Coke vs Pepsi strategy Essay Example for Free

Coke vs Pepsi strategy Essay Coke v. Pepsi – 5 Forces Analysis Industry concentrate produces High intensity (depends on price/advertising cost/ high number of substitutes(low calorie drinks/no carb drinks/ not carbonated drinks like orange juice) Pepsi products /Coke products New Entrants (barriers/rivalry) High Intensity-Brand recognition dominant market/ patents on style and colors Network relationships high cost of entry established such as distribution, warehouse, bottlers, and shelf-location high marketing costs Coke dominance on international market makes it hard for Pepsi to enter international markets where Coke is dominant (Mexico) Suppliers (Bargaining Power of Supplier) Medium intensity- Coke and Pepsi can and do renegotiate contracts with bottlers on prices, marketing, distribution territories, and etc. High intensity- for new entrants because the bottlers determine price of product (price takers), shelf- place is determined by retailer and less price discount control. There is a small number of important suppliers since Coke and Pepsi supported suppliers to buy other smaller suppliers to keep up with their needs. Buyers (Bargaining Power of Buyers) High Intensity- due to the high number of substitutes, health concerns, and few key buyers (fountain outlets/vending machines) E.g.) Coke and Pepsi battled for the right to sign a contract with fast food restaurants like Burger King. Substitutes ( threat of substitutes) Medium Intensity- high number of substitutes(low calorie drinks/no carb drinks/ not carbonated drinks like Orange juice /ice tea/ flavored water/etc. Low intensity – competition among other pop drink because it’s based on brand recognition.

The Concrete And Fibre Reinforcement Construction Essay

The Concrete And Fibre Reinforcement Construction Essay CHAPTER 1 Within the following dissertation I aim to study the use of Fibre Reinforced Concrete within the construction industry. Over the last decade, fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) has become widely used in different structural and non-structural applications such as pavements, floors, overlays, industrial slabs and shotcrete linings etc where the major concern is toughness and first crack in flexure. It is estimated that more than 150 000 metric tonnes of FRC has been used throughout this duration of time. Particular focus will be made as to FRC within the construction industry whilst trying to identify what the future hold for this composite material. The question will be posed at to what the general consensus is within the construction industry in regard to the use of fibre reinforcement within concrete. 1.2 Concrete and Fibre Reinforcement Concrete is a material that is very strong in compression although is comparatively weak in tension. To compensate for this imbalance in the concretes behavior, an appropriate reinforcement must be cast into the concrete to help carry the tensile loads. Two forms of reinforcement commonly used are Steel Fabric (Rebar) reinforcement and Fibre reinforcement. Steel Fabric Rebar/Mesh has been used for many years in the construction industry to reinforce concrete and is usually made of carbon steel which is incorporated with ridges to help provide a better bond and adhesion to the concrete. As the rate that both steel and concrete expand and contract is the same this assists in eliminating any possible issues relating to any early signs of cracking within the concrete which could occur if the materials expanded and contracted contradictory to each other. This will assist in enhancing the overall strengthening of the structure. Rebar comes in various lengths and thicknesses to accommodate different types and sizes of jobs. These bars can be tied together to form a grid or cage, this is extremely effective for larger projects or alternatively mesh can be delivered in a variety of standard sheet sizes to site. An exciting alternative product to the above which could be used would be that of fibre reinforcement. The idea of using a fibrous material to provide tensile strength to a material strong in compression but brittle loses itself in the mists of time; in ancient Egypt straw was added to clay mixtures in order to provide brick with enhanced flexural resistance, thus providing better handling properties after the brick had dried in the sun. Fibre reinforced concrete is a composite material which entails a cementitious hydrated paste which is mixed with small reinforced filaments for instance glass, steel, polymer or carbon fibres which come in various shapes and sizes. The multiple fibres restructure the energy within the concrete, preventing the procedure of formation and extension of cracks. This helps to increase the ductility within the concrete whilst sustaining the residual capability during the post cracking period The fibres within the concrete literally bond the sides of a forming crack together at the same time as preventing any visual damage from becoming apparent Although FRC is an application that has been used extensively throughout Western Europe and beyond, its use within the UK has been somewhat restricted to the purpose of reinforcement within industrial floors as its main application. The absence of a recognizably accepted design standard may have an influence on the situation although calls are currently being made for clear industrial guidelines to be certified. The Concrete Society Technical Report 63 concentrates on any problematic issues and provides guidance for current and future design. All information and design aspects associated with fibre reinforcement are incorporated within the British Standard Institution. BS EN 14889, Fibres for concrete Part 1: Steel Fibres Definition, specifications and conformity. Part 2: Polymer Fibres Definition, specifications and conformity. 1.3 Aim The main aim of the following theses is to investigate and evaluate the various properties and functions of Fibre Reinforced Concrete (FRC) throughout the construction industry whilst giving consideration as to what lies ahead for the future of FRC. 1.4 Objectives To provide a historic overview of Concrete and Fibre Reinforcement. To identify and analyze the various types of fibre products available for concrete reinforcement. To establish possible concrete mix performance enhancements associated with FRC. To explore the Construction Management criteria within the industry in relation to the use of FRC. To highlight the future possibilities and potential that FRC has within the construction industry whilst seeking the views and opinions of various construction professionals. 