Functional, Business and Global Strategies Essay

a. The module focuses on the company’s/division’s business level strategies and global strategies. You will need to answer the following questions. Anheuser-Busch Inbev is one of the largest breweries in the world. â€Å"Currently, Anheuser-Busch InBev has a product list of more than 200 beers, including global best-sellers Budweiser, Stella Artois, Beck’s, multi-country brands like Leffe and Hoegaarden, and strong â€Å"local jewels† such as Bud Light, Skol, Brahma, Quilmes, Michelob, Harbin, Sedrin, Cass, Klinskoye, Sibirskaya Korona, Chernigivske, and Jupiler, among others that have helped to make the company so successful. In addition, to their own brands, AB InBev owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, which is Mexico’s leading brewers that own the global Corona brand. AB InBev also owns a 27 percent share in the China brewer Tsingtao. (Workman, 2009)† Since Anheuser-Busch InBev has a vast variety of markets throughout the world we could see different stages in the life cycle through these different markets. For example Western Europe has a Consumer resistant (declining stage of the life cycle). USA, UK France, Switzerland and Latin America have a mature market. Eastern and Central Europe have a market that consolidation considered life cycle and Africa, China, India and Indonesia have a fragmented or introductory life cycle. To be able to do the analysis we will be considering the beer industry life cycle stage as a whole, this stage according to the analyst, the life cycle stage of the beer industry and Anheuser-Busch Inbev has already entered it’s maturity stage. â€Å"In this stage product features may be enhanced in order to differentiate them from competitors, pricing is normally lower, distribution is more intensive, and promotion emphasizes brand image and product differences. (workman, 2009)† Ghebrial,2009) 1. Based on these product, market, or distinctive competency choices, what generic business-level strategy is your company pursuing? AB InBev has a chosen a differentiated strategy offering unique or distinctive products to many kinds of consumers, where their main focus is to gain market share from highly concentrated and competitive US markets and also to focus on international increasing potential markets expanding its global market. Because brands are the foundation of AB InBev, they place major value on their relationship with consumers. These strategic involvements can be traced back to the original establishments of both Anheuser-Busch and Inbev, before they merged. They established brand loyalty with their consumers and due to this AB InBev has chosen to focus their current and future investments on specific brands that have proven to be profitable. These specific brands have been identified as Stella Artois, Beck’s and Budweiser. â€Å"To date, the brands chosen have outperformed other InBev products and announced in the Q3 Press Release on November 6th, InBev had gained or maintained market share in eight of their ten markets† (AB InBev, 2011). As for the differentiation strategy AB InBev we should expect products to be renovated and innovation to be a high predominance in the company (e.g. updating packaging and brand image). As a whole AB Inbev plans to keep the original strategies that Anheuser Busch and Inbev had proven to be effective (differentiation strategy). (Ghebrial,2009) 2. Discuss how your company has attempted to develop a competitive strategy to protect its business-level strategy. For example, if your company is operating in an embryonic industry, discuss the ways it has attempted to increase its competitive advantage over time. If it operates in a mature industry, discuss how it has tried to manage the entry and rivalry. AB InBev has protected its own business-level strategy in many different ways. As a company[s main mission to be the greatest beer in the world, they have achieved competitive strategies to be able to protect their business-level strategies; Sprinkler Expansion strategy, Aggressive Marketing Strategy and Consumer Responsiveness Approach. Sprinkler Expansion Strategy As the world’s largest brewer, AB Inbev has the ability to compete in new and foreign markets as a strong threat. Due to their enormous capital and expansion-based strategy, they can enter any market as a challenger and shutdown competition to become the leading brewer in this market. As an aggregated note we can also see this in domestic or already dominated markets because due to economics of scale they can achieve differentiated products at a low cost. Aggressive Marketing Strategy AB InBev has been characterized in the US and in international markets as one of the most aggressive marketing in the world, these is due to their differentiation strategy and the sprinkler expansion strategy. AB InBev utilizes their extensive capital to capture as much as the market as they can and be able to be number one, in all markets they can. Another added value to this strategy is making all AB Inbev consumers brand loyal, this meaning that they can retain their customers. Consumer Responsiveness Approach Consumer responsiveness approach or Customer-focused approach is the strategy that maintains this brand loyalty through the brand. I believe that AB InBev is one of the best breweries that respond to consumers in every way. As we can see in the chart below AB InBev focuses on costumer responsiveness to assure their business-level strategy. Ghebrial,2009) b. Your company is already doing business in other countries. AB InBev is the largest brewery in the world, and has as a mission to be the world’s greatest beer company in the world. Having more than 200 brands and have expanded to more than 30 countries explains in simple statistics the growth pattern of this company. As they explicitly site in their Annual financial statement â€Å"At Anheuser-Busch InBev, we are focused on building a world-class consumer product company for the 21st century- and delivering on our exceptional potential for value creation through consistent top-line growth and expanding profitability in the world.