.ocfoundation.org/ocf1030a.htm 6) OCD and Tic Disorders http://mentalhelp.net/poc/center_index.php?id=6 7) A Cognitive Therapeutic Differentiation Between Conceptualizing and Managing OCD http://www.ocdonline.com/definecbt.htm 8) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: OCD http://www.ocdhelp.org/ocdfacts.html 9)Letizia et al. 2001. Abnormal Pattern of Cortical Activation Associated with Voluntary Movement in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: an EEG Study. American journal of Psychiatry. 158: 140-142.

Evaluating a Company’s Budget Procedures Essay

Springfield Corporation operates on a calendar-year basis. It begins the annual budgeting process in late August, when the president establishes targets for the total dollar sales and the net income before taxes for the next year. The sales target is given to the Marketing Department, where the marketing manager formulates a sales budget by product line in both units and dollars. From this budget, sales quotas by product line in units and dollars are established for each of the corporation’s sales districts. The marketing manager also estimates the cost of the marketing activities required to support the target sales volume and prepares a tentative marketing expense budget. The executive vice president uses the sales and profit targets, the sales budget by product line, and the tentative marketing expense budget to determine the dollar amount that can be devoted to manufacturing and corporate expenses, and then forwards to the Production Department the product-line sales budget in units and the total dollar amount that can be devoted to manufacturing. The production manager meets with the factory managers to develop a manufacturing plan that will produce the required units when needed within the cost constraints set by the executive vice president. The budgeting process usually comes to a halt at this point because the Production Department does not consider the financial resources allocated to be adequate. When this standstill occurs, the vice president of finance, the executive vice president, the marketing manager, and the production manager meet to determine the final budgets for each of the areas. This normally results in a modest increase in the total amount available for manufacturing costs, while the marketing expense and corporate office expense budgets are cut. The total sales and net income figures proposed by the president are seldom changed. Although the participants are seldom pleased with the compromise, these budgets are final. Each executive then develops a new detailed budget for the operations in his or her area. None of the areas has achieved its budget in recent years. Sales often run below the target. When budgeted sales are not achieved, each area is expected to cut costs so that the president’s profit target can still be met. However, the profit target is seldom met because costs are not cut enough. In fact, costs often run above the original budget in all functional areas. The president is disturbed that Springfield has not been able to meet the sales and profit targets. He hired a consultant with considerable experience with companies in Springfield’s industry. The consultant reviewed the budgets for the past four years. He concluded that the product-line sales budgets were reasonable and that the cost and expense budgets were adequate for the budgeted sales and production levels.

How Music Defines You Essay

â€Å"I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music. † This famous quote said by Billy Joel does a good job describing the way music can affect people. Different songs can impact people, change their moods, or bring back memories related to a certain tune. Each person, however, has their own unique taste in music; one song can be loved by one but hated by another, it all depends on our personal taste and what we can relate to. This made me wonder, what does the music I listen to say about myself? Do the lyrics define who I am as a person, or do I simply like songs because of the beat? As I looked at my top ten playlist, I saw that some of my favorite songs do describe me to a certain point. The first song I examined in my playlist was â€Å"Kids† by MGMT. I have always loved the beat of the song, but the lyrics of it never made sense to me. The words are like a collage of random thoughts strung together with what seems like no relation. However, as I looked deeper into the lyrics, I started to realize the meaning of the words. This song is filled with many emotions of a typical college student. Feelings of happiness, sadness, naivety, and nostalgia are present throughout the entire song. Upon further digging, I discovered that this was the first song the artists, Goldwasser and VanWyngaeden, wrote on arriving at college. They were nineteen, in a fantasy college world, and had a happy-go-lucky attitude. At the same time, however, they were longing for childhood; they had a fear of growing up and losing innocence. â€Å"Kids† is a great example of the way many college students feel. For me, I do not fear growing up, but I often find myself missing the past. Childhood was bliss and easy. As I grow up, I long for the days when I was younger, when work, homework, school, and the stress of everyday life did not matter. When you are young, you have no responsibilities to deal with, and although I live a happy balanced life, I often find myself wishing I was a kid again. The second song I analyzed was â€Å"Paradise† by Coldplay. Similarly to â€Å"Kids†, the song â€Å"Paradise† starts with the idea of childhood. â€Å"When she was just a girl she expected the world. But it flew away from her reach so she ran away in her sleep and dreamed of paradise† is the opening verse for this tune. It talks of a young girl with big dreams expecting the world. As the girl in the song grows up she finds that life is not as simple as she believed. â€Å"Life goes on, it gets so heavy. The wheel breaks the butterfly. Every tear a waterfall. In the night the stormy night she’ll close her eyes. † Those lyrics are a good example of how life has some downs, tears, and storms, but it talks of how the girl stays positive when the song says, â€Å"She’d say, ‘I know the sun must set to rise. ’† I think this song is a good