The Columbine High Massacre an Analysis of the Disaster Response Team Case Study

The Columbine High School experienced a horrific turn of events on the 20th of April 1999. Two of its students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were on a mission that led to the death of 12 students and one teacher. The two teenagers had been planning for this massacre for quite some time. They been collecting guns, ammunitions as well as bomb components that they would use on the day of 20th April. It is said that they had even created a website which they posted blogs with statements that pinpointed several individual likely to be their prime targets. (Cullen 2009) The two teenagers had developed a deviant behavior with the feeling that the society was not giving them as is required. They thus developed criminal behaviors as a way of revenging to the society. This paper analysis how the response teams, that is, the SWAT, the police and the fir department carried on their duty to save the situation at Columbine High School on the 20th of April 1999. The initial plan failed as the two 20 pound propane bombs failed to detonate. Harris and Klebold placed these bombs in the cafeteria. These bombs would have destroyed the whole of the cafeteria and made the library collapse. If these two bombs blew up, student in a lunch shift would flee and Harris and Klebold would be at the entrance, shooting at the fleeing students.   This did not happen and so there was a change of plan. They had to move in and start shooting.(Kass 2009) The two teenagers entered through the western entrance, the highest point in the high school that provided a spectacular view for them. This led to a commotion once the two teenagers started shooting. One of the teachers heard the commotion and thought it was just but another high school teenage dirty joke. Patti Nielson observed that it was real and so she had the courage to dial 9-1-1. The shooting is likely to have started at around 11.19AM when one of the witnesses heard Harris yell, ’Go! Go!’. The first one to arrive at 11.24 AM was Neil Gardner, Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy. As soon as he stepped out of his car, Eric Harris immediately started shooting at him. It is estimated that Eric Harris shot at least ten times. While Gardner shot four times, fortunately, Eric’s gun jammed and had to get to a secure place in the school to avoid being shot by Gardner. Gardner got some back up at around 11.27AM. The team included Deputy Paul Magor and Deputy Paul Smoker. By at least 11.30am there were six deputies at the high school. The police kept the radio communication flowing requesting for emergency and medical assistance.   The police did their best in seeing that fleeing victims were shielded from the gunmen.   Hey did this with using a ring of patrol cars to hide the evacuated victims. The medical team arrived next. The team of paramedics worked relentlessly. The paramedics went to save the injured victims despite the firing teenagers. They would eventually transport them to hospitals after an initial first aid. The sheriff’s deputies provided cover for the paramedics making the teenage shooters cease fire and retreat leaving the paramedics to collect the injured victims. Enter the SWAT team. The SWAT team arrived at around 12.00 noon at least a whole hour since they had been radioed by the other emergency response team. The team of 20 led by Lieutenant Terry Manwarring, did not immediately enter the school rather, they stopped at Pierce and Leawood which is near the school. Only 12 SWAT team members moved into the school and near the buildings.(A Columbine Site) There was a radio call request for an armored truck to rescue injured victims as it was not safe for the paramedics who were not armored in any way. Another SWAT team led by Sergeant Barry Williams arrived at 12.30 PM. The team had 10 SWAT officers. It is reported that the SWAT teams did not enter the building until nearly 1.00 pm. This is ironic, as there were no gunshots or bomb explosions heard for the last one hour. It was like they would have to wait till all the shooting was done. It was argued that there were differences between officials who were not able to get the exact number of shooters. All they knew was that there were shooters firing on school children. This is argued to be a contributing factor to the inaction by the SWAT team. There several successes and failures by the response teams at the Columbine high massacre. The sheriff’s office at Littleton, Colorado responded promptly. If we literally calculated the response of the call from the time the call was made that would be; less than four minutes. (A Columbine Site) If Harris and Klebold started shooting at 11.19 am, and the teacher, Patti Nielson made the 9-1-1 call probably a minute or so after the shooting started, the sheriff’s deputy arrived at 11.24 am around five minutes since the shooting started. Neil Gardner, a sheriff’s deputy was quick to react when Eric started shooting at him. Neil Gardner is able to call for back up as well as medical emergency rescuers. He was able to coordinate and communicate with the relevant authorities. The time that the sheriff’s officers take to call for help is short and does entail the burden of complex formalities. The officers were able to shield the fleeing victims from the gunmen. They are also applauded for shielding the paramedics who rescued the injured students and staff. On the other hand, the police tactic of handling the situation was not appropriate. This was a scenario of a shooting but not hostage keeping. At the Columbine High School, they used an old tactic of surrounding the building, setting up a perimeter and containing the damage. This tactic would not have worked especially in this scenario where the gunmen were not