† AB InBev has not only shown this through the last years but has a consistent growth pattern through the years, as we can see in the two pictures below, InBev the father company of AB InBev has grown through the years creating this brand loyalty and acquiring new companies to strive and become the greatest beer company in the world. (Ghebrial,2009) 1. What strategy is your company pursuing to compete globally? In your opinion, is this the correct strategy, given cost pressures and pressures for local responsiveness? The company has established a well rounded plan to be able to expand globally: Dream-people Culture platform, Right Brands, Right markets, Industry Leading Reach and Resources and Financial discipline. Dream-People-Culture AB InBev are able to drive the execution of their strategies because their unique platform. The people represent the major sustainable competitive advantage. The culture is based on accountability, integrity, continual improvement and mindset of doing the right thing for the long run. Right Brands The Brands constitute a big advantage, â€Å"†¦comprising one of the strongest brand portfolios of any consumer products company, including 14 brands with estimated retail sales value of more than 1 billion USD.† (AB InBev, 2011) The chosen brands entitle a great advantage in being able to expand into markets throughout the world. Right Markets The company positions itself in the right markets. A good share in most of the world’s premier markets for beer, â€Å"†¦including the industry’s most profitable beer market, as well as Brazil and China. (AB InBev, 2011)† The balance of their expansion and the fast growing emerging markets promotes profitability in the long-term. Industry-Leading Reach and Resources AB InBev has the ability to compete effectively on a global scale. Due to the Industry-Leading Reach and Resources, â€Å"including their presence in 23 countries and uniform processes that ensure consistent performance globally. (AB InBev, 2011)† Financial Discipline Another major factor in this global strategic plan, is the competency of cost efficiency, â€Å"which enables us to convert â€Å"non-working money† in areas as administrative overhead into â€Å"working money† to be devoted to investments in growth. (AB InBev, 2011)† 2. What major foreign market does your company serve, and what mode has it used to enter this market? Why is your company active in these markets and not others? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this mode of entry? Might another mode of entry be preferable? Holding business in 23 different countries, AB-InBev has developed number one or number two positions in diverse markets throughout the world, including North America, Latin America South, Latin America North, Western Europe and Eastern, Central Europe and Asia. As a major expanding company as we say in the previous graph, we state that one of the major entry modes of AB InBev has been steady in acquiring or merging with powerful companies in the market of interest to be able to compete in a number one or number two position. The company uses this mode of entry to be able to compete in the present market, use their capital and become the leading company in the market. Having the power and capital, they prefer to enter the market with global brands know to everyone like Stella Arlois and Budweiser, as well as to adopt the current â€Å"favorite† beer (e.g. Corona, Quilmes) to compete as a global and local company. As we can see AB InBev is in all the major markets of the world being successful in most of them, as their financial statement says, they search markets where they can provide extreme customer responsiveness and achieve profitability and growth. In the below graph we can see what companies AB InBev has acquired or merged with to for the most important markets in the six regions described before. AB InBev has chosen this method of entry, but there is one more specific entry mode that can be argued to be a better fit for the company and this is to form a wholly owned business in the new market. This could bring the benefit of owning all of the business and creating a culture of their own and being as successful as they have been in their home markets. In my consideration this would be a mistake and should not be done any other way than their original and current plan of expansion. By investing too much capital and taking the whole risk on their own they have a much better chance to take over other companies keep selling their top brands as discussed before and enter the market with their world famous beer, that have exceeded revenue expectations in the past.