1.5 Rationale for Research There are three main reasons why this particular topic has been chosen for this theses along with the required research which has been carried out, these are: A personal interest in the material of concrete along with its various functions and applications due to work experience gained in this field. An interest in new innovations being made available to the construction market which will enhance the overall application of the material. An aspiration to investigate whilst enhancing my current knowledge on the theory of FRC 1.6 Methodology Due to the nature of the topic to meet the aims and objectives previously set out for this thesis and to establish the direction for this piece of work information has been obtained from the following sources. Primary Literature Academic Research Journals (Refereed) Conferences / Seminars (Referred) Government Publications Technical Report Papers Secondary Literature Construction Journals Construction Textbooks Library Search Indexes and Abstracts Internet / World Wide Web Library Catalogue Case Study A case study of fibre reinforcement with regard to Construction Management criteria will also be analyzed via various site visits prior and during any works being carried out. This will provide a valuable insight as to how this product is perceived whilst strengthening the case for use in the future. Questionnaire Questionnaires will also be distributed to various Professional bodies influenced by the use of FRC within the construction industry. The methodology adopted is fully discussed afterwards in Chapter 4 along with the analysis of the research findings in Chapter 5. 1.7 Chapter Overview Chapter 1: Introduction Provide a brief introduction into the areas of study which has been identified by the author whilst outlining the main aims and objectives to be achieved in order to fulfill the research criteria. Chapter 2: Background for Study (Literature Search) A review of the relevant theory and recent / current publications associated with Fibre Reinforced Concrete will be used to obtain the necessary information required to establish the Aim and Objectives which have been prepared by the author. Chapter 3: Case Study On site Case Study (tbc) Chapter 4: Methodology An evaluation of the types of research and methodology methods carried out in order to achieve the aims and objectives previously stated. This will describe how and why the chosen research methods had been adopted. Chapter 5: Data Interpretation and Analysis This will consist of an analysis of the data and information generated from the questionnaire returns using relevant diagrams, tables and text to illustrate all findings. Chapter 6: Conclusions and Recommendations All findings from the research process will be compiled and it will be observed as to whether the main outlined objectives have been realized. Recommendations will also be given on areas of further research to enhance the material within the theses. CHAPTER 2 A REVIEW OF FIBRE REINFORCED CONCRETE 2.1 History of Concrete and Fibre Reinforcement. The history of composite materials started in ancient Egypt over 2000 years ago with mud bricks, reinforced with straw fibres. (Crowther, 2009) Concrete is the second most widely used material on earth after water (The Economist, 2006) Concrete is a building material composed of cement, aggregate sand and water, often with chemical admixtures and other materials (Stanley Bond, 1999). Its modern development spans less than 200 years with 1824 being the patent date associated with the first Portland cement, according to Binns (2002), which is one of the most important milestones in concretes history. Concrete is an ever present material and its versatility, comparative cheapness and energy efficiency have ensured that it is of great and increasing importance for all types of construction throughout the world. Many structures have concrete as their principal material, albeit as a composite with steel to give either reinforced or prestressed concrete, even in those structures where other materials such as steel or timber form the principal structural elements, concrete will normally still have an important role, for example in the foundations. In its simplest form, concrete is a mixture of cement, water and aggregates in which the cement and water have combined to bind the aggregate particles together to form a monolithic whole. (Illston Domone, 2001) (Sutherland, 2009) explains that even though our knowledge and understanding of the material is far from complete, and research continues, concrete has been successfully used in many cultures and in many civilisations. It is not just a modern material; the oldest concrete discovered so far is in southern Israel, and dates from about 7000 BC. It was used for flooring, and consists of quicklime, made by burning limestone, mixed with water and stone which set into a hardened material. Fibres mixed into the concrete can provide an alternative to the provision of conventional rebar or steel fabric mesh in some applications. The concept has been in existence for many years (the first patent was applied for in 1874) and it has been used in a range of applications: amongst the first major uses was the patching of bomb craters in runways during World War 2. However, it was during the 1970s that commercial use of this material began to gather momentum particularly in Europe, Japan and throughout America. (Clark, 2007) Crowther (2009) reiterates that throughout the 1960s research by various scientists which included Romauldi and Mandel who were industrial scientists, In the 1960s, studies by Industrial scientists Romauldi, Mandel and others, created the hypothetical and experimental foundations to help realise the development of a steel fibre product which could be used to as a means of reinforcing and strengthening concrete. In the early 1970s, James Romauldi who was initially involved in establishing the creation of the steel fibre patented the philosophy of steel fibre reinforced concrete, essentially inventing a new material for use within the construction industry. Throughout the 20th century the appliance of asbestos fibre cement was extremely common and extensively utilised whilst more recently it has continued with the use of highly developed carbon fibre substances which have previously been more associated within the specialised aerospace and automotive industries. Glass fibres were introduced and research continued into harnessing the properties of synthetic fibres such as polypropylene along with various other plastic materials. By 2000, the first macro fibre, concrete was ready for production from various suppliers. (Tarmac, 2009) Fibre reinforced concrete is employed around the world on major construction projects which involve infrastructure works, tunnel linings, marine environments, pre cast and insitu walling systems, low shrinkage thin screeds, sprayed concrete applications and significant reinforcement structures. Throughout the UK, its general application is in the use of large industrial concrete floors. Characteristics which are extremely beneficial following the installation of the floors is the improved in impact resistance, this helps minimise any possible unnecessary damage where high volumes of belligerent traffic is expected. The table below Figure 2 clearly shows how concrete is affected by the addition of fibres in various application fields: Table 1 Concrete improvement by fibres Application field Strength Cracking Wear Closure systems  Ã‚  Tunnels  Ã‚   Ã‚  Sole plates / cellar walls  Ã‚   Ã‚  Sewer systems / pipes  Ã‚   Ã‚  Precast elements  Ã‚   Ã‚  Toppings / wear layers  Ã‚   Ã‚  Roads / airfield paving  Ã‚   Ã‚  Industrial floors  Ã‚   Ã‚   Ã‚  Figure 1 2.2 Types of Fibre Products used For Concrete Reinforcement Although there are numerous fibre products on the market the most commonly used fibre types are shown and discussed below giving information on the producer of the fibre, its properties, fibre content in appliance along with the effects of the fibre type within the concrete matrix. 