Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks, and Vitamin-Enhanced Beverages Essay

Porter’s five-forces model reveals that the overall alternative beverage industry attractiveness is high. Some beverage companies, such as PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, have mastered the art of brand building in the alternative beverage market and have been rewarded with rapid growth rates. The rising population of health conscious consumers is increasingly leaning towards alternative beverages that are believed to offer greater health benefits. The strongest competitive force, or most important to strategy formulation, is the threat of entry of new competitors. Competitive pressure from rival sellers is high in the alternative beverage industry. The number of brands competing in sports drinks, energy drinks, and vitamin-enhanced beverage segments of the alternative beverage industry continue to grow each year. Both large and small vendors are launching new products and fighting for minimal retail shelf space. More and more consumers are moving away from traditional soft drinks to healthier alternative drinks. Demand is expected to grow worldwide as consumer purchasing power increases. Another strong competitive force is buyer bargaining power. Convenience stores and grocery stores have substantial leverage in negotiating pricing and slotting fees with alternative beverage producers due to the large quantity of their purchase. Newer brands are very vulnerable to buyer power because of limited space on store shelves. Top brands like Red Bull are almost always guaranteed space. This competitive force does not affect Coca-Cola or PepsiCo as much due to the variety of beverages the stores want to offer to the customer. As a result of this certain appeal, the two companies’ alternative beverage brands can almost always be found shelf space in grocery/convenience stores. Distributors, like restaurants, have less ability to negotiate for deep pricing discounts because of quantity limitations. The weakest competitive force is the bargaining power and leverage of suppliers. Most of the raw materials desirable to manufacture alternative beverages are basic merchandise such as flavor, color, packaging, etc. The suppliers of these commodities have no bargaining power over the pricing due to which the suppliers in the industry are relatively weak. Raw materials for these drinks are basic commodities which are easily available to every producer and have low cost which makes no difference for any supplier. Low switching costs limit supplier bargaining power by enabling industry members to change suppliers if any one supplier attempts to raise prices by more than the cost of switching.

A Research Proposal on Wive’s Income and Marital Quality

1. Increases in wives† income over time will contribute to increases in marital discord. (Expect strong effect on husbands† report of marital discord.) 2. Increase in wives† income over time will contribute to decreases in marital discord. (Expect husbands and wives to be about the same.) 3. Increases in perceived marital discord over time will contribute to increases in wives income. (Expect marital discord on wives† income stronger for wives than husbands.) Used data from Marital Instability Over the Life Course Study (1991). This was a 4-wave panel study that began in 1980 with random telephone interviews of 2,034 married individuals (not couples), younger than 55 using the clustered random-digit dialing procedure. Of the people called, 65 % completed the survey, 18% refused, and 17% were unreachable after 10 or more callbacks. Respondents were similar to national population of married individuals on age, race, region, household size, presence of children, and home ownership. Attempts to reinterview the same respondents took place in 1983, 1988, and 1992. Successful reinterviews were 78%, 66%, and 58% respectively. A decision was made to use date from 1980-1988 as these years showed the most dramatic change in married women†s employment and earnings. Also, the results of the 1992 interview had slight underreporting of younger, renter, African-American or Hispanic, and those without a college education in 1980. Respondents consisted of a total of 455 women and 316 men who were in a stable marriage from 1980-1988; a first marriage for both spouses. The study was restricted to continuous first marriages because previous evidence suggested relationships between income and marital quality differs depending on marriage order. Remarried families have lower incomes, fewer assets on average. Remarried women are more likely to be employed 40 hours or more per week than continuously married women. Marital discord was measured in three areas: marital instability (12 item scale that taps propensity to divorce), relationship problems (14 problems like easily angered, jealous, moody, not home enough), and marital conflict (assessed the amount and severity of conflict between spouses). Structural equation modeling was used. This allowed the investigation of the directional relationship and testing of the relative strength of each. Study took into account husbands† unemployment and the birth of a child. The model used to test 4 demographic characteristics: children, race, age, yrs of education. They didn†t affect the model substantially or alter conclusions. The average respondent had 14 years of education, was 35 years old, 92% were white, 41% were male. Data does not support either hypothesis 1 or 2. Data does support #3. Wives increased their income over a period of 8 years due to their own perceptions of increased marital discord. Husbands† perception of marital discord didn†t have an effect on wives† income. In 1980 54% wives employed, 96% of husbands. Income of wife is $7277 vs. $40559 for a family. In 1988 69% wives employed, and 94% of husbands. Income for a wife, $9495; and for a family, $42,420. ($ figure is adjusted to reflect 1988 constant dollars.) By 1988, 20% more wives entered the workforce and 10% dropped out. 24% of the husbands experienced some unemployment and 24% had experienced a birth of a child. Earnings gender gap went from 60% to 71%. By the end, women were contributing 30-40% toward the family income. Increases in wives† income do not significantly affect either spouse†s perception of marital discord. Instead increases in marital discord contribute significantly to increases in wives† income by increasing the likelihood that non-employed wives will enter the workforce. It isn†t clear if wives enter the labor force to prepare for divorce or to improve their own lives and perhaps their marriages by seeking additional personal challenges. More women responded than men. Also, if couples would have been interviewed so a clearer picture between spouses response could have been analyzed (couple-level data). Also gender role attitudes of spouses were not included. The role of social class was not taken into consideration. Another item is that the study began 19 years ago, concluding 11 years ago. This country has experienced a bull market and a low unemployment rate.

Anne Stevenson Essays - Human Development, Childbirth

Anne Stevenson " I thought you were my victory /though you cut me like a knife" (Stevenson 1-2) The opening lines of Anne Stevenson's poem The Victory set a tone of conflict. This poem, at its surface, expresses a mother's thoughts on giving birth to a son. Stevenson describes the mixed feelings many mothers have upon the delivery of their first born. The final release from pregnancy and birthing pains, coupled with the excitement of bringing a live creature into this world, at first seem a victory to the new parent. The author goes on to confute the event as a victory. Using words such as "antagonist" (5), "bruise" (6), and "scary"(13), she shows the darker side of childbirth. The mother has felt her own life's blood flowing that a stranger might live "The stains of your glory bled from my veins." (6-8). That she sees her own child as a stranger is evident in lines nine and ten, where the child is described as a "blind thing" (9) with "blank insect eyes"(10). The mother portrays her baby as a bug, not even human. In the last section of the poem, two questions are asked, attesting to the mother's internal conflict. "Why do I have to love you?/ How have you won?" (15-16). These unanswerable queries are some of the fundamental questions of our human existence. Below the topmost layer of meaning in The Victory, is an underlying theme that any parent or guardian will easily relate to. Children are born out of the great pain their mothers endure. They are helpless in one sense, yet they command the care of their parents. Stevenson describes the intrinsic helplessness of infants with the words "Blind"(9) and "Hungry"(14). Yet, this poem does not refer to new born babes alone. Birthing pains do not cease with the delivery of a child. The conflict described in this poem is felt by parents of adult children as well. All parents give of their lifeblood, at least in the emotional sense, in raising and maintaining their offspring. The Victory is a poem written as if by a mother only just delivered of a new born son, yet the themes expressed in its lines apply to all the stages of human life. Stevenson seems to stress the pain that is felt when one life brings forth another, but there are many pains felt by parents in ways unphysical. "You barb the air. /You sting with bladed cries" (11-12) these are sharp words that bring thoughts of tangible pain. These words also describe mental and emotional pain that is felt by many parents who sacrifice much for their children. The poem does not place a guilt on the baby nor, therefore on children in general. It seems to acknowledges the turmoil of birth and life as natural. The child who is born today, collects the sacrifice of its parents and will make sacrifices for the child born tomorrow. Even though The Victory is worded to sound resentful, as though the mother begrudges her child his new found life, it also has a resigned tone. The mother accepts her lot, however painful. Even deeper into this poem is the hint of feminism. The author chose the sex of this baby intentionally. She used two references to a knife, indicating pain inflicted in a manner unnatural. The knife has traditionallybeen a man's weapon. "Tiny antagonist" (9) could refer to the entire male gender. "Scary knot of desires" (13) is a reference to the sex act, which is sometimes seen as male aggression. The child is the manifestation of this act. "Hungry snarl! Small son." (14) the use of an animalistic noise directly precedes the revelation of the baby's gender. Once again Stevenson's choice of words reminds one of male aggression. The woman in the poem seems to feel cheated in bearing a male child to the man who is indirectly responsible for her condition. Why does she have to love him? Does that sum up the plight of woman? Is it Eve's curse that woman shall embrace man, though in so doing she must suffer childbirth to bring forth more men? (Or daughters who shall suffer likewise.) Is that how he has won? The Victory asks

BRIC Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

BRIC Analysis - Case Study Example However, because the outlook for this industry is bright, multinationals are now eyeing the manufacture of the product. But none has targeted China yet, and the market concentration is US, Canada, and Japan (Annex C). There is a high growth potential in the market. Rivalry concentration is low since most of the electric car models of U.S. manufacturers are yet to be introduced in the years to come. The threat of substitutes to the electric car industry is fairly mild because people are now conscious of green environment, and the spiraling cost of gasoline. There are other types of automotive vehicles but none offers clean air and a reduction of energy consumption although models and design are comparable with regular cars. The electric car models offer the comfort of charging it at home and do not need to line up in gasoline stations. Popular electric car models are shown in Annex B. The inherent culture and attitudes kept people out from owning cars, and ownership is not yet spread out as discussed in density of ownership. But because of increasing rate of population and rise of income, the culture of car ownership in China is slowly changing; added to the fact that it is encouraged by the government, The barrier to entry in the automotive industry is significant. The start up capital needed for a new company to set up an efficient manufacturing capacity is prohibitive. The manufacture of electric cars needs expertise and specialization, and in case of failure is difficult to retool. Entry to market may not be so difficult because of the joint venture with a local Chinese automotive manufacturer. A joint venture is considered a better alternative in entering the Chinese market because Chinese partners have an insight into the local customs and traditions. A joint venture offers the opportunity of access to restricted market, and the advantage of the low