reflection of me. I have big dreams for myself, but as life goes on I go through some bumps in the road. I have encountered many of my own stormy nights, but I know the sun will rise to a clearer and brighter day in time. I have learned not to expect things to be handed to me, but to chase after my dreams, and my own perfect paradise to a path of success. My final and favorite song I looked at was the song â€Å"Pursuit of Happiness† by Kid Cudi. Kid Cudi is my favorite artist, so it makes sense that my favorite song is one of his most popular. However, when I tell people my favorite artist is Kid Cudi, they give me weird looks because most of his songs do not describe me. The song â€Å"Pursuit of Happiness† is actually fairly dark and depressing. It talks of a person being empty and doing things such as drugs, smoking, and getting drunk. The character in the song finds these things as his only escape from reality. I personally think the song is brilliant. When I uncover the deeper meanings of the song, Kid Cudi is someone who I can relate to. The person in his song has been through some real tough times. I see his journey of trying to escape the pain of the real world by getting involved in all these things that give temporary bliss, but at the end of the song it is obvious that partying, drugs, and alcohol will not give you true happiness. My three favorite songs â€Å"Kids†, â€Å"Paradise†, and â€Å"Pursuit of Happiness† ended up describing some aspects of my life. I found that I could relate to all three songs which could be the reason why they are important to me. However, I am unconvinced that every song I like defines the type of person I am. I love music and it was hard for me to narrow down my top three songs. If I were to go on and look at every song I love, I am positive more than half would not be a reflection of who I am. My ultimate songs may describe some aspects of me, but I am confident that they do not define who I am.

Change, Challenge and Strategic leadership The WritePass Journal

Change, Challenge and Strategic leadership Introduction Change, Challenge and Strategic leadership IntroductionCHANGE; CHALLENGE; AND STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP COURSEWORKSCOPE OF ASSIGNMENTCONCLUSIONSREFERENCE Related Introduction CHANGE; CHALLENGE; AND STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP COURSEWORK SCOPE OF ASSIGNMENT This assignment is aimed the critical review and analysis of journal articles and a strategic management textbook in relation to the impact of strategic alliances between corporate organizations. Relevant journal articles; reviews and alliance topics from strategic management textbooks will be critically reviewed and analyzed to verify the differing and contrasting views of the research findings. Finally, there will be an overall conclusion of the findings based on the journal articles; and other relevant sources. (A) CRITIQUE OF THE LITERATURE   ( ONE FROM JOURNAL ARTICLE; ONE FROM HBR; AND ONE CHAPTER FROME TEXT BOOK RELATING TO STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT   THE SUBJECT SHOULD BE RELATED TO BOTH THE ARTICLES.) (1)   TITLE: MAKING STRATEGIC ALLIANCE TO SUCCEED. BY CAROLINE ELLIS (NOVEMBER, 1996) IN HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW The first article was written by Ellis (1996) and the main theme of the journal article was that if the strategic alliance is to succeed, there should be trust and mutual understanding. Her research and analysis was mainly to review the articles written by Spekman et al (1995) titled â€Å"Building Strategic Alliances: The Successful Intertwining of Business and Personal Relationships†; â€Å"Creating Strategic Alliances That Endure† and â€Å"Alliance Management†. Her article seems to suggest that without the creation of an environment of trust, it will be difficult to achieve any meaningful results in any strategic alliance. She opined that based on Spekman’s (1995) view, good alliance managers must lay more emphasis on learning so that they can easily accept the problems as challenges that offer both risk and reward. Ellis (1996) was of the view that in order for strategic alliances to be successful, there is the need for trust to be the paramount key success factor. Nevertheless, Ellis (1996) admitted that trust cannot be achieved in a short space of time. She therefore advised that corporate executives must recruit the managers who have some necessary innate traits and the broad gauge empathy that can help the strategic alliance to be successful (Ellis, 1996: 9). Finally she concluded that alliance managers must insist on quality training for their employees emphasizing on the three â€Å"Rs† if there was to be any success in increased productivity. (2) CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE JOURNAL ARTICLE TITLED â€Å"THE INFLUENCE OF MANAGERS’ CHARACTERISTICS AND PERCEPTIONS IN STRATEGIC ALLIANCE PRACTICE† WRITTEN BY JALONI PANSIRI (2005) FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF BALLARAT, BALLARAT-AUSTRALIA. The final article to be reviewed was written by Pansiri (2005) and it was aimed at providing the linkage between strategic alliance practice and managerial cognitive base with a view to understanding alliance dynamics better. Pansiri’s research was more academical and theoretical than practical because he undertook an in-depth analysis of all known models and research on strategic alliances. In the end, he concluded that the influence of managers’ characteristics and perceptions in strategic alliance practice is not only limited to reasons why firms form strategic alliances and attitudes towards alliances. They influence an array of practices which determines not only the survival of the strategic alliance, but also the survival of the firm in question. Issues concerning the type of the strategic alliance to be adopted and the number of alliance partners or alliances a firm may join is of high concern for managers. Pansiri (2005: 1105) claimed that â€Å"Strategic alliance partner selection has been cited as one of the reasons that account forthe successful implementation of strategic alliances (Kanter, 1994; Brouthers andWilkinson, 1995; Faulkner, 1995; Mendleson and Polonsky, 1995; Medcof, 1997; Evans,2001; Hagen, 2002).