demanding ransom or any sort of favor but were more interested in killing the students. The police would have moved into the building using their specially trained personnel. This would have reduced the number of those killed as well as those injured. The goal of moving in is to stop the shooters at whatever cost from committing more harm by either killing or injuring. The police should have utilized its trained personnel for this purpose. The SWAT team was another relevant player in the Columbine High Massacre. Their presence though, did not make much impact as expected. Their actions were slow and irrelevant to the not-to-be compromised task ahead of them. To start with, the SWAT team arrived late, in fact more than an hour since they had been radioed by the sheriff’s officers. This shows there slow response to a call of emergency. Regarding the magnitude of this case, where helpless students and staff members with no weapons and nowhere to run for help. The SWAT had to even stop some at distance away from the school. It was like they were not concerned with the essence of time in this scenario. Once they were at the scene of crime, the SWAT team did not do anything to stop the shootings. We can argue that the SWAT is a highly trained crew in gun handling and a member has the ability to shoot one down at a long range. The issue that may undermine their response to crimes like this one is the chain of command. If the commander does not give the command, the officers cannot march forward. ( A Columbine Site) This is true because, the officers were able to enter the building only after 1.00pm. In fact, the gun shots and bomb explosions had gone silent some time before. The only staff member who died during the incidence, Coach Sanders bled to death. It is said that it would have been possible to save him if only SWAT team had come earlier. The coach had been shot at around 11.30am, but it took SWAT three hours later to rescue him only to find him dead. (A Columbine Site) The paramedics did a commendable job. It took them only a few minutes to respond to the call of the sheriff’s officers. The paramedics were organized as they had all their equipment ready for the tasks ahead of them. The paramedics worked relentlessly at the scene of crime. Despite the unsafe conditions of the school compound they still collected the injured students and quickly transported them to health facilities nearby. The paramedics were able to work with the sheriff’s officers in a coordinated manner, where the officers would cover them and at the shooters to divert them from shooting at the paramedics. The paramedic would therefore be able to collect the injured students and staff members. We cannot blame the paramedics for the death of coach Sanders. It would not have been possible for them to access the coach from where he was lying. This is because; the SWAT team itself had not entered the building early enough. The SWAT would have provided cover for the paramedics to collect any student injured inside the building. There seem to be some disrupt in the communication flow between the SWAT and the paramedics. This case can be explained with the scenario when the SWAT officers found coach Sanders bleeding to death. The students had designed a gurney that they would have used to get him down to the exit. They instead requested the students to leave because the paramedics would get him and take him to hospital. This took around twenty to thirty minutes to realize that no paramedic was coming and so they had to lower him themselves. Coincidentally, a paramedic came through the western entrance only to feel his pulse and pronounce him dead. The Columbine High School massacre is said to be the forth most dangerous school shooting in American history. It is the most dangerous of a high school shooting. University of Texas is the first followed by Virginia Tech Massacre and the third is Bath School. Emergency management is the discipline that is concerned with avoiding and dealing with risks. This discipline is thus concerned with disaster mitigation which deals with trying to avoid disasters happening or trying to contain them once they happen. The other component of emergency management is disaster preparedness. The emergency management team must be involved in planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising and evaluating and improvement to sharpen their skills. This enhances their capability to effectively coordinate and also prevent and protect against disasters, responding to disasters and recovering or rescuing victims from disasters. Effective disaster preparedness keeps the emergency management put in case of any disaster. ( Cunny 1983) The third component of emergency management is response. Response deals with how an emergency management risk deploys the necessary emergency services depending on the nature of the disaster. This is a critical stage of emergency management. The capability of a team to effectively respond to a disaster may be determined by much the team had been prepared. This means that disaster preparedness is very important in terms of training and exercising. The team must also be well equipped for a disaster. The forth component of emergency management is recovery. The recovery phase is concerned with trying to restore the affected area. In this case, various decisions must be made to help mitigate for any future disasters just like the one that had just happened. After a disaster has occurred, it offers an opportunity to apply some mitigative measures that may help in preventing future disaster.