2.2.1 Steel Fibres Concrete containing steel fibres has been shown to have substantially improved resistance to impact and greater ductility of failure in compression, flexure and torsion. (ACI Special publication sp-44) (Bentur Mindess, 1990) claim that it was throughout the early 1900s that steel fibres were first introduced into being mixed with concrete to provide the required reinforcement. The early design of steel fibres was relatively simple and consisted of a rather plain round and smooth design which was cut to the necessary lengths. Only more recently has the introduction of hooked end, indented etched roughened surface, crimped and new polygonal twisted modern fibres have been introduced whilst the original smooth fibres have mainly disappeared. More up to date fibres which are available commercially are contrived from drawn stainless steel wire or by a melting and moulding process which produce fibres which have a crescent profile cross section. (Concrete Society TR 63, (2007)) points out that steel fibres are produced by various processes as discussed above and are supplied in many different shapes and sizes as is shown below in Figure 2. They may either be straight or deformed, however most are round in cross section with diameters between 25 and 60 mm. Steel fibres have a tensile strength typically 2-3 times greater than that of traditional fabric reinforcement and a significantly greater surface area (for a given mass of steel) to develop bond with the concrete matrix. Figure 2 (Neville, 1995) points out that the configurations of fibres can be either straight, continuous-deformed, or end formed as shown previous. Initially, straight fibers were the only configuration of steel fibers available. After further investigation it was quickly learned that there bonding potential was limited which restricted there expected contribution to the engineering properties of concrete. New products were developed to increase the bond between the fibre and concrete, the two best configurations which emerged were: A hooked end, draw wire fibre and a continuously deformed, slit sheet steel fibre. It was determined that the continuous deformed, slit sheet steel fibre provided better micro macro cracking performance as well as flexural strength enhancement, whereas the end deformed, drawn wire steel fibre performed best post first crack. As a feature of steel fibre reinforcement concrete its improved ductility helps to greatly enhance the application where impact resistance is important. The characteristic of fatigue resistance within the concrete is highlighted a being increased by up to 70%. (Clark, 2007) explains that the addition of steel fibres as supplementary reinforcement in concrete minimise the possibility of spalling of the concrete surface due to any inclement temperatures or weather conditions Some of the physical characteristics of fibres directly affect key aspects of concrete performance while others are less important. The factors considered to have the strongest influence on the performance of the steel fibre in concrete are: Bond and Anchorage mechanisms (e.g. straight or deformed shape, end cones or hooked ends) Fibre length and diameter. Dosage used in concrete pours. (kg/m3) Fibre count (number of fibres per kg of fibre), which is a function of fibre size and dosage. Tensile Strength Elastic Modulus (Hannant, D 2002) outlines that fibre reinforcement in concrete act in various ways. Firstly they can remove the formation and development of cracks due to early age plastic settlement and drying shrinkage. Secondly, they may provide a degree of post cracking load carrying capacity. The mechanisms are as follows: Steel fibres, being randomly distributed in the concrete, intercept micro cracks as they form, inhibiting the tendency for them to form into larger cracks. After cracking, the fibres spanning the crack will provide a residual load carrying capacity. The capacity can be considerable, depending on dosage and the type of fibre used. Following a shrinkage case study carried out by Propex concrete systems the photos below evaluate the initial 24 hours of curing time comparing a traditional reinforced slab with wire mesh against a fibre reinforced slab. The traditional (control) slab started to crack within 3 hours whilst the fibre reinforced slab continued to perform whilst maintaining its integrity, this is shown below in Figure 3. Cracks within the concrete which occur at an early stage will only endanger the reliability whilst preventing the concrete from ever attaining its maximum performance capability. Figure 3 The explanation for this early age damage to the slab is relatively simple traditional mesh refrains from functioning until there is movement within the slab and the concrete cracks, for there to be any possibility of the fibre mesh to work the slab would have to be designed ensuring that the mesh had been placed In the top third of the slab. As has been previously mentioned there are various shapes and sizes of steel fibres which are used two examples which are used within the construction of industrial floors are shown below in Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 4 shows four different shapes and sizes of fibre products which include smooth surface, indented etched, roughened surface and round with hooked ends which are the most commonly products used in regards to steel fabric reinforcement. Whereas Figure 5 gives a more in-depth description on the bundled hooked end product. 