† According to Pansiri (2005) Researchers indicate that finding the right alliance partner isextremely important because the failure of many alliances can easily be traced topartner selection at the planning stage. It is at this stage where risk minimization should be addressed. In choosing appropriate partners, strategic alliance researchidentifies four Cs on the choice of alliance partners emphasizing on compatibility, capability, commitment and control cannot be subjected to objective calculation but largely depends on managers’ cognitive base. (3)   CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT TEXTBOOK TITLED â€Å"MANAGING AND ORGANIZATIONS† AN INTRODUCTION TO THEORY AND PRACTICE. 2ND EDITION. WRITTEN BY S. CLEGG; M. KORNBERGER; AND T. PITSIS (2008) LOS ANGELES: SAGE. CHAPTER 14: GLOBAL STRATEGIC ALLIANCES. The authors contend that the major mechanism of global integration is collaborations and strategic alliances. In their view alliances are essentially a strategic device connecting different organizations in a network or web that includes many transacting parties. The authors claim that corporate organizations and entities all over the world resort to the formation of strategic alliances based on varied reasons. Some of these reasons are that they want to have more access to a greater market share. According to Clegg; Kornberger; and Pitsis (2008: 589) the major strategic objectives of alliances are maximizing value; enhancing learning; protecting core competencies; and maintaining flexibility.   Strategic alliances have a lot of importance and benefits to the corporate entities that decide to embark on it because it helps in the transfer of technology from one company to another in a more convenient environment. In addition, alliances have the capacity to allow the top executives to tap in certain capabilities and save the organisation from duplication. They further contend that strategic alliances are a way of focusing investments, efforts, and attention only on those tasks that a company does well in its value chain. They further lamented that the value chain is a concept for decomposing an organisation into its component activities. They claimed that one strategy that firms which are deeply involved in alliance relations follow is to use formalization as a means to make sense of their partners, the interorganizational relationships in which they are engaged and the contexts in which these are embedded. (B) A COMPARISON OF THE LITERATURE REVIEWED In comparing the literature reviewed in relation to the 3 sources, it can be deduced that all the writers had one common similarity concerning strategic alliance which is that it creates a â€Å"value† to the partners involved in the alliance. Whilst the first article by Ellis (1996) concentrated on reviewing the journal article by Spekman et. al (1995) titled â€Å"Building Strategic Alliances: The Successful Intertwining of Business and Personal Relationships†; â€Å"Creating Strategic Alliances That Endure† and â€Å"Alliance Management†Ã‚   which was mainly the discussion of how the perceived gap between the strategic formulation and the sustainability of the alliance management, the second article byPansiri (2005)   was aimed at providing the linkage between strategic alliance practice and managerial cognitive base with a view to understanding alliance dynamics better. Pansiri’s research was more academical and theoretical than practical because he undertook an in-depth analysis of all known models and research on strategic alliances. Pansiri (2005) asserted that the influence of managers’ characteristics and perceptions in strategic alliance practice is not only limited to reasons why firms form strategic alliances and attitudes towards alliances. Clegg et al (2008:590) however were of the view that there should be the instigation and maintenance of interaction during the formation period in order to reduce judgment errors and individual biases during the alliance formation. Pansiri (2005) contends that issues concerning the type of the strategic alliance to be adopted and the number of alliance partners or alliances a firm may join is of high concern for managers. Finally, Clegg et al (2008) were very keen on the fact that major mechanisms of global integration are collaborations and strategic alliances and that the major strategic objectives of alliances are maximizing value and enhancing learning. (C) ADDITIONAL REVIEW OF COLLEAGUE ARTICLE (CRITIQUE AND COMPRASION OF COLLEAGUES ARTICLE) (1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Critical Analysis of Journal Article from Harvard Business Review titled â€Å"Simple Rules for Making Alliances Work† authored   by Jonathan Hughes and Jeff Weiss (November, 2007) The two authors of the article Hughes and Weiss (2007:123) claims that strategic alliances are just not any business arrangement but they demand a high degree of interdependence between may continue to compete against each other in the market place.   They lamented that in strategic alliance there is the need to have the ability to actively ascertain the differences between the strengths and operating styles of the two corporate organizations planning to form the alliance in order to form sensible tactics and gain a lot of insight in relation to the prudent management of the partnership. The two authors suggested in order for the alliances to be effective, there should be the consideration of five (5) principles by the two companies considering forming the alliance. This in their opinion will go a long way to make the alliance to be effective and yield the desired results. The first principle they suggested was that there should be less focus on the definition of the business plan and more on how they will work together. They claimed that numerous experiences of failed alliances were due to breakdown in communication and trust but not necessarily the absence of a business plan. Successful alliances in their opinion was to a large extent based on the ability of the staff of the two companies to work as if they were employed by the same company. There should be a clear communication and understanding on how the resources will be allocated; sharing of information; and the process of decision making. The second principle they suggested was that the