The Civil War in Sierra Leone Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Civil War in Sierra Leone - Research Paper Example Marked with occasional military coups, the weak governments installed (mainly through international intervention) did not last long enough to oversee meaningful development or even stabilization, which has left a mark of continued failure and backwardness in the country. Several factors have been attributed to the onset of the civil war. Many researchers appear to settle for the more widely known reason: the independence government and other governments that followed did not attend to the grievances of the growing marginalized population. As a result, inaction created a very large group of aggrieved young men, who could not get decent employment since they were either semiliterate or completely illiterate. The government of the day had adopted a new system that promoted education as an exclusive preserve of the privileged. The marginalized population resorted to guerrilla warfare to ascend to power. This paper provides an analysis of the lack of authority that the government showed during the war. Several fights have involved children below the age of eighteen years, including the one in Southern Sudan. However, there was no direct involvement of children in their masses as witnessed when the Revolutionary United Front began its anti-government operations in Sierra Leone. The appalling picture of thousands of underage fighters engaging military officers with better equipment led to a lack of trust in the government. The government was viewed as one unable to uphold the rights of children and refugees at the general. The perception soon transformed into one of feeling betrayed and unprotected, especially when the nation witnessed the fast speed at which the militia was capturing provinces.

What drives facial diversity in primates (Central Hypothesis is Social Research Paper

What drives facial diversity in primates (Central Hypothesis is Social factors are more important in driving primate facial diversity.) - Research Paper Example Many researchers have resolved that social factors have the prevalent contribution in the emergence of primate facial diversity. Facial characteristics of primates are complex structures that are designed to fulfill several purposes. Primate face is made up of various phenotypes as it integrates various parts such as eyes, ears, nose, hair and patches of skin. All these organs differ in their traits and functions. These parts have different location, origin, colour, size and shape (Cartmill and Smith, 2009). The nature and shape of the elements in a primate face is to a great extent determined by social factors. In many social animals, facial traits offer an adequate source of information that is significant in social interaction. The face is used to express signs regarding primate behaviours, condition and identity. Given the role of face in social interaction, it is sensible to assume that social factors have a crucial contribution in enhancing facial diversity in primates. Facial diversity in primates is explained by the differences in characteristics, shape, colour and size expressed by different primate in the world. According to biologists, facial diversity among primates is highly contributed to by emerging social factors (Bradley & Lawler, 2011). The essay below will present some of the important social factors in driving primate facial diversity. In this essay, the author will provide evidence on the contribution of both social and ecological factors in directing diversity in primates. The table above illustrates the nature of social interaction among different primates in the world. It shows the social status of different players in their social settings. From the table, it is clear that the social responsibility among male and female primates varies from one primate to another. According to the table, facial diversity is highly influenced by social setting which primates engage in. Many primates spend

Contemporary Separatist Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contemporary Separatist Conflict - Essay Example While some find this acceptable due to various reasons, others do not approve of such strategies (Marianne Heiberg, 2007). Though the issue of separatism is a raging topic for debate and political contention in almost every country in the present day, it must be understood that it is simply not possible for all minorities to have their own political and geographical boundaries. However, the larger nation should recognize their presence, contribution and their aspiration to self determination when providing them with any set of rights (Metta Spencer, 1998). As long as both recognize and respect each other, separatism as a concept does not exist. As such, separatism today exists predominantly in the minds of people and is demonstrated primarily through violent and political means. People need to realize that demarcating territory on the basis of ethnicity is simply impossible in all cases as such areas are ethnically unclear due to a dispersed population. People need to realize that it is best to live together in a manner that provides for and encourages the right to self determination. After brutal wars such as in the case of the Balkans, many people realize that fighting has not achieved the intended goal and the only way multi-ethnic groups develop is by way of mutual coexistence (Margaret Moore, 2006). One of the best examples for such a successful approach can be attributed to the Danish minority that lives in the northern part of Germany. The Danish group have due representation in the parliament, have an education system with Danish as one of the major mediums of instruction and enjoy normal rights as other native Germans. This is one of the few examples where a minority lives normally within a large country where mutual respect and trust helps ensure the development of the region. Violence and separatism seldom help achieve the desired results in the present