2.2.2 Synthetic Fibres Straight or deformed pieces of extruded, orientated and cut polymer material, generally polypropylene, that is suitable for mixing in concrete. Macro fibres have a diameter greater than 0.3mm; micro fibres have a smaller diameter (ACIFC, 2007) (Concrete Societys TR66, 2007) considers that polymer fibres can be described and categorised into the following: Macro synthetic fibres which are generally greater than 0.3mm in diameter and are used where an increase in post cracking flexural strength is required. Macro synthetic fibres can be incorporated within the design of structural concrete. Micro Synthetic Fibres are relatively similar to the previously mention Macro synthetic fibres although they are smaller in size along with the inability to fulfil any structural role within any concrete design. Characteristics of this type of fibre include the ability to reduce the instance of plastic shrinkage cracking along with acting as an enhancement for freeze thaw resistance. References: Illston, J.M. and Domone, P.L.J. (2001) Construction Materials There Nature and Behavior 3rd Edition. P91. Spon Press. Sutherland, M. (2009) Concrete Engineering International Volume 13 Number 2. Summer 2009. The Concrete Society Romtech. (2009) Technical Support Products accessed 30th October at http://www.rom.co.uk/products.aspx Crowther, D. (2009) Concrete for the Construction Industry Journal Volume 43 Number 3 April 2009. The Concrete Society. Clark, J. (2007) Technical Report No. 63 Guidance for The Design of Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete. Camberley Hannant, D, Fibres in concrete A Perspective. Concrete, Vol. 36, No 8, September 2002, pp 40 43. Tarmac. (2009) Topforce Fibre Reinforced Concrete accessed 12 November at www.tarmaconline.com//0982%20Tarmac%20Fibre%20Reinforced%20Concrete%20Brochure.pdf. Propex. (2006) Propex Concrete Systems accessed 13 November at www.CS-500_Propex%20Concrete%20Systems%20Brochure_Jul%2006 (1).Pdf. Anon., (2006). Concrete Possibilities. Economist Technology Monthly. The Economist, 380 (23 September), p32. Anon., (1972). American Concrete Institute, an International Symposium: Fibre Reinforced Concrete, Detroit: ACI, 1974. (ACI Special Publication SP-44)

Comparing Leadership Styles | Effect of Leadership Styles of Business

Comparing Leadership Styles | Effect of Leadership Styles of Business Any organization can not survive without a sound management system. The management and how to manage the company from an overall aspect is mainly established by a core person in this company and he/she is called the leader of this company. It is wide accepted that no company can be successfully without effective management and without a competent leader. Therefore, the leader of the company plays a vital role for the organization. Different leaders with different natures and characteristics may bring up completely different management theory to the company, which will also decide the developing model of the company and determine the success of failure of the company. The leadership style will greatly decide the companys development for the future. It is a careful decision who to be hired or selected to be in charge of the company and guide the strategy of the company. Therefore, in order to analyze how the role of leader plays in an organization, two different leaders have been selec ted in this report. The objective of this report is to analyze leadership styles by selecting two leaders from two companies. One is Carly Fiorina with HP Company, and the other one is Michael T. Duke with Wal-Mart Company. These two different leaders are different in their leadership in many ways and the differences between their leadership approaches are demonsrtated in the critical analysis section. In the end the conclusion of the effectvie leadership is made based on the findings of the two cases. 2.0 Introduction As to the development of a company, the importance of the leader is obvious to the whole company. With reference to each successful enterprise, it is obvious that there is an outstanding leader guiding an excellent team, such as Jack Welch with GM Corporation America and Chinese Zhang Ruimin, leader of Haier Company and so on. Therefore, whether a company will be successful or not is greatly connected with who is leading the company. As the leadership topic is mentioned, this report is going to focus on the leadership in an organization. In this report, two famous leaders have been chosen and discussed from HP and Wal-Mart Companies in terms of their ways of leading the company and the major characteristics they have which may affect their ways regarding managing the team and the company. Based on the findings of the case study, comparison and contrast of both leaders with respect to their managing styles and leader style will be analyzed. At last, reasonable and information-based co nclusion related to leader management will be drawn. 3.0 Leader 1 Carly Fiorina with HP Company Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. which is HP company for short and established in United States in 1939, is a company specialized in developing and manufacturing computers, printers, software and other digital fields. HPs Corporate Objectives which was written by co-founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard have guided the company for decades. The objective is It is necessary that people work together in unison toward common objectives and avoid working at cross purposes at all levels if the ultimate in efficiency and achievement is to be obtained. HP Company has been developed very fast in technology areas and expanded to the worldwide. In anywhere you can see HP logo and its products in everywhere. HPs development and success can not be real without excellent leaders. Here Carly Fiorina as one of the excellent and competent CEOs is selected to analyze for the purpose of explaining the relation between a leader and company success. Carly Fiorina was born in 1954 and graduated from Stanford University. In 1999, she was presented as the CEO of HP company and ended as the CEO role in 2005. Carly Fiorina is a very competent leader. Before she took the CEO position, HP Company was encountering years of depressing time, especially in the years of 1997 and 1998, the company faced the unprecedented difficulties and the sales income was far behind its expectations. Fiorina started her career in business as a receptionist, but later she jumped very fast to the positions of management and leadership. Fiorina is also a very excellent communicator and her speech is convincing the same as the Ex-president Bill Clinton. Carly Fiorina was the first female CEO in HPs history (Carlys biography, 2010). During her stay with role of CEO in HP, she has developed comprehensive skills in leadership which include planning, delegating, decision making, coordinating and communication. She brought a lot of changes to HP and turned the HP ways into the Carly way (Forsyth, 2006). Carly Fiorina is characterized with board decision making and brave in taking actions. When made the merger with Compaq Company with a 25 billion USD in 2001, it was a broad step for taking. In terms of leadership style, Carly Fiorina could be determined as authoritarian in controlling and regulating policy, procedures within the company. Besides this leadership feature, she should also be concluded to be equipped with democratic leadership style (Sprenger, 2010). Carly Fiorinas leadership styles are most cultivated by her personalities. She is very diligent and hard working at the same time she is also good at selling. She stands very calm in any situation and is good at