alliance partners must not focus only on the goals of the alliance but rather the progress because it is not usually possible to achieve measurable results in the first couple of months or even up to a year. The third principle is that alliance partners should focus on creating value with their differences instead of trying to eliminate them. This in their opinion will help streamline and fast-track the process of forming the alliance into a formidable force instead of the conflicts; bickering; pettiness; and trivialities of differences. The two authors compared the alliance between Microsoft and HP where the perceptions of the two companies of each other and their own appraisal was later catalogued into their respective strengths for value to be created. The fourth principle by Hughes and Weiss (2007:128) claimed that the alliance partners must go beyond formal governance structures but rather encourage collaborative behavior. They contend that there should be an emphasis on inquiry instead being judgmental so that there will be a dispassionate analysis on what went wrong so that both parties can interpedently sort out issues amicably. The final principle suggested by the two authors was that the alliance partners should spend much time on managing stakeholders internally as on managing the relationship between the partners. They cited an example of two financial services company who in the late 1990’s formed an alliance to exploit technological developments enabling electronic payments but a few years into the alliance they had some challenges as a result of the fact that one of the partners did not have the support of the departmental heads of the firm before entering into the alliance. These 4 departmental heads were therefore creating problem for the smooth operation of the new partnership and they were able to influence other stakeholders which eventually led to the downfall of the alliance. The two suggested that if the 5 principles are adhered to by companies contemplating to form an alliance, it will be very effective to successfully make the synergy a success. In comparing my colleague’s articles written by Hughes and Weiss (2007) with the article written by Ellis (1996), it can be deduced that the former was more in depth with practical examples to back up all the five (5) principles they suggested for effective strategic alliances. The latter (Ellis, 1996) wrote a short article and the main theme was on the importance of trust in strategic alliance management. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, it must be emphasized that strategic alliance is very useful exercise for corporate organizations that wants to increase their productivity and profitability and to improve their competencies. Nevertheless, the process of strategic alliance must be based on mutual trust; honesty; understanding; and continuous communication between the partners forming the alliance. If the alliance is to be successful, it is very critical that all the relevant stakeholders must be embedded in all the processes of the alliance formation for effective results. Proper planning and adherence to well tested principles as opined by Hughes and Weiss (2007) and the issue of having a trustworthy environment between the partners (Ellis, 1996) will be very critical to the success of any strategic alliance. REFERENCE 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Clegg, S.; Kornberger, M.; and Pitsis, T. (2008) â€Å"Managing and Organizations† An Introduction to Theory and Practice. 2nd Edition. Los Angeles: Sage. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ellis, C. (1996) â€Å"Making Strategic Alliance to Succeed† Harvard Business Review 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hughes, J. and Weiss, J. (2007) â€Å"Simple Rules for Making Alliances Work†: Harvard Business Review: November, 2007 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pansiri, J. (2005) â€Å"The influence of Managers’ Characteristics and Perceptions in Strategic Alliance Practice† Emerald Insight: Management Decision.Vol. 43 No. 9, 2005 pp. 1097-1113

Analysis of Soft Drink Industry

Coca cola and PepsiCo are the major players of soft drink industry in South Africa. Coca cola dominates the market with a market capitalization of around 30 percent higher than PepsiCo’s (DAFF, 2014). Coca cola dominates the market by investing heavily into the advertising and campaigns to increase its social visibility (Statista, 2010). Coca cola’s share a coke campaign spurted the sales and market growth of the company in a diversified country like South Africa (CCRED, 2015). The company has connected with the consumer through its relationship marketing (CNB Africa, 2014). Further, there are small players who have also witnessed growth in their volume sales through their low price strategy. Further, the industry has also witnessed introduction of new flavors in the market with the increasing demand of the consumer. The soft drink companies have introduced innovative flavors to offer a wider range of products to the consumer to differentiate themselves. Other important players of the industry are red bull, mountain dew, pepsi, 7up, fanta, dr. pepper and vitamin water. Coke is the leader in terms of market share followed by red bull leads, mountain dew and pepsi. Porter’s Diamond Model provides a method to explain national competitive advantage of a country. Porter developed this model to analyze the international competitiveness of countries and evaluate how a country becomes successful in a specific industry (Porter, 2011). The model aims to evaluate the characteristics of the country in order to assess the firm’s achievements and success across the globe. The model suggests that the characteristics and attributes of the country affect the success and growth of the firm internationally. There are six elements of Porter’s National Diamond Model which assesses the national competitiveness which includes factor (input) conditions, demand conditions, government, related and supporting industries, chance and firm strategy, structure and rivalry (Porter, 2011). The home country which is taken for analysis affects the company’s strategies and provides a direction to build its structure.  