(Cunny 1983) The four components of emergency management represent an important cycle of emergency management. Every component is very vital in emergency management. The Columbine High School massacre was a man made disaster. If mitigation policies had been properly addressed at the Columbine High School, the massacre would not have happened at all. This can be explained in the subsequent manner. Reports indicated that Harris and Klebold were into suspicious behaviors. The two created a website in which they posted ways of creating mischief and the mischief they had organized. They started posting blogs which were initially jokes but turned out to be threats especially to Brooks Brown. The mother to Brooks Brown had even filed numerous complaints against Harris believing him to be dangerous. No exploit was taken. But Brooks Brown’s parents were persistent and gave the address to the police. Investigator Guerra drafted an affidavit for a search warrant of the Harris household which was never filed. The two had earlier been arrested of theft of tools and equipments and had been sentenced to juvenile diversion. According to a survey by the United States Secret Service, most of the school shootings occurred and the circumstances the shootings occurred. According to a report released from the survey in May 2002, it was discussed that several people new that the incidence would happen. Most of the shooters did not threaten their targets directly. Brooks was threatened but was not killed anyway. The report also suggested that the attackers engaged in behaviors that were suspicious. They would act in deviant behaviors. These behaviors will cause alarm to those close to them. It is also possible that the attackers were not able to handle or cope with certain significant losses or failures. It was clear that some had even tried to commit suicide out of these. Most of the shooters in the school shootings felt persecuted or bullied by others in the school. Most of these shooters had access to guns and had used them earlier. From these recommendations the schools had to introduce policies such as the anti-bullying policy. There was zero tolerance on any threatening behavior. Measures of school security were put into place. The students were expected to use digitalized identification cards.(Safe Schools Report) In terms of response, the police used the old the old tactic of surrounding the building, setting up a perimeter and containing the damage. The police had to train on the Immediate Action Rapid Deployment. This involves four specially trained officers advancing to the shooter. This tactic is used especially when the attacker is targeting to kill but not take hostage. The speed in which SWAT acted was not fruitful. The SWAT arrived late and would therefore not do much. It was recommended that they train for the columbine-like situations. It reported that in the Virginia Tech Institute massacre, the IRAD tactic was used. This tactic is said to have saved dozens from either being killed or getting injured. This tactic therefore proved reliable. There is community emergence response team in the US. This is of the federal programs that are promoted under the citizen corps and funded by the Stafford Act. This can also be an organization of volunteers with emergency management skills. These volunteers are trained and therefore skilled to perform tasks in disaster response. These groups work with the relevant emergency authorities.(Citizen Corps) Emergency authorities sponsor CERT within their area. The authority is charged with training the CERT members on emergency management skills. The authority may employ a full time liaison officer for a CERT. once a CERT has become large, it may split so as to have more people join and get skills on emergency management. The CERT initiative is a very important program. This program has made it possible for the people to acquire certain basic skills that may be necessary in case of a disaster. Through the funds, some CERTs have been able to acquire tools and equipment which they can use in case of a disaster. This makes it convenient as the CERT members are from the neighborhood. References A Columbine Site retrieved from http://acolumbinesite.com/swat.html on 18th October 2010 Citizen Corps retrieved from. http://www.citizencorps.gov/councils/ on 18th October 2010 Cullen, Dave. (2009). Columbine. Grand Central Publishing, 2009 Cuny, F. (1983). Disasters and Development. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Safe Schools Report. Retrieved from http://web.archive.org/web/20080709174034/http://www.treas.gov/usss/ntac/ssi_final_report.pdf on 18th October 2010 Kass, J. ( 2009). Columbine: A True Crime Story. Ghost Road Press

Karl Marx and Adam Smith Essays - 1386 Words

Karl Marx and Adam Smith Karl Marx and Adam Smith wrote in the same time period – during the industrial revolution, where the bourgeois had risen to power by oppressing and exploiting the proletariat. The term bourgeois refers to the people in the class of modern capitalists, owners of the means of social production and employers of wage labor. The proletarians are the people in the class of modern wage laborers who, having no means of production of their own, are reduced to selling their labor power in order to live. While Smith, in his Wealth of Nations, wrote in favor of capitalism, Marx, in his Communist Manifesto, was a harsh critic of the system and declared its inevitable destruction and consequent rise of the working class.†¦show more content†¦In his Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith celebrated capitalist society. The central thesis of The Wealth of Nations is that capital is best employed for the production and distribution of wealth under conditions of no governmental interference, o r laissez-faire, and free trade. In Smiths view, the production and exchange of goods can be stimulated, and a consequent rise in the general standard of living attained, only through the efficient operations of private industrial and commercial entrepreneurs acting with a minimum of regulation and control by governments. To explain this concept of government maintaining a laissez-faire attitude toward commercial endeavors, Smith proclaimed the principle of the invisible hand: Every individual in pursuing his or her own good is led, as if by an invisible hand, to achieve the best good for all. Therefore any interference with free competition by government is almost certain to be injurious. The division of labor is another crucial component of capitalist society. 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Coke Wars Case Study Free Essays