calculating and thinking. She is very dedicated to the pursuit of goals that she thinks that it is well-intentioned. She is very persistent with things. In Fiorinas view, every person is capable of far more than they realize. Fiorina holds this view in her life and applies it into her management. She is capable of digging and encouraging her teams ability. Some of her team workers feel very thankful to her, because she gave the chance to them to realize who they were and what they could do and where the y could reach in the future. With this characteristic, it is good to gather people and make them work hard to achieve the goal. Fiorina likes to engage activities personally which is another factor contributing to her successful leadership (Sadler, 2003). After she took the position as CEO, she started her trips to anywhere the HP covers and to investigate the problems and potentials there. She is very responsible for her position. She is persistent in doing the right things, for the right reasons and the right way, most of the time; it will turn out all right. When she was with HP Company, she will never give up what she thinks is a right choice or decision and she will lead her team to go for it. Thanks to Carly Fiorinas effective leading approach, HP Company has grown and developed very fast and achieved with the most important merger in HP history. During the period she took the leadership in HP Company, HP expanded very quickly to the world and its market share has grown. Compared with the developing and expanding and profit making situation before Fiorina as CEO, HP has made great success in terms of both self-development and its fast expansion to overseas markets. However, although Carly Fiorinas leadership has brought HP benefits in a range of areas, she was still not welcomed by all people within the company. Her leading behavior was not always appreciated by HP board (House and Price, 2009). Carly Fiorina holds her direction was right for HPs development for long term; however, other HP board worried about the direction of HP under Fiorinas leading. And also because Fiorina is a female leader, to some extent, most males are not really accepted the fact of being manage d or controlled by a female. Plus Fiorina is a relatively authorized person with respect to management. Therefore, in 2005, Carly Fiorina finished her CEO life within HP Company. 4.0 Leader 2 Michael T. Duke with Wal-Mart Company Wal-Mart as one of the worlds largest retailers has developed and expanded very fast. It has now expanded to many other countries and has occupied a relatively large retail market share there. Wal-Mart has thousands of products where consumers can find their various needs. The company now is continuing to broaden and accelerate its global efforts on sustainable development and responsible sourcing and opportunities. Until April this year, Wal-Mart has established businesses in 14 countries besides its businesses in United States. There are more than 4000 stores running around the world. Compared with the finance statement in 2009, the sales incomes in overseas markets have broken through 100 billion US dollars (Charles, 2009). Mike Duke is the president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. As CEO, Mike leads a strong management team that is focused on keeping Walmarts mission of saving people money so they can live better relevant to every customer, every day. Mike Duke joined Walmart in 1995. Mike has taken various positions in Wal-Mart before he reached his current position as the leader of Wal-Mart. He has led the divisions of logistics, distribution and administration. He was capable and active in developing and executing corporate strategy. Duke is a low-key person which is very consistent with Wal-Mart style. He does not like to flaunt. The only leisure hobby of Duke is to play Golf. Duke is the fifth CEO of Wal-Mart. He is appointed by the previous CEO, Scot Lee. Lee appreciates Duke very much. Some people comment that Lee and Duke are very similar in their personalities and management. The most distinguished difference is Duke is better at social relations with people. From Dukes colleagues view, he is a considerate person as loyal to friendship and helpful to others. As a senior manager of Wal-Mart, Duke is very clear when to start a fight for Wal-Mart business growth. One retail analyst has commented that Duke is very ambitious. The development strategy held by Duke is that Wal-Mart must occupy the leading position in the retail industry. Therefore, Duke made decision to withdraw Wal-Mart from Germany and South Korea where the sales are not desirable. And also he decided to hold 95.1% of stake from the previous 50.9% of its subsidiary Japanese company Seiyu Department Store. At that time, every one warned that it might be a very high-risk decision, but Duke believed that as long as Wal-Mart gets more control stake, it will make things different. As a successful leader, you must be competent in the areas you exert in. The competence areas such as envision, involving and goal-oriented. Duke is experienced in the management field. Before he joined Wal-Mart, he was an executive at Federated and May Department Stores for 23 years. And before he took CEO role, he was engaged in various sectors in Wal-Mart, which enabled him the wide knowledge about the whole operation in the Wal-Mart. And also from the change perspective speaking, leaders should have the ability of responding to and managing the external changes. When Duke saw Wal-Marts poor sales in Germany, he made the broad step to withdraw from the Germany market. Personal characteristics and behaviors also contribute to be a successful leader or not. Duke gives his colleagues an impression of friendly and kind and easy-going, which does not mean he is not strict or decisive. On the contrary, Duke has the talent of gathering his employees and also has a clear direction where the company shall develop into. Duke made commitment that in order to make up the bad sales in American local market; Wal-Mart would fasten its pace in expanding to other potential overseas markets. He said to his employees that the anticipation is to attract more consumers and set up more stores world widely and accelerate Wal-Mart global expansion. For Wal-Mart, Dukes presence as the CEO is like change blood to Wal-Mart. Firstly, it was the very right time for Duke to take the position after the depressing year in 2008. Secondly, due the change of the political leader in United States, Wal-Mart had to choose a different CEO the represent a different Wal-Mart to the whole America Society. Because the political environment sounds not advantageous to Wal-Mart since Democratic Party won the election. In the previous years , Wal-Mart was supporting the Republic Party with its 85% amount of political capital went to Republican and just 15% left to Democratic Party. Duke may have to transfer its political policy within the organization for seeking a better development in its local market. Therefore, Despite Dukes leadership style will probably bring a bright future to Wal-Mart; Duke will definitely meet new challenges in this position. Under Dukes leading, because Duke is paying highly attention to his employee staff, it will be easy to gather and establish competent team. Also due to Dukes rich experience working the stores Company and his working experience in various sector of Wal-Mart for years, Duke has a very comprehensive view over the overall company developing. However, everything has its two sides. Although Wal-Mart may have the potential of grasping a good chance to develop and expand under Dukes leading approach, there are also potential challenges or disadvantages posed to its development. 