Comparison on Classroom and Technological Education Essay

Perceivably two of the most important issues raised in every college revolve around the dilemmas on finances and instruction. Operating a college is like operating any other business. It takes immense amount of financial aid to make a college work in the most proficient and smooth manner. Given these reasons, community colleges are challenged with the utmost sense of stability and efficiency which rather gives those under the administration a trigger on the vortex of their intellectual capacity and managerial capabilities in that certain extent. For these reasons, online learning has crossed beyond borders slowly converting the conventional trend in education to a rather efficient and advanced scheme while saving much on the society’s pockets. It is true for a fact that funding or running any form of institution requires much rather than that which is aided to be a smooth sailing entity like any other business (Conner). Hence, the challenge does not only withstand within the walls of the school, but rather expanding on several skills needed so as to keep its foot on the charms through the help of financing companies and private organizations given the fact that community colleges cannot stand on its own in the financial basis. Mainly such income surfaces from three sources: local tax, students’ tuition and fees and state revenues (Stuart Lusty). Analysis The percentage of each source of funding varies enormously one state to another. For example, in California students pay about only one tenth of the benchmarked education cost while in other states, students pay as much as one-fourth of the total cost (Conner). Aside from that, there are still other form of fees which are taken gravely in the pockets of those who enroll their children in schools such as miscellaneous fees and materials needed for the completion of their respective courses (Shorrocks-Taylor, W. and Angell). Each has its pros and cons. The most widely used one is funding based on full-time student enrollment. Hence, such is not a practical formula since it does not take other costs such as facilities into consideration. Educational system Further, since the sources of revenue from institutions are limited, as stated above, colleges must find their own way to generate proceeds. Nevertheless, establishing foundations to receive fund from alumni and other donors is one of the cited common practice—selling school related merchandises, leasing extra parcel to developers or ever â€Å"reclamation of lands abandoned by former coal mining companies. † (p. 157)—another way to balance the budget is by saving costs. These sometimes cause schools to change their policy causing them to hire more part-time instructors, rent spaces instead of building new classrooms, reducing student services or limit student enrollment—this seems to go against community colleges’ policy of open enrollment—an irony which denotes compromise. As a matter of fact, some argue that instructors in community colleges are better trained in teaching than those in four-year colleges (Conner). It is basically one of the main reasons why parents critically choose the colleges and universities where to entrust their children’s future. Classroom education Given these various arguments, studies have shown that the delight offered by the â€Å"fresher† form of education is still a mile away from the effectiveness catered with traditional classroom education. It helps students and teachers interact personally while squeezing what is best in each student in the most conventional but â€Å"sure-hit-on-the-brain† perspective. In essence, the percentage of â€Å"learning thoroughly† over â€Å"assisted learning† comes in a pace of large difference (White). The traditional classroom education helps students to meet their respective classmates and interact with them five days a week. More specifically, the presence of â€Å"clubs and organizations† does not only help these students to enhance their skills and apply them for the benefit of the group is a matter of fact a beneficial factor to the kind of profession that they will soon take in the near future (Albalooshi). Distance learning Due to advent of technological advancement, distance learning becomes a trend for community colleges—television and computers become instructional materials, allowing individuals to venture in â€Å"home learning† while mounting the number of enrollees in such form of education and leaving the â€Å"traditional† way of academic acquisition (White). The following however, were noted to be the advantages: writing across the curriculum helps students to improve writing skills; supplement instruction identified high risk courses and help students with those courses; mastery learning makes students competent; competency-based instruction is similar with master degrees and other tutorial services through the internet helps students cope up with various needs in the academic arena (p. 177). Classroom issues The issue of discrimination and other forms of prejudice in the classroom landscape has always been a major factor why some students fail or prefer not to go to school. However, through online learning, these issues are not floating in the scenario. Given the fact that the online enrollees are only interacting virtually with their teachers and their classmates through emails and not through face-to-face meetings, the â€Å"physical† interaction (Januszewski, Molenda and Harris)—which sometimes lead to diverse impressions—are eradicated and this argument makes it more efficient for this â€Å"somehow reprimanded† individuals to pursue education hassle-free at that (Roblyer). It may be a form of â€Å"individual† learning, but through online learning, students are able to do errands after finishing their educational tasks without leaving their homes. Studies in â€Å"online learning† show that individuals who have families and were not able to finish school because of time constraints were able to get the degree they wanted in the most efficient mean possible (Januszewski, Molenda and Harris). Conclusions and further remarks It is true that there exists a humungous demarcation line between the two kinds of learning. Thus, this gap is made not to eradicate the other form from the other, but to improve the society’s way of life. It may have caused several predicaments and may have not completely improved the educational landscape of the society thus for other groups, the innovative form served them good. It may then be taken to assumption that these kinds of learning is basically equipped not to mess the system of acquiring knowledge, rather to give the society sets of choices which have been shaped in accordance to what the proponents of these learning methods have crafted. More specifically, this serves as a proof that education does not stop in extending their capabilities to mold people to become professionals and earn a living, the scope of technology has not congested only on the realm of entertainment and recreation but on the basis of the only treasure that one may cherish in life—and that is education.