Coke Wars Case Analysis: Competition, Strategy, and Implications Webster University Summer 2012 INTRODUCTION The rivalry between Coca-Cola Pepsi can be deemed as legendary, â€Å"the top soft drink competitors in the world spend millions of dollars yearly to try and convince you that their version of soft drink is better† (Dotson pg 1). Over the past century, it seems they have feuded over everything from who has superior taste, to the pursuit into space, and more recently over NASCAR and the social media race. Regardless of who is ahead in the competition, the battles between Coca-Cola Pepsi demonstrate important strategic adaptations that the corporations must execute so as to thrive in the constantly changing realms of customer satisfaction, business environments and technology. We will write a custom essay sample on Coke Wars Case Study or any similar topic only for you Order Now This paper will: 1) review the strategic issues presented in the â€Å"Coke Wars† case through the use of the Strategic Management Model as applied to both Coca-Cola Pepsi; 2) highlight fundamental strategies tactics so as to analyze the inherent competition between both corporations; and finally 3) discuss implications of concepts presented in the case for the middle manager so as to grasp lessons learned for future application. STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT MODEL (SMM) The text describes strategic management as â€Å"the set of decisions and actions that result in the formulation and implementation of plans designed to achieve a company’s objectives† (Pearce, Robinson pg 3). With this definition in mind then, the Strategic Management Model can be considered as a very useful framework by which managers plan and implement business strategies. More importantly, in today’s global business environment â€Å"firms need perfect processes that respond to increases in the size and number of competing firms; to the expanded role of government as a buyer, seller, regulator, and competitor in the free-enterprise system; and to greater business involvement in international trade† (pg 3). Furthermore, while â€Å"businesses vary in the processes they use to formulate and direct their strategic management activities†¦the basic components of the models used to analyze strategic management operations is similar† (pg 9). In reaction to internal and external environmental business/economic pressures Coca-Cola Pepsi have manipulated the SMM in various ways so as to remain viable/powerful competitors in their respective industry. Coca-Cola Model Application According to the Coca-Cola Company’s Annual Report 2011, they are â€Å"the world’s largest beverage company†¦with more than 500 nonalcoholic beverage brands†¦own the world’s top five nonalcoholic sparkling beverage brands†¦products bearing their trademarks, have been sold in the United States since 1886, and are now sold in more than 200 countries† (pg 1). Coca-Cola’s report to shareholders reveals that they are continuing to remain competitive in the beverage/snack industry due to a multitude of intelligent strategic decisions. When analyzing Coca-Cola from the Strategic Management Model perspective one can determine that while the internal/external environment will always remain unpredictable, the development of viable plans/processes can assist a corporation in remaining flexible and responsive to necessary change. Coca-Cola’s Mission is â€Å"to refresh the world†¦inspire moments of optimism and happiness†¦create value and make a difference† (Annual Report Mission, Vision, and Values). Their current goals are â€Å"to use company assets—brands, financial strength, unrivaled distribution system, global reach and the talent and strong commitment of management and associates—to become more competitive and to accelerate growth in a manner that creates value for shareholders† (pg 1). Overall, the mission statement is quite powerful and accurately â€Å"describes the company’s product, market, and technological areas of emphasis in a way that reflects the values and priorities of the strategic decision makers† (Pearce, Robinson pg 10). With respect to Internal Analysis, the corporation has identified its â€Å"operating structure as the basis for financial reporting† and is broken down into 7 different operating groups (Annual Report pg 2). The method for financial reporting is important because this is where/how investors and executives alike assess the â€Å"quantity and quality of the company’s financial, human, and physical resources†¦and contrasts company’s past successes and traditional concerns with the company’s current capabilities† (Pearce Robinson pg 11). Coca-Cola’s Annual Report is well designed, informative, and relatively easy to read as well. An important internal analysis factor of note is that of leadership—CEO’s and Board members alike must adequately analyze the direction/vision of the corporation so as to not become â€Å"fixated upon past glories†¦instead embracing new opportunities† (Ward pg 3). The External Environment that the company experiences is one full of pressures to include: extreme competition, distribution system management challenges, and social responsibility struggles. Additional competitive factors include those of â€Å"but not limited to pricing, advertising, sales promotion programs, product innovation, increased efficiency in production techniques, the introduction of new packaging, new vending and dispensing equipment, and brand/trademark development protection† (Annual Report pg 8). Concerning Strategic Analysis and Choice, Coca-Cola can be considered as â€Å"effective at building sustainable competitive advantage based on key value chain activities and capabilities† (PR pg 11) and have identified their bottling operations as equity method investments. The â€Å"investments are intended to result in increases in the unit case volume, net revenues and profits at the bottler level, which in turn generate increased concentrate sales for the company concentrate and syrup business†¦when this occurs both the corporation and the bottling partners benefit from long-term growth in volume, improved cash flows, and increased shareholder value† (AR pg 7). The Long-Term Objectives should reflect areas such as â€Å"profitability, return on investment, competitive position, technological leadership, productivity, employee relations, public responsibility, and employee development† (PR pg 11). According to the provided case materials, the company has strong goals for the future and â€Å"has transformed into a more innovative, risk taking company†¦becoming more adventurous in responding to changes in the beverage market for healthier alternatives† so as to respond to customer desires, technology, and competitive environment (Ward pg 3). Coca-Cola’s Generic Strategy is that of differentiation, making their products superior to those in the industry, â€Å"by stressing the attribute above other product qualities, the firm attempts to build customer loyalty† (PR pg 158). Their Grand Strategies can be defined as concentrated growth, market development, product development, innovation, vertical integration, turnaround, and strategic alliances. Coca-Cola is increasingly globalized and their Generic and Grand strategies seem to be creating valuable success for the corporation â€Å"and is transforming into a more innovative, risk-taking company† (Ward pg 2). Short Term Objectives for the corporation involve effective marketing strategies that appeal to existing customers and new clientele as well. They have embraced social media, the health craze and more recently the 2012 Olympics to successfully reach an increasingly global audience. In fact, â€Å"Coke’s strongest performance has been experienced in emerging markets in Russia, China, and Brazil, and has also improved its position in North America and Europe as well† (pg 3). Action Plans are incorporated and employed globally by executives and managers alike at Coca-Cola and those plans are laid out in the Annual Report. Everything from distribution systems, bottling methods, responses to competition, raw material acquisition, and investment plans are outlined which provides exact methods by which the corporation plans to remain a viable player in the industry. In sum they plan to â€Å"use the Company’s assets—brands, financial strength, unrivaled distribution system, global reach and the talent and strong commitment of management and associates—to become more competitive and to accelerate growth in a manner that creates value for shareholders† (Annual Report 2011 pg 1). Functional Tactics used by the corporation to achieve short term goals and attain competitive advantage include adoption of marketing strategies that appeal to not only health conscious customers but to a global audience. In fact â€Å"Coke is bringing out mid-calorie versions of some of its brands like Sprite and Fanta, and is teaming up with Grammy award winner Mark Ronson for its 2012 London Olympics anthem† (Hernandez pg 1). Additionally, Coke â€Å"continues to focus on selling soft drinks globally and even vows to rebuild Coke sales in the US market† through focusing upon non-carbonated sports drinks such as PowerAde, Aquarius, and Fuze (D’Altoro pg 2). Coca-Cola absolutely has Policies That Empower Action as demonstrated by the information contained in the Annual Report and via their website: â€Å"Work Smart: Act with urgency, remain responsive to change have the courage to change course when needed, remain constructively discontent, and work efficiently† (Coca-Cola Website pg 2). The â€Å"work smart† mentality allows for decisions to be made whenever possible at the lowest level of the corporation. Organizational Structure is segmented into the following areas: â€Å"Eurasia and Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, Pacific, Bottling Investments, and Corporate† (Annual Report pg 2). Coke is predominantly organized into an international area structure that allows for operational efficiency and regional competitiveness. However Coca-Cola faces the additional struggle of remaining socially responsible to societies and environments in which it operates and has faced several legal implications with respect to human rights issues in South American Bottling plants (FRONTLINE). Nonetheless Coca-Cola reiterates that â€Å"despite the volatile environment, the company and its bottling partners have maintained operations and worked to provide safe, stable economic opportunities† for the people in nations that they operate in (FRONTLINE). Strategic Control and Continuous Improvement is facilitated by Coca-Cola’s organizational structure, leadership, and 2020 Vision campaign. In fact their website reiterates that in order â€Å"to continue to thrive as a business over the next 10 years and beyond, they must look ahead, understand the trends and forces that will shape their business in the future and move swiftly to prepare for what is to come† (Coca-Cola Website). This statement reveals that the corporation is committed to â€Å"detecting changes and making necessary adjustments†¦in strategy that allows their organization to respond more proactively and timely to rapid developments that† inherently affect ultimate success. Pepsi Model Application Much like Coca-Cola, Pepsi’s Mission statement is very clear, concise and purposeful â€Å"Captivate consumers with the world’s most loved and best-tasting convenient foods and beverages through the use of its strengths: Brand Image, Positioning, Innovation, Distribution Capabilities, Productivity Focus, Human Capital and Purposeful Performance† (Pepsi Annual Report). Pepsi also reiterates that being socially responsible is of utmost importance and â€Å"commitment to do right for the business by doing right for people the planet† effectively creates a â€Å"catalyst for business growth and innovation, enabling them to be financially successful and globally responsible† (Pepsi Annual Report). As covered in the Letter to Shareholders the CEO, Indra Nooyi, reveals the Internal Analysis of Pepsi Co. to be that of â€Å"strong progress and on a core basis net revenue was up 14% for 2011† (Pepsi Annual Report). This success was due to improvements n the following areas: â€Å"investment in emerging markets, brand management, research and development, differentiation, efficiency and global operating structure to fully leverage the scale of PepsiCo† (Pepsi Annual Report). PepsiCo is most certainly proud of their improvements and strategic focus but also realizes that the creation of â€Å"an adaptive team and culture— one that can continually renew itself and thrive on change†¦performing today while transforming for tomorrow† is necessary for success into the future and believes that their â€Å"best days are yet to come† (Pepsi Annual Report). Pepsi experiences similar External Environmental conditions to that of Coca-Cola. Intense competition, globalized marketplace, social responsibility, and economic conditions all affect the strategies that PepsiCo decides to implement. Additionally, Pepsi must allocate its attention to not only the beverage industry but to their global snack line as well; which while designed to be complimentary can prove to have possible negative effects when considering the volatility of each of these industries. The Strategic Analysis and Choice, that Pepsi has selected, much like Coca-Cola can be considered as effective. In order to gain a sustainable competitive advantage Pepsi is â€Å"pursuing specific strategic investment and productivity initiatives to build a stronger, more successful company through global brands, innovation, and advertising/marketing campaigns† (Pepsi Annual Report). As mentioned earlier, the following areas are of importance in Pepsi’s strategic analysis/choice: Brand Image, Positioning, Innovation, Distribution Channels, Productivity, Human Capital and Social Responsibility. As the report outlines, Pepsi’s Long-Term Objectives support increasingly globalized operations, global brand recognition, public responsibility, and industry leadership in beverages and snacks. In fact Pepsi was the first to realize the customer shift to healthier lifestyles and responded before Coke â€Å"to changes in the beverage market as consumers shifted from fizzy drinks to healthier alternatives† (Ward pg 3). Furthermore â€Å"Pepsi’s new strategy: Better-For-You Products—comes down to health concerns and being socially responsible where†¦lifestyles have changed†¦and Pepsi has modified its products† (D’Altorio pg 1). Pepsi’s Generic Strategy, like that of Coca-Cola, is that of differentiation. This is why the Cola Wars have been so pervasive and prevalent—they both are striving to make their products superior to those of the competition. Their Grand Strategies can also be identified as concentrated growth, market development, product development, innovation, vertical integration, turnaround, joint ventures, divestiture and strategic alliances. Additionally, Pepsi is becoming more globalized in nature and their Generic and Grand strategies reflect this: â€Å"they are a $66 billion global powerhouse focused upon two complementary businesses with attractive growth margins and returns—global snacks and global beverages† to achieve global nutrition achievements worldwide† (Pepsi Annual Report). Pepsi’s Short Term Objectives are focused upon investment in their global brand management and streamlining distribution methods so as to attain measurable efficiency. In fact last year three brands—Diet Mountain Dew, Brisk and Starbucks ready to drink beverages—had each grown to more than $1 billion in annual retail sales, expanding PepsiCo’s portfolio of billion dollar brands to 22† (Pepsi Annual Report). Their distribution methods remain largely â€Å"unmatched†¦and in 2011 they successfully changed distribution for Gatorade products in the US in the convenience and other channels from a warehouse-delivered-go-to-market system to DSD, in order to more efficiently serve customers† (Pepsi Annual Report). Much like Coca-Cola, Pepsi’s Action Plans are employed globally and specific intentions are revealed in the Annual Report. The difference is however that Pepsi has two industries upon which it has to contend with: beverages AND snacks. Their action plan for 2012 and beyond stresses five imperatives: â€Å"1) build and extend macro-snacks portfolio globally; 2) sustainably and profitably grow its beverage business worldwide; 3) build and expand the nutrition business; 4) increase and capitalize on the high coincidence of snack and beverage consumption; 5) ensure prudent and responsible financial management† (Pepsi Annual Report). Functional Tactics used by Pepsi so as to achieve its short term goals/competitive advantage include marketing strategies and socially responsible business practices that reach a more global audience. Adopting the responsibility of â€Å"Global Nutrition† demonstrates Pepsi’s commitment to a healthier population and have â€Å"developed new strategies with new soft drinks which will catch on to part of the public that is the new health craze† (Dotson pg 2). The development of products such as Gatorade G2, which is low in calorie than the regular sports drinks, and Propel demonstrate that Pepsi in focused upon innovative products that cater to the health conscious customer needs/wants. As revealed by the Annual Report, Policies That Empower Action for Pepsi begins with the â€Å"Power of One concept†¦operating as one company to connect with consumer†¦innovating globally, delighting locally†¦ and performance with purpose† to achieve sustained growth and success. While Pepsi has many difficulties to confront with respect to competition, multiple industries, and internal/external economic stressors; they are continuing to adapt to their environments and reiterate that â€Å"the challenge to renew a successful company is one that they embrace† (Pepsi Annual Report). Pepsi’s Organizational Structure is segmented â€Å"into four business units: 1) PepsiCo America’s Foods; 2) PepsiCo America’s Beverages; 3) PepsiCo Europe; 4) PepsiCo Asia, Middle East, Africa† (Pepsi Annual Report). Pepsi’s structure allows for certain control and efficiencies both nationally and globally in the beverage and snack industries. In addition Pepsi has standardized the reportable segments of each business so as to allow for appropriate analysis and competitive advantage measurement by region. With respect to Strategic Control and Continuous Improvement, Pepsi’s organizational structure, leadership, and Power of Pepsi campaign reveal that the corporation is committed to remaining a sustainable competitor well into the future. Furthermore, â€Å"as they look ahead they are positioning their company for sustainable growth by building its brands around the globe, bringing innovative products to the marketplace, capitalizing on the coincidence of consumption of snacks and beverages, unleashing the full potential of its global scale and ensuring that PepsiCo continues to be a best place to work† embodies ways in which Strategic Control and Continuous Improvement are going to be accomplished. ANALYSIS IMPLICATIONS FOR MIDDLE MANAGERS The strategic models that each corporation adopts are similar but produce different levels of success for each organization. Both Coke and Pepsi have adopted aggressive marketing strategies and have struggled amongst one another to develop superior products and attain customer share maximization. Competition, while at times can be frustrating for the organization, in this case has allowed for the creation of better products and increasingly globalized operations resulting in inherent successes for both organizations. The Cola-Wars have been existent for quite a while, but as this point in time it can be said that Coca-Cola is the leader in the beverage industry segment â€Å"Pepsi was knocked into third place behind Coca-Cola and Diet Coke†¦Coca-Cola sold 1. 6 billion cases of regular soda and 927 million cases of diet soda, while Pepsi sold only 892 million cases† (WIKIPEDIA). However, Pepsi is still remaining competitive globally through the realization that there are other industries upon which to capitalize and ensure sustainability into the future. In fact, â€Å"as far as Pepsi is concerned the cola wars are over and needs to focus on convincing investors that it has the right focus in the new health kick† (D’Altorio pg 2). While Pepsi is focusing upon â€Å"Global Nutrition† they still need to realize that â€Å"carbonated beverages still produce much of the company’s sales and are still a key to Pepsi’s financial health† (D’Altorio). Into the future both Coca-Cola and Pepsi will prove to be viable competitors as revealed by their strategies/mission statements contained in their Annual Reports. The real key however, will be whether consumer demand remains in the carbonated beverage industry†¦if the tides somehow change, Pepsi will emerge as the victor due to their diversification strategy†¦one that has crossed channels and decided to create advantages with both beverages and snacks. The Cola Wars bring up important implications for middle managers in the form of strategic analysis, implementation, and adaptation. Organizational success depends ultimately upon the ability of the organization to connect with consumers by providing an array of options so as to meet consumer desires, needs and lifestyles and these principles are largely motivated by corporate leadership and direction. Furthermore, the talent of employees must be empowered by management so as to execute goals and objectives effectively. A corporations’ assets —brands, financial prowess, distribution systems, global influence and the talents of employees must be effectively employed so as to become more competitive and to influence accelerated growth in manners that create value for customers, shareholders, and the company itself. CONCLUSION The Coca-Cola/Pepsi â€Å"conflict has raged on for decades† and has even been dubbed as the â€Å"Battle of the Century† but has revealed in the process two corporations that have been successful in adopting strategies and processes so as to survive in the constantly changing, volatile business and economic environments representative of the current times. Coca-Cola and Pepsi will continue to face challenges into the future in the realms of economics, technology, and an increasingly globalized business environment. In effect, the corporation that is able to effectively exploit the new social media front of marketing strategy into the future will most likely end up as the frontrunner in most any industry†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Coke and Pepsi are amongst a multitude of companies buying into social media’s ability to strengthen their brands†¦consumers are 55% more likely to recall ads that include social media components than non-social ads†¦consumers today are incredibly empowered and what used to work to get their attention now needs a bit more thoughtfulness† (USA TODAY). This paper: 1) reviewed the strategic issues presented in the â€Å"Coke Wars† case through the use of the Strategic Management Model as applied to both Coca-Cola Pepsi; 2) highlighted fundamental strategies tactics so as to analyze the inherent competition between both corporations; and finally 3) discussed implications of concepts presented in the case for the middle manager so as to grasp lessons learned for future application. Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi are on the right track as far as determining appropriate strategies to thrive in the environments in which they operate but the challenge into the future will be the appropriate analysis and adaptability in which to adequately respond to customer needs, economies of scale, and the dynamic business environment. CASE STUDY MATERIALS/REFERENCES 1) Frontline. Coca-Cola’s union troubles in Columbia; http://www. pbs. org/frontlineworld/fellows/colombia0106/; Retrieved: 3 July 2012. 2) Coca-Cola Annual Report. http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/investors/annual_other_reports. html http://www. hecoca-colacompany. com/ourcompany/mission_vision_values. html 3) PepsiCo Annual Report. http://www. pepsico. com/Investors/Annual-Reports. html; Retrieved 4 July 2012. 4) Wikipedia. The Cola Wars; http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Cola_wars; Retrieved 2 July 2012. 5) Terhune, Chad. Coca-Cola trying to renegotiate its syrup contract with bottlers; â€Å"Soda Rebellion: A Suit by Coke Bottlers Exposes Cracks in a Century-Old System; Serving Wal-Mart Is at Issue, But Spat Shines Spotlight On Local Businesses’ Role; The Brownes’ 84-Year History†; Wall Street Journal (Eastern edition). New York, N. Y. : Mar 13, 2006. p. A. Document URL: http://proquest. umi. com. library3. webster. edu/pqdweb? did=1001778801sid=2Fmt=3clientId=30323RQT=309VName=PQD Copyright (c) 2006, Dow Jones Company Inc. 6) Ward, Andrew. Can Coca-Cola recover? ; â€Å"Last Stand of Coke’s Old Guard Don Keough, 79, Seeks One More Year on the Board†; Financial Times; London, England; 19-Apr-2006. 7) Ward, Andrew. Can Coca-Cola recover? ; â€Å"Coke on Upward Path†; Financial Times; London, England; 20-Apr-2006. 8) Pearce, Robinson. Management and Strategy; MNGT 5650; Webster University St Loius, MO; McGraw Hill: Copyright 2012. 9) Dotson, Horace. Pepsi vs Coke: The Battle of a Century; Yahoo; http://voices. yahoo. com. Retrieved: 07 July 2012. 10) Diaz, George. NASCAR Cola Wars Spark Frosty Fireworks at Daytona; http://articlesorlandosentinel. com/2012-07-06/sports/os-george-diaz-daytona-coke-pepsi-0. Retrieved 06 July 2012. 11) Hernandez, Karin. Pepsi vs. Coke: The Cola Wars. http://seekingalpha. com/article/600021-pepsi-vs-coke-the-cola-wars. Retrieved: 06 July 2012. 12) Snider, Mike. Social Media is Latest Front of Cola Wars; USA Today 30 April 2012. http://www. usatoday. com/tech/news/story/2012-04-30/pepsi-coke-social-media/54631902/ Retrieved 12 July 2012. How to cite Coke Wars Case Study, Free Case study samples

Oedipus Tyrannus Monologue Essay Summary Example For Students

Oedipus Tyrannus Monologue Essay Summary A monologue from the play by Sophocles NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from Greek Dramas. Ed. Bernadotte Perrin. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1904. OEDIPUS: Your prayers are heard: and if you will obey Your king, and hearken to his words, you soon Shall find relief; myself will heal your woes. I was a stranger to the dreadful deed, A stranger e\en to the report till now; And yet without some traces of the crime I should not urge this matter; therefore hear me. I speak to all the citizens of Thebes, Myself a citizenobserve me well: If any know the murderer of Laius, Let him reveal it; I command you all. But if restrained by dread punishment He hide the secret, let him fear no more; For naught but exile shall attend the crime Whene\er confessed; if by a foreign hand The horrid deed was done, who points him out Commands our thanks, and meets a sure reward; But if there be who knows the murderer, And yet conceals him from us, mark his fate, Which here I do pronounce: Let none receive Throughout my kingdom, none hold converse with him, Nor offer prayer, nor sprinkle o\er his head The sacred cup; let him be driven from all, By all abandoned, and by all accursed, For so the Delphic oracle declared; And therefore to the gods I pay this duty And to the dead. Oh! may the guilty wretch, Whether alone, or by his impious friends Assisted, he performed the horrid deed, Denied the common benefits of Nature, Wear out a painful life! And oh! if here, Within my palace, I conceal the traitor, On me and mine alight the vengeful curse! To you, my people, I commit the care Of this important business; \tis my cause, The cause of Heaven, and your expiring country. E\en if the god had naught declared, to leave This crime unexpiated were most ungrateful. He was the best of kings, the best of men; That sceptre now is mine which Laius bore; His wife is mine; so would his children be Did any live; and therefore I am bound, E\en as he were my father, to revenge him. Yes, I will try to find his murderer, I owe it to the son of Labdacus, To Polydorus, Cadmus, and the race Of great Agenor. Oh! if yet there are, Who will not join me in the pious deed, From such may earth withhold her annual store, And barren be their bed, their life most wretched, And their death cruel as the pestilence That wastes our city! But on you, my Thebans, Who wish us fair success, may justice smile Propitious, and the gods forever bless!