5.0 Critical analysis-comparison and contrast between the two leaders with respect to their leadership styles 5.1 Differences in personal characteristics Carly Fiorinas characteristics: Somebody was born to a competitive, such as Carly. She has extraordinary passion, confidence, courage and endurance. In order to achieve goals that can endure hard to imagine the enormous pressures and challenges, even troubled, still self-improvement and never give up. Carly is an insightful strategist, led by her customers and makes the management of excited and kind, but also to carry out different tactics to ensure the smooth realization of goals. Carlys distinct personality made her very difficult to achieve harmonious, peaceful way to deal with things, so she makes many people feel hurt. While she was taking the reforms of HP Company, she also encountered difficulties in the realization of the merger plan. Carlys extraordinary will and unyielding personalities support her to become successful in her career. But at the same time, most of her colleagues do not agree with her in terms of the direction of the development etc. Thus in 2005, company board has fired her as CEO of HP. Michael T. Dukes personal characteristics Duke is a Georgia man, in his spare time; he and his wife did a lot of charity work. For example, they have been taken care of an orphan until finally found the orphan with an adoptive family. He is a low-key person. This moderate character is very easy to integrate into the Wal-Marts way of treating its employees and Wal-Marts humane enterprise culture. Although Duke has been regarded as a good and kind person in the industry, this does not mean his is not a strict man. Actually his work style of being slightly conservative but strategic is very good and helpful for promoting the smooth development of Wal-Mart. The difference in character between these two leaders is obvious, Carly positive attitude is very positive in work. Her enthusiasm for work is the key to her success in her career. However, being sometimes too tough and persistent and anxious to be successful often cause great resistance to the development. Carly belongs to the authoritarian leadership style. For HP Company during its depressing time before Carly took the CEO position, this passionate characteristic was very helpful for the company. Duke is moderate and communicative; Duke more belongs to the emotional intelligence leader type. He is easy-going and listening to others. He is the type of leader who affects his employees by emotionally. 5.2 Different in their reforming pace as leaders of the companies. Carlys reform of the HP, focused on control of the company, focused on adjusting strategy and simplifying the companys structures. Company just needs to keep useful functional departments. She made HP into four groups, which improved work efficiency a lot. Employees felt the sense of urgency in doing their jobs. Carly emphasizes on efficiency. She firmly believed that if she could correct the mistakes of HP made in the past few years, the company will become strong and competitive again. She led HP to the pursuit of speed and passion, and meanwhile to distinguish HP from other competitors in the characters. During her remodeling process for Hewlett-Packard, other senior managers and ordinary employees did not show their disputes openly, but actually some disagreement was originated. Besides continuing implementing the past successful business strategies, Duke made several marketing strategies aiming to survive from the global financial crisis. These strategies, such as improving consumers shopping experiences, more special products included, are attracting more and more consumers. But compared to HP Company, Wal-Mart reforming is relatively conservative. 5.3 Team organization capability Carly has a remarkable ability to communicate. She is good at communicating with her employee personally. She always travels to visit HP worker in different places. And this communication is very essential for the establishing an effective team. However due to Carlys strict and sometimes tough personalities, it is not very easy for her to establish a loyal team. Especially in the reforming period, most of people do not like changes at the same time, gender is another unfavorable factor contributing to her difficulties in managing an effective team. Many people, especially for male workers, it is very uncomfortable to work under a female manager. In the Dukes eyes, the future of employees is Wal-Marts future. He emphasizes this point to his staff that Wal-Mart will continue to work to build a better life. Duke is very popular and respected by his employees. His attitude towards life and relationship with workers gains support from his employees. So for Duke, he is more capable of organizing an effective team. 6.0 Conclusion In conclusion, leader is the most important figure in an organization. When a person is hired as the leader of a company, he/she becomes the core part of the whole company. The way he/she adopts for leading the company will greatly affect the companys development. The leaders leadership approach is greatly influenced by his/her personal characteristics, her/his competencies and his/her culture values as well. Different leaders to manage a company may turn the company into a completely different one in terms of its developing direction, its company values or culture and so on. In this report, two different leaders with different companies have been introduced and analyzed regarding to their personalities, leadership styles. Through their respective contribution made to their companies, we can conclude that effective leader is very crucial for the development and direction of the company. In the comparing and contrasting part, the two leaders differences with respect to their leadershi p have been addressed and proper reasons have been investigated regarding the differences. The leadership styles can also affected from the organization variables. The leadership style will be affected by the external environmental changes, such as in the case of leader 2. The change of the leadership is to some extent forced by the economic times and political environment changes.