Education Philosophy and Rationale

Education Philosophy and Rationale Teaching has been a tradition in our family. As a kid, I grew up with my aunt being an elementary education and my grandma as a teacher in preschool. It started with my grandmother in her late 30’s, teaching kindergarten in Taiwan. My mom use to tell me how great of a teacher she was. She would always find ways to make every student to be involved in her classroom. Other teachers in campus would always ask my grandmother for advices and strategy. Her philosophy was simple; to keep the classroom entertained for her students to learn. My grandma believed children have very short patient.In order to catch all her student’s attention, sometimes she would try to be funny or joke around with her students. Her jokes and entertainments was another strategy to make student learn. She would relate topic in classroom in her jokes to make learning easy and fun. My grandma believed being different is the only way to bring out the best of a child. T o me, I see my grandma as a legend. There was nothing special about her philosophy but only to be herself. Learning from her and my aunt, I understand the value of learning, and helped me build a passion to educate, and learn from students who my life will be a part of and theirs.For this reason and a few others, I have decided to become a teacher. Educator needs a starting point to understand why we think and act the way we do in our classrooms. Educator’s needs to be able to understand how are teachers made and why some teacher has different views in educating than the others. Teachers have their own philosophy to educate students. It makes learning easier; if teachers apply their own values and beliefs in the classroom. Before we discover our beliefs, we would have to know what type of philosophy best fit a future educator.Education has a purpose. Teacher is responsible to teach every kid who are enrolling in school. Teacher’s goals should be; to teach the basic kno wledge a student needs to know so they can move on to the next level of education. Education should not be something that should be forced into anyone, but as future teacher, I would suggest education to everyone. However, I do not believe education is for everyone. Some people feel that having the basic knowledge is good enough to survive, other believe learning has no ending to it. I believe learning don’t have an ending.We learn something new each day. My teaching philosophy is to open the minds of every one of my students so they can have deeper thoughts into my question. It gives student the opportunity to find the answer themselves rather than guiding them through the question. This can cause argument or debate with students but in reality, student are arguing for the best answer to be right, which it’s a good practice for student to think and learn from other people’s idea and use that to improve their own answer. I want to build confident in my student t o succeed in class.I do not believe every child is in the same learning speed, but I do feel that each one of my student are able to find their own way of understanding their own strategy to improve their learning knowledge. This type of philosophy in teaching makes me Metaphysics and an Axiology as my ways of teaching. My philosophy do not include much of Epistemology and Logic. Not because I don’t believe in it, but I see myself more as Metaphysics and an Axiology. Epistemology are often use in classes because teacher are suppose to teach student the ways to succeed in life.Student starts learning from the teacher body language then the actual teaching. We as teacher have to make sure what we say or do have to be appropriate for others to hear or see. As much I don’t include Epistemology as my philosophy in teaching, I believe I am using epistemology as a philosophy in teaching without me realizing it. Logic works the same way, it’s the essential in all areas of life, I teach student to think more logically to find the best answers. Logic can be proven in many ways. In class, student’s mission is to find the best logic for each answer I given, Outside of class, student uses logic to make the best decision.I disagree teacher only uses one philosophy to teach their student. I believe every teacher uses a little of each philosophy to put together their own ways of teaching. My education philosophy in the classroom is simply. I am aware that classroom has students that use one of more ways of learning, and I plan to integrate these various ways throughout my teaching. I want my students to learn in a way they are comfortable with, not to compete with other people but themselves. With my ambition to reveal other ways of learning, I feel I can open more options for students to become successful.I will also bring out the traditional academics in my classroom. I believe student needs to know the basic, common facts for rational and even e motional development. Finally, I will create a fun, be- yourself type of atmosphere in the classroom to give student a chance to be who they are. The atmosphere has to be enjoyable for the mind to only focus on learning. I plan on having activities that involve group games and creative projects. Although, I want my student to have as much freedom in class, there will be rules and conduct to follow for disciplinary actions and behaviors.I want my students to feel free to explore their creative sides, but also have student to participate creative lessons such as art and writing. I will base my program of study on truthful facts because I feel that such traditional teachings will supply elementary student’s stability and durability. Teaching should be a fun and enjoyable for the teacher and students. My theory is just to have fun and learn as much as you can from the school and the teachers. As an elementary educator I will conduct myself with a positive attitude as a motivated leader in my classroom.I will understand each one of my students and guide them to explore deeply in education. My goal is to see my student to become successful throughout my philosophy in teaching and pursue a higher education as they aged. Overall, I am passionate to become an elementary teacher. I am eager to work for the school system. I want to be become an inspiration to students as much as my aunt and grandmother did. I want my students to know they can be anything they want, as long as they put in the effort. I want to keep this tradition alive in my family and hopefully pass down to the next generation. I believe everyone has a mission in life.I can’t thank enough to my family and teachers that help me find that mission. Hopefully after college, I will soon find a school that I can give dedication too, and become one of a million teachers that touches each childs life with education and motivation.Reference * Gutek, General Lee (2009) new perspectives on philosophy and education. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey; Pearson Education Inc. * LeoNora M Cohen & Gelbrich Judy (1999) School of education, OSU http://oregonstate. edu/instruct/ed416/sample. html * Ornstein, A. C. , & Levine, D. U. (2006). Foundations of education  (9th  ed. ). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