Ã‚   Factor conditions account for the availability of the resources within South Africa which includes human resources, physical infrastructure, administrative infrastructure, capital resources, information infrastructure, scientific and technological infrastructure and natural resources. Human Resources: Human resource contributes towards the cost of production of soft drinks in the manufacturing process. Therefore, the factors to be considered are cost, quality and availability of unskilled labor, cost, quality and availability of skilled labor, administration cost for management of skilled labors and merchandising cost. South Africa has abundance of unskilled labor but the production cost is constraining the competitiveness because of unavailability of quality skilled labor and high cost of labor in South Africa (The Economist, 2014).   Physical infrastructure: South Africa lacks the quality and availability of proper physical infrastructure facilities which are required by the industry (Deloitte, 2013). Physical infrastructure is very essential for the set up of production process and operational process, thus, lack of a physical infrastructure would be a hindrance for the entrance of the company.    Administrative infrastructure: The cost of administrative infrastructure is very high in South Africa which would adversely affect the company (Rooyen, Esterhuizen & Stroebel, 2011). Administrative set up is again an importance parameter for the long term sustainability of the firm. Capital resources: Capital resources such as loans and finance are very essential to set up the company operations in a foreign market. South Africa lacks sufficient capital resources which would hinder the establishment of the company (Rooyen, Esterhuizen & Stroebel, 2011).   Information infrastructure: Information regarding the markets and suppliers are required to enter any new market so as to analyze the market favorable conditions and cost of production. The cost of information infrastructure is very high in South Africa (Rooyen, Esterhuizen & Stroebel, 2011). Scientific and technological infrastructure: The cost of technology is very high and constrains the growth of soft drinks industry. The quality of the scientific infrastructure does not have a great impact on the industry but it is not easily available in the country (Rooyen, Esterhuizen & Stroebel, 2011). Natural resources: The natural resources are present in South Africa, though not in abundant quantity, but support the production of the soft drinks (Rooyen, Esterhuizen & Stroebel, 2011). Thus, the overall factor conditions do not provide a great support to the soft drink industry in South Africa. The demand conditions indicate the need and requirement of the company’s product or service in the country which include market demand and size, potential market and overall market growth and sophistication. Market size of South Africa does not support the industry and constraints the industry. The market growth would help to analyze the future perspective of the industry. The market growth has been estimated to grow at a CAGR of 3.8 percent during 2016-2021 which would support the company. The market information is easily available for South African market with low cost and great quality. The quality of products also supports the soft drink industry in the country with the increasing average income of the people in the country (Toit, 2006). Also, South Africa is one the most sophisticated market in the African continent which positively affects the industry. The demand conditions favor the company to enter the market of South Africa because of estimated market growth for the next few years and availability of the market information. Related and supporting industries provide the existence to the industry through cost-effective processes, innovation and internationalization. Soft drinks industry requires suppliers and partners for packaging and bottling of the soft drinks. Financial institutions presence provides capital sources to the industry, which is present in the country. The presence of financial institutions supports the ongoing operations in the soft drinks industry. The research institutions support the development of new products as per the customer demand. The presence of research institutions in South Africa supports for research and development activity within the industry. South Africa also has abundance of transport companies to ensure proper logistics and transportation of the soft drinks and carry out the supply chain activities effectively. The other basic necessities such as electricity are also available in South Africa to support the day to day operations of the industry. The suppliers for soft drink industry are also present in the country to support the bottling and other related processes of manufacturing and production. Thus, related and supporting industries support the soft drink industry in South Africa. This factor assesses the parameters of company which includes their goals and objectives, management and structure, policies and regulations. The presence of competitive firms also affects the industry because it triggers product innovation for the sustainability of the firm. The soft drink industry has many players in South Africa such as Coca cola, pepsi, mountain dew, red bull, fanta and others. This creates tough competition within the industry which has led to the invention of innovative products such as flavored soft drinks. South Africa’s sound legal system and strong investor and property protection supports the existence of soft drinks industry in the country by providing them the land and infrastructure for the manufacturing and production of the soft drinks. Further, South Africa has a great connectivity with the international markets which is again a positive influence on the industry (South African Consulate General, 2017). Restriction on capital flow and strong labor union is also a positive influence on the strategy of the firm. Though, there is a threat of substitutes and new entrants because of emerging small players in the soft drink industry who have introduced flavor drinks to provide a substitute of the soft drinks. Thus, overall factors have a positive influence on the strategy, structure and rivalry of the companies in the country. The government support has a strong influence on the sustainability of the firms of soft drinks because a government can either promote or hinder the activities of the firms. The government decisions and policies affect the consumer demand of the country which affects the overall industrial growth. PESTEL analysis would clarify the impact of government on soft drink industry. South Africa is going through political crisis because of corruption allegations charged on the country’s President Jacob Zuma. Further, the Finance Minister has filed an affidavit regarding some suspicious transactions (Gaffey, 2016). These events have destabilized the country which affects the businesses very adversely. Further, the soft drink industry is affected by the country’s demography because consumption of soft drink is high for children and youngsters. South Africa has 30 percent younger population below the age of 15 which influences the soft drink business positively (Statistics South Africa, 2014). South Africa is facing an economic crisis with decreasing currency rates. The Reserve Bank is intentionally keeping the currency low which is affecting the environment for businesses. The economic scenario of the country is effecting the business decision of the companies such as expansion of the business has become a costly affair with a high exchange rate (The World Bank, 2017). Thus economic instability of the country adversely affects the business operations of the companies of soft drink industry. The decreasing currency of the country has an impact on the buying capacity of the people of South Africa. Further, increasing unemployment has also lowered the demand in the country. Though, the country has become more sophisticated with the social upliftment of society and people are moving towards living high standards of life. This is a positive factor for the soft drink industry, but there is also a tension of rising obesity and overweight in the country. Obesity and overweight leads to diseases such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The cause of these diseases has been found to be sugared drinks which lead to obesity and excess weight. Therefore, the socio-cultural factors give us a mixed opinion about the soft drink industry. The soft drinks contain added sugar and preservatives which affects the health of the consumers and leads to obesity and other health issues. The rising obesity in the country has forced the government to take some preventive action to reduce the consumption of carbonated drinks (Business Tech, 2015). The government has imposed sugar tax on the sugared products which adversely affects the soft drinks industry (Rensburg, 2016). Further, the government is also taking measures such as food advertising regulations and enhanced food labeling to reduce the consumption of soft drinks. Chance is the risk factor for an industry which is beyond the control of the firm. This includes economic and political stability, aids, price stability and crimes. The economy of the South Africa has seen ups and downs in the recent years. The country’s political stability has a positive influence on the sustainability of the company. The country has a record of high crime rate which affects the overall growth of the company. Further, there is no aid and support in case of any war or conflict in the country. Thus, there is a great amount of risk involved for the soft drink industry in South Africa because of unstable economy and rising crimes. A company can enter a market through non-equity mode or equity mode. Non-equity mode is through licensing, exporting and contracting. Equity mode is also called foreign direct investment (FDI) method which involves merging and acquisition with the established businesses in the market (Dunning & Gugler, 2008). The company makes investment by acquiring the assets of the company to establish its control or substantial influence over the business. As per the guidelines of the OECD acquiring a minimum of 10 percent ownership stake is required by the company (Dunning & Gugler, 2008. Joint venture and wholly owned subsidiary are the two different methods for a company for foreign direct investment. Joint venture is the collaboration of two business parties by pooling their resources to pursue a common objective. JV formation is the common strategy used by the companies to enter a foreign established market to expand their business operations internationally. Joint venture gives access to th e existing sales and distribution network of the country (Prescott & Swartz, 2010). SoftBev is a local soft drink of South Africa and has established a strong hold over the market through market penetration. The company’s capital is approximately R650m after merging with a local player (Drink Stuff, 2014). The company has its own production plant in South Africa and is manufactured and packaged locally. Further, it provides quality products and services to its customers (Softbev, 2016). The company could form a joint venture by partnering with the local manufacturer Softbev brand to establish its strong hold over the market. The company would benefit by partnering with the local company in terms of accessibility of market. The company would gain an access to the domestic market from the distribution network of the SoftBev. The company would be able to establish a trust factor among the consumers by partnering with a local firm because SoftBev has already established its own trust in the market. Further, the company would also gain access to the domestic suppliers which would assist the company to set up its own production operations in the country to maintain its sustainability. The company could gradually start its own production house once it has gained access to the market suppliers and distributors. Thus, the company would benefit from the partnership with the domestic firm. Green field investment is another mode of foreign direct investment through which a company builds up its entire operations from the ground in the foreign company. The company has the complete control over the business from plant construction to employee policy and regulations the specifications are laid out by the company (Shenkar, Luo, & Chi, 2014). Acquisition is another FDI strategy in which company acquires certain shares of the company to establish substantial control over the company (Bruner, 2016). It is better to understand the advantages of FDI for the company and the country before taking any step to make a major investment. The benefits of FDI are enjoyed after a long period by capturing the new market and accessing cheaper production facilities. The company and country both enjoy the benefits mutually wherein the country benefits from the transfer of technology and expertise from an advanced country. Joint venture formation with SoftBev would give access to the local market resources of South Africa (Brand South Africa, 2011). The company would gain through market penetration and establish its own market. Further, through a joint venture with SoftBev, the company would enjoy the existing distribution network of SoftBev in South Africa. The companies forming a JV would complement each other by offsetting each other’s weaknesses and forming a stronger company by maintaining their individual identities (Trost, 2013). The Green field investment strategy would help the company to reduce its transportation cost by setting up its own production plant in South Africa (CFO Africa, 2016). The tariff barriers would also be eliminated from the cost of product which would increase the firm’s profitability (Lee & Rugman, 2012). Through mergers and acquisition with SoftBev, the company would get an opportunity to gather the information on the domestic markets of South Africa. The company would now be able to develop strategies to tap the local market by gaining better insight of the existing market (Finkelstein, 2010). It becomes difficult for a firm to roll back its process and projects after deploying Green field investment in the country and can also be financially devastating. Green field investment also demands huge amount of money and time for the research and development process to evaluate the feasibility of entering the foreign market (Shenkar, Luo, & Chi, 2014). Acquisition process requires borrowing of money which increases the company debts. Culture clash is another disadvantage of acquiring a company (Finkelstein, 2010). Formation of a joint venture is time consuming because it takes time to build a relationship with another business entity such. The goals and objectives in a JV are also not clearly communicated which affects the productivity of work (Trost, 2013). JV formation with SoftBev would disturb the balancing the level of expertise within the company by partnering with another business unit. Integrating two different business units is a challenging job because of different management and leadership styles incorporated within the company (Trost, 2013). A successful joint venture would require deep research and analysis of the goals and objectives of the company. After, thoroughly analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of FDI, following can be concluded: Green field investment would require huge amount of money and time for research and development to evaluate the feasibility. Further, setting up operations in a foreign country from the ground level becomes very challenging. Acquisition would also not be a wise choice because it would increase the liability of the company and checking the financial security and credibility of a firm would again waste huge amount of time. The company needs a strategy which does not require investment of money, manpower and time and also has an exit strategy to refrain from future risks. Though Joint Venture also has some disadvantages but is the most preferred option for the company to expand its business internationally. The company could go for a joint venture with one of the local firm which has been analyzed as SoftBev. SoftBev is one of the largest firms of South Africa and has a huge consumer base. Joint venture formation with SoftBev would give access to the local market resources of South Africa (Brand South Africa, 2011). The company would gain through market penetration and establish its own market. Further, through a joint venture with SoftBev, the company would enjoy the existing distribution network of SoftBev in South Africa. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that the company chooses Joint Venture with the local firm of South Africa which has been identified as SoftBev. After a thorough analysis of the soft drink industry in South Africa, there are two contemporary management issues which have been derived. Unfavorable factor conditions: Factor conditions would support the growth of the company by providing human resources, infrastructure, technology, information and natural resources. South Africa has abundance of unskilled labor, but does not have sufficient skilled labor, which is essential for production process. Further, the cost of administrative labor is too high. Unavailability of the human resources would increase the overall cost of production. South Africa also lacks physical infrastructure facilities which would not support the establishment of production and operational processes in the country. The high cost of administration, information and technology would hinder the development of the company in the country. The unfavorable factor conditions would not support the establishment of the company’s production and operational processes. If the company plans to set up its operations in the country then the high cost of production and administration would hinder the overall growth of the company. FDI may seem to be a lucrative choice for the company but there are many risks involved in foreign direct investment. First of all, selection of a FDI methodology is a costly affair because it would involve research and analysis of all the methodologies. Once the methodology has been selected, then selecting the appropriate local partner would be very challenging. The company needs to choose the right partner who has the required resources that would complement the company’s resources. The resources for a soft drink industry are distribution network and market accessibility, production facilities and manpower (Yan & Luo, 2016). The next thing that company needs to access is the performance of JV partner and their perception about collaboration. Further, the company needs to check the financial security of the partner to analyze the credit issues of the JV partner. The management practices also need to be reviewed by the company. Reviewing the production and marketing performance would help to analyze the market credibility of the joint venture partner (Yan & Luo, 2016). The company also needs to consider an exit strategy in order to protect company once the mission is achieved. The terms and conditions need to be considered by each firm to avoid any misunderstanding in the future. Greenfield investment would again be a costly affair because setting up operations in a new country requires research and analysis to create suppliers and distributing partners. Brand South Africa. (2011). South Africa ‘has investment advantage’. Brand South Africa: Official Custodian of South Africa’s Nation Brand. Retrieved from: https://www.brandsouthafrica.com/investments-immigration/business/investing/sainnvestment-030611 Bruner, R.F. (2016). Applied Mergers and Acquisitions. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Business Tech. (2015). Soft drinks and juices lead the way to obesity in SA. Business Tech. Retrieved from: https://businesstech.co.za/news/lifestyle/107483/soft-drinks-and-juices-lead-the-way-to-obesity-in-sa/ Business Tech. (2015). South Africa’s sugary drinks shock. Business Tech. 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Retrieved from: https://www.nda.agric.za/doaDev/sideMenu/AgroProcessingSupport/docs/Quarterly%20review%20food%20beverages_Jul-Sep2014.pdf Deloitte. (2013). Enhancing Manufacturing competitiveness in South Africa. Deloitte. Retrieved from: https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/dk/Documents/manufacturing/manufacturing-competitiveness-South-africa.pdf Drink Stuff. (2014). SoftBev set to be SA's No 1 locally-owned soft drink company.Drink Stuff: South Africa. Retrieved from: https://www.drinkstuff-sa.co.za/sa-drinks-stuff/550-softbev-set-to-be-sa-s-no-1-locally-owned-soft-drink-company Dunning, J.H., & Gugler, P. (2008). Foreign Direct Investment, Location and Competitiveness. London: Elsevier. Finkelstein, S. (2010). Advances in Mergers and Acquisitions, Volume 9. UK: Emerald Group Publishing. Gaffey, C. (2016). Two major, interconnected issues have plunged South African politics into crisis. Newsweek. 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International Food and Agribusiness Management Review. Vol 14 (4). Shenkar, O., Luo, Y., & Chi, T. (2014). International Business. New York: Routledge. Sherman, A.J. (2011). Mergers & Acquisitions from A to Z. US: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn Smit, A.J. (2010). The competitive advantage of nations: is Porter’s Diamond Framework a new theory that explains the international competitiveness of countries?. Southern African Business Review. Vol 14 (1). Retrieved from: https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sabr/article/view/76358/66817 SoftBev. (2016). About Us. SoftBev. Retrieved from: https://softbev.com/about South African Consulate General. (2017). Why Invest in South Africa?. South African Consulate General. Retrieved from: https://www.southafricanewyork.net/consulate/why%20invest%20in%20south%20africa.html Statista. (2010). Market share of soft drink companies in South Africa in 2010, based on sales value. Statista. Retrieved from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/216906/market-share-of-soft-drink-companies-in-south-africa/ Statistics South Africa. (2014). Mid-year population estimates. Statistics South Africa. Retrieved from: https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0302/P03022014.pdf The Economist. (2014). An awakening giant. The Economist. Retrieved from: https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21595949-if-africas-economies-are-take-africans-will-have-start-making-lot The World Bank. (2017). South Africa. The World Bank. Retrieved from: https://data.worldbank.org/country/south-africa Toit, A.S.A. (2006). Competitive intelligence in the knowledge economy: what is in it for South African manufacturing enterprises?. International Journal of Information Management. 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Tourism in morocco and how americans see morocco as a touristic Essay

Tourism in morocco and how americans see morocco as a touristic destination - Essay Example Notably, the same trend was visible in the case of Americans too. As Kiesnoski (2008) points out, there was a 30% rise in the number of American tourists to Morocco on an annual basis since 2008 and it seems that America has been hostile to Morocco all along. However, the situation is improving due to a number of reasons. As such, this paper seeks to critically evaluate the perceptions held by the Americans towards this country and the measures that can be implemented by Morocco in order to attract American tourists. Basically, Morocco is different from the other Middle East nations as a result of different cuisine and traditions. Morocco has the relics of Arab, French, Spanish and Portuguese traditions. As a result of these favorable conditions one can see that the nation is not as calamitous as its Middle East neighbors. Admittedly, Morocco has relatively good relations with the U.S. from the 1950s and the US Government has been working along with the Moroccan authorities to improve the lives of Moroccans. While other nations were turned upside down by citizens calling for revolution, and as the rulers of those nations retorted with military and weapon resulting in mass killings, Morocco witnessed peaceful agitations which are legally allowed and a peaceful referendum from the King offering limited monarchic power. Coskun (2011) posits to the effect that another important point is that unlike other Islamic nations which want to end the rule of monarchs, the majority of the electorate in Morocc o expressed total trust in the King. Thus, according to The Financial Times (2011) report, by adopting a constitutional monarchy like that of Spain or the UK, which is politically open and economically liberal, Morocco stands farther ahead of its Arab companions. Morocco always attracted different types of tourists due to its diversity in cultural tourism it offered. Tourists to Morocco get a chance to experience the various languages, cultures, dresses, and lifestyles