The Author as Creator in Frankenstein Essay -- Frankenstein essays

The Author as Creator in Frankenstein      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mary Shelley's Frankenstein can be read as an allegory for the creative act of authorship. Victor Frankenstein, the 'modern Prometheus' seeks to attain the knowledge of the Gods, to enter the sphere of the creator rather than the created. Like the Author, too, he apes the ultimate creative act; he transgresses in trying to move into the feminine arena of childbirth.    Myths of divine creation are themselves part of the historical process that seeks to de-throne the feminine; this is the history of Art, itself at first denied to women as an outlet of self-expression. It is a process recorded in Art itself, in stories like that of Prometheus. Prometheus in earlier myths stole fire from the Gods (analogous to the author at his craft). Later he was credited not just as Man's benefactor but as his creator. Man creates God through myth so as to have a power to will towards.    At this point text, analogy, and reality twist upon each other. As Victor moves into the female space of the womb, an act of creation aped by the Gods in mythology and religion, Mary Shelley as author moves into the male domain of art, aping the creative power of the Gods.    Reading Frankenstein as an analogy for Art can be more fruitful if done within the framework of Oscar Wilde's essay, 'The Decay of Lying', in which the author argues that the artist creates the world and not just imitates it: this will conclude this essay.    At the meal between mortals and the Gods at Mecone, Prometheus tricked Zeus into accepting the bones over the choicest entrails. Man was punished by the denial of fire; Prometheus again defied the Gods in stealing it. As punishment, he was chained to a cl... ...he transition of the story to film, 'Frankenstein' has often mistakenly been used to signify the monster. This transition itself reflects the process of progression and substitution. As in the case of the non-existent deerstalker that Conan-Doyle never wrote about, celluloid representations have come to denote the essence, supposedly, of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.    Works Cited    March, Jenny. "Prometheus." The Cassell Dictionary of Classical Mythology. London: Cassell, 1998.    Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus. 1818. Ed. James Reiger. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1982.    Waxman, Barbara Fry. "The Tragedy of the Promethean Overreacher as Woman." Papers on Language and Literature 23 1 (1987): 14-26.    Wilde, Oscar. "The Decay of Lying." Oscar Wilde. Ed. Isobel Murray. The Oxford Authors. Oxford: OUP, 1989.

Loyalty in Homers Odyssey Essay -- Homer Odyssey Essays

Loyal Relationships in Homer's Odyssey Loyalty is heroic. Loyalty is defined as faithfulness or devotion to a person, cause, obligations, or duties. In Homer's Odyssey one can see loyalty in many forms. Odysseus is loyal to the gods whom he realized held his life in their hands. Penelope was loyal to Odysseus, while trying not to offend the rude suitors. Telemachus was loyal to a father whom he only knew from the stories he had been told. Time and time again we see loyalty in the strongest sense, complete fidelity in time of uncertainty. In a world where today, we can hardly hope for fidelity and allegiance in the one we choose to give our love to, it might be difficult to understand the plight of Penelope and Telemachus. Even Odysseus would have understood if Penelope had already found love in another man, as evidenced when he asks his mother "And tell me of my wife: how runs her thought, still with her child, still keeping our domains, or bride again to the best of the Akaians?" (Lawall 335). After all Odysseus had been gone for twenty years. Telemachus is now twenty-on...