How to Use Market Growth And Market Share to Develop Strategy Assignment

How to Use Market Growth And Market Share to Develop Strategy - Assignment Example Knowing the market share of a business organization, will most definitely help in assessing the impact of changes in staff, products, services, prices, distribution channels, and even advertisement campaigns. Having knowledge on the growth of the organizations market will help in identifying the better strategies that the organization needs to enact in order to increase its customer base. This paper examines the strategies an organization can use to increase their market growth, and share. These strategies are vertical integration, and diversification strategies. In explaining these strategies, this paper focuses on an airline company, for example, the Emirates air line company. Strategies: Vertical Integration: One of the strategies that an organization can develop because of possessing knowledge on its growth and share is the vertical integration policy. Vertical integration refers to the expansion of a business organization into other areas that are related to its area of operatio n (Thorson and Duffy, 2012). Take for instance the emirates air line. The air line company might decide to buy a jet fueling company. This strategy is important to the organization because it will help it to refuel a large percentage of its refueling needs. Vertical integration is important because it helps a company to improve efficiency, and reduce the costs of its operation. For example, the transportation costs of the emirates airline will be reduced because it is the main supplier of its fuel. This in turn will increase the profitability of the organization, leading to a growth in its market share and its operations. The company might also aim at gaining control of its main competitors. For example, the competitors of the emirates airline company can be the British Airways, the... This report stresses that most companies intend to achieve growth in its market, and also increase its market share. There are several methods that these organizations can use to achieve this objective. However, this paper has focused on two main methods, that is vertical integration strategies, and diversification strategies. Vertical integration strategies mainly concern itself with the expansion of the organization into other areas that are related to its production and supply. This paper manages to effectively identify the various methods of vertical integration strategies, and how they are useful to an organization. The author declares that diversification strategies on the other hand involves the sale of part of the organizations ventures, for purposes of using the money gained to restructure the business organization so as it may compete effectively in its other markets. This paper makes a cocnlusion that a company can also decide to sale some of its business ventures because of higher operational costs in a given market, and hence the need of cutting costs. It is important to denote that an organization that manages to reduce its costs, will most definitely achieve some aspects of profitability. Finally, the greatest joy of a business organization is to manage capturing a given segment of a market. Capturing these new markets by introducing new products and influencing consumption habits will create a vibrant growth for the company, and an increase in its market share.

Leadership and Innovation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Leadership and Innovation - Assignment Example This in turn is supposed to improve the organization's operational flexibility and thus the ability to deal with change. For the study of leadership, the above mentioned changes have led to the widespread adoption of empowerment strategies. Such an adoption is understandable: if one flattens an organization's structure, there is little choice but to empower the organisations lower-level workers with broader decision-making responsibilities. As a result, the traditional "limits to power" once designated by boundaries of hierarchy and rational authority are blurring (Gordon 2002). This paper deals with the questions of leadership and its intrinsic relation with organisational change and innovation within the framework of a case study - the experience of WL Gore & Associates, Inc. The paper consists of three major parts, related respectively to leadership, change and innovation, each chapter discussing both theoretical concepts and their practical implementation at Gore & Associates. The New Leadership paradigm incorporated three main categories of theory - transactional leadership, transformational leadership, and culture-based leadership. ... Such an adoption is understandable: if one flattens an organization's structure, there is little choice but to empower the organisations lower-level workers with broader decision-making responsibilities. As a result, the traditional "limits to power" once designated by boundaries of hierarchy and rational authority are blurring (Gordon 2002). This paper deals with the questions of leadership and its intrinsic relation with organisational change and innovation within the framework of a case study - the experience of WL Gore & Associates, Inc. The paper consists of three major parts, related respectively to leadership, change and innovation, each chapter discussing both theoretical concepts and their practical implementation at Gore & Associates. Leadership in WL Gore & Associates, Inc. Transactional and transformational leadership The New Leadership paradigm incorporated three main categories of theory - transactional leadership, transformational leadership, and culture-based leadership. The transactional leadership theorists, including those theorists who explored the concept of leadership through the eyes of followers, explained leadership as contingent on a condition of transaction or exchange between leaders and followers. Alternatively, transformational leadership theory argues that "good" leadership is achieved through more than just tangible inducements. It suggested that leadership can be conceptually organized along a number of charismatic and situationally correlated dimensions: charismatic leadership, inspirational leadership, intellectual stimulation, and individual consideration. The culture-based theorists viewed leadership as being culturally specific, where "good" leadership, among other things, primarily depends on whether or not a

Group report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Group report - Research Paper Example In this country, the Australian green investment is likely to find a healthy business environment where they will enjoy the monopolistic competition (Belohlavel, 2013 pg 123). On the other hand, even though the advantages for this foreign investment in Taiwan are likely to outdo the disadvantages, for any business operation and investment there must as well be difficulties. Some of the drawbacks that may affect the green field investment by the Australian may include; adapting to the political and legal systems in Taiwan, the market segmentation, the socio-cultural beliefs of the people of Taiwan. It will, therefore, be a matter of great importance for this foreign direct investment (FDI) to strategically outline and consider the various external and internal business environments they are likely to face in Taiwan as foreign business destination (Blaine, 2008 pg 98). The population in Taiwan as well will be considerate for the investment though as one of the developed countries they embrace technology, therefore, for the Greenfield investment to be efficient and effective in Taiwan most of their operations will always revolve around machinery. The structure of our business-based report as Australians is to analyse the disadvantages as well as the advantages of implementing Greenfield business system in Taiwan as a developed country. This report will finally recommend on the uniqueness of the business investments in Taiwan, as opposed to the other developed world countries. Advantages and Disadvantages of Investing In Taiwan Advantages Taiwan is one of the most regionally integrated regions in the world for the foreign direct investments. The legislation in Taiwan welcomes and provides for various constitutional rights of these investors. One of the common favourable structures of business is the use of different currencies, which are in the stock exchange of this country (Faith, 2010 pg 143). The Australian Greenfield, therefore, is not an exception in the mark eting rights, in the Taiwan government. This is one of the basic factors that will attract these foreign investors into Taiwan as a country. The other advantage in Taiwan that encourages investment is the well-developed infrastructure in Taiwan (Gorynia et al, 2013 pg 121). One of the important features of the developed countries is the aspect of well-established infrastructures starting from the transport and communication, health and lastly water and sanitation. This aspect will smoothen the running of the Greenfield business investment by this Australian in Taiwan. This as well will provide for minimum operations in terms of time, which will greatly improve the efficiency of this investment in Taiwan. The third aspect on the advantages is on the political economy environment in Taiwan. The well-structured political environment, in Taiwan, has urged enticed most of the foreign investors into the country (Great Britain, 2000 pg149). The Greenfield investment, therefore, is likely t o settle in this country due to its peaceful political and social environment, which paves the way for a healthy investment environment. Lastly, the country is strategically located hence; accessibility to various parts of the world will be possible by these Australian based investors. Accessibility of a region is one of the factors that influence investment

No title Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

No title - Article Example Apart from the basic client information, using the cards enable an organization to obtain other derivable information about the client geography, which is essential in making the policy decisions. My concentration is Entrepreneurship, and application of Big Data in the field of entrepreneurship is in the analysis of Big Data to aid in decision-making process. Another application of Big Data analysis that would help me in my concentration is building a corporate culture in an organization that I will work for. From the key business processes to major decisions, the organizations have become more data driven and apply insights from the very analytics. In this connection, the organizations do not merely rely on the employee’s subjective feeling about various aspects of operations, but incorporate the data analytics to inform decisions. This helps in develop in the work force, an evidence-based culture. Furthermore, Big Data analysis is instrumental in an organization in terms of the provision of insights into the security, privacy and the administration issues. These aspects of a business organization can be analyzed and responded to using the Big Data. The company-wide big data platforms provide solutions to challenges of the business big data. For instance, past trends of the customer purchases, provided by the Big Data are also useful in discerning the tastes and preferences of the customers in various places and making investment decisions to satisfy such needs. The investment decision pertaining to the products to avail to which section of the global or regional clients would be much effective if the Big Data informs such decisions. Finally, big data analysis in engineering will help me infusion of cognitive intelligence with the generational apps. Innovation, creativity and the entrepreneurial spirit is highly boosted especially in the area of

Herb Comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Herb Comparison - Essay Example The dried extract of the root is recommended to be taken once in the morning at a dose rate of 0.5-2 gm. For its multifarious health benefits (WHO). For a preparation to be considered standardized, it should satisfy numerous purity criteria and freedom from contaminants which are described in the WHO monograph on the herb (WHO). Commercially available preparations (e.g. Korean Panax ginseng) however claim to contain 80% of the active ingredient which are recommended to be used at a dose rate of 2 capsules two times a day (Web, undated). The manufacturer eulogizes the health benefits of the preparation but does not elaborate upon the manufacturing process, which may or may not be GMP certified. Price, depending upon quality and source of the plant extract varies from $ 8.50 to $ 19.95 per ounce (Web). 200 mg. per day dose of a standardized ginseng preparation has been shown to provide equivalent health benefits as 1200 mg. per day of a non-standardized extract (Leigh, 2001). 2. Gingko : Gingko leaf extract has wide popularity in its usage as a memory enhancer and blood circulation improving herb (Ehrlich, 2009).

Risk (Decision) Analysis --Hotel Investment Scenario Assignment

Risk (Decision) Analysis --Hotel Investment Scenario - Assignment Example The research identifies three aspects of risk management ought to receive a high amount of attention. One of these is risk identification the other aspect to consider is that of risk assessment and then there is risk management. The paper seeks to review the issues of risk management and analysis when choosing an investment which in this case is either between Sundowner and Magnifique. Risk Identification and Analysis In the case provided, it is important to analyze the situation of both Sundowner and Magnifique as a study. The study shows how the external and internal risks are vital for identification in any company seeking to succeed (Wagner & Bode, 2009, 138). This is due to fact that risks not only present themselves from outside an organization but also from the interior. The research portrays deeply the various risks that a company has from the outside, which are the demand of the products, the environmental risks that the products have, the physical issues and the supply issu es. Internal risks are other factors that the research portrays for the precise recognition of all the risks involved. This brings to attention the fact that many of the contemporary business people tend to ignore the fact that interior risks are more dangerous than exterior ones and thus this acts as a major cause of failure. Identification of the various internal practices that a company takes is important, and the review and scrutiny of each is vital in that it acknowledges internal risks associated with the planning of the product flow from the producer, control and mitigation that may pose as negligible but very crucial. Risk Assessment After clear identification of the various existing risks, the following step is the risk assessment stage. There are two major types of risk assessment, and these include the quantitative and the qualitative risk management procedures. Indulgence in these key properties is very important in Supply Chain Risk Management research. Both of the proc edures have their importance and exclusion of any of them might have excessive repercussions on a company (Berman & Putu, 2012, 843). This is based on the fact that each one of them has its major points that work towards achieving a fully functioning risk assessment process. Quantitative risk management is the type of management whereby the manager or the responsible personnel identifies various aspects of the risk through calculations and the use of diagrams to assist in the process of resolution (George & Lisa, 2004, 400). The research gets deep into this type of management with the use of various examples and analysis charts for further understanding of risk management. The study also focuses on the qualitative aspect of risk management that involves the review of the various theoretical notions that often bring about the occurrence of risks and consequently try to analyze an example of a company that undergoes this with its provided supply chain. The study also seeks to identify the given five major steps involved in the risk assessment process. This is because for the success of any given policy in an institution, the management team of the company has to ensure that it is free from any previous risk, thus ensuring a smooth flow of workload. The first step that a company should take towards risk assessment is identifying the hazard (Martin & Hau,

A comparative analysis of shareholders rights in differnt Essay

A comparative analysis of shareholders rights in differnt jurisdictions - Essay Example nd China. The recent financial crisis and convergence of accounting standards through IFRS have attracted the attention of world leaders towards the importance of corporate governance practices in various countries. Whether the shareholders possess enough rights and exercise these rights to safeguard their interests has been much debated because despite the presence of the board, corporations have failed. The analysis of shareholder rights has been facilitated by comparison of three companies from each of the three countries. The chosen companies are Balfour Beatty Plc, KBR Inc and CNOOC Limited. The comparison is based on each of the three companies’ disclosures regarding the shareholder rights in their annual reports and websites. 1.1.1 Background of Research Managers are responsible for the administration of day-to-day operations of the corporation. The shareholders exercise their rights and control in large corporation through board of directors. The directors of the organ ization are entrusted with the responsibility of sound corporate governance practices through direction, oversight and representation of shareholders. Generally, shareholders of a corporation do not engage in the management of corporation but appoint managers to carry out the business operations. However, this may not be the case when the managers own shares of the corporations in the form of share options. Exercised worldwide, this is one way to align the managers’ interests with that of the shareholders. Corporations mainly issue two types of shares