Cloning and Genetical Enginering - If it Aint Broke, Why Fix it? :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

Cloning and Genetical Enginering - If it Ain't Broke, Why Fix it? Taking a Pro or Con stand on cloning is difficult, because we know very little about genes, and there are different genetic sciences involved. We must, as Socrates so sagaciously points out, define the subject. Only then can we debate it. There is obviously the full-bore version of cloning, being the complete duplication of an existing life-form, be it plant, animal, or human. (I separate animal and human purely for logistics.) We copy Sheep A's genes, strand by strand, and produce an exact duplicate. Meet Sheep B, C and D. Then, there is gene therapy, which is not cloning proper, but genetics nevertheless, and therefore, worth mentioning. Gene therapy is the process of splicing out malevolent genes, like cerebral palsy, schizophrenia, and physical deformations. There is also the dangerous gene mutation: Rearranging D.N.A. in the hopes of discovering how genes work, and hopefully, producing new wonders of plant, animal, and human life. Essentially playing cards with God, vainly hoping He'll fold. All these possibilities are difficult to discuss, for they are fledgling sciences. We know very little of genes or D.N.A., which was only discovered in1951 by Francis Crick, James Watson, and Maurice Wilkins using X-ray diffraction. Realizing my relative lack of knowledge concerning this subject, and realizing there are probably numerous, and very wise, arguments refuting mine, I shall, nevertheless, make my stand: The pseudo-science of gene mutation is, at best, a risky experiment. To casually rearrange a thousand genes, as if building a new house of Legos, is exceedingly dangerous. We have only cataloged a few genes. We do not know if the order is important. And just as the child attempts a castle with his Legos, and ends up with a blue house with two chimneys, we end up with an abomination. Let us stick to Tinker-toys, shall we? Besides, mutations, by definition, are mistakes in the architectural blue-prints of life. Although evolution is made possible by mutations, these mutations are slight and minor ones. One gene is dropped, tweaked, or duplicated. But the thousand remaining genes are untouched, in the same intangible, enigmatic, but important, order. This, combined with natural selection, relieves the gene pool of any dangerous or extraordinary change, and only allows the subtle, positive changes to take hold.

“A” Is for “Absent” Essay

In a recently published article called â€Å"’A’ Is for â€Å"Absent’† by Chris Piper a proofreader for The University of Texas at Arlington who wrote about how enrolling in a course which he dreaded to do but decided to take the course anyway to complete now rather later. Piper initially received high grades on almost all projects. Being absent ultimately caused him to drop ten points and he ended with a final grade of a â€Å"C† due to his absences. Piper â€Å"admittedly feels like he earned the grade that was given to him at the time†. He also admits the syllabus clearly states what would occur if he missed more than the allotted â€Å"freebies.† He feels as though if he’s receiving great grades on test, quizzes etc†¦ he shouldn’t be penalized for his absences. Piper feels like as long as he’s paying for his education he should be able to do what he likes as long as he maintains high scores. Being absent ultimately causes you to miss the most essential parts of class. You miss class participation, peers, directions and test or quizzes that may be given on any given day of that class. Being absent is a way of saying that this class isn’t that important to me. As a peer in your class if I work hard just like you but you receive the same grade as I do but are never there, that doesn’t send a great message to me nor to the rest of our peers. Being a student requires you to attend class on a regular basis. When you feel like you’ve earned that grade that you’ve received you either feel as a student you worked hard or you haven’t. Paying for an education is a choice that you make coming to class is another. However, rules are rules and need to be followed. A paid education to me means you need to work double hard to maintain what great grades you achieve. Nothing in life is free, you get what you deserve. As long as I’m paying for their services it’s my choice to do what ever I like to do. Chris feels that â€Å"professors who implement attendance policies often argue, if this were a job, and you failed to show up, you would be fired.† However, there’s a difference between going to work and going to class. A job pays for your services and going to school I pay for there services. As long as I’m getting high marks when I do attend I shouldn’t be penalized and this is my choice. In conclusion, being absent, earning the grade and self paying for my education all seems fair but not to Chris Piper who feels like absences shouldn’t affect his grades especially if you’re paying for your education. He should be able to do what he likes as long as he maintains high scores. â€Å"A† Is for Absent Essay â€Å"A† is for Absent Some college professors follow the â€Å"not required, but explicit† attendance policy. Some professors make it very clear that students attend all classes, but it is not enforced through grade reduction. Broward College in Hollywood Florida suggests that each professor create an attendance policy with the syllabus, but does not insist on any penalties. The virtues of this includes treating students as consumers of education rather than kindergarten children by letting the student know that the professor holds classroom attendance in the students best interest, and will provide quality instruction to the students who attend. Excessive absenteeism can affect the outcome of the career path that the student has chosen. Why be mediocre when you have the ability to excel in any given class. Colleges need to find a way to treat students like adults while also ensuring enough of them show up for class to succeed. Your transcript is like a prison record, it will follow you where ever you go. â€Å"A† is for Absent The University of Maryland’s attendance policy states, â€Å"students are excused from attending classes in cases of emergency or religious holidays. The University of Maryland does not insist upon attendance nor do they asses penalties, moreover, Maryland does not require that any professor create his or her own attendance policy for the students enrolled in each professor’s class. Northern Illinois University’s policy on attendance is,†if a student misses more than four classes in a course that meets three times per week, the professor must lower that students grade by at least letter†. This type of policy gives advantages by not only ensuring classroom attendance, but by making it very clear to the students what will happen if they miss class excessively. A different version of this policy is found at South Seattle Community College, which recommends that the professor not decrease the students grade if they miss less than 20% of the semester. There is a clear and obvious link between class attendance and performance. Student who come to class regularly and are well prepared tend to do much better than the students who do not. The purpose of attendance policies is to ensure that students attend classes regularly, and to ensure that the student is successful upon graduating. â€Å"A† is for Absent http://www.ehow.com/list_646440_attendance-policies-marylandu-college-students.html http://www.south-seattle-cc-attendance-policy-college-students.html http://www.broward-community-attendance-policy_students.html http://images.search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0PDoKyrujhSjHAAkKejzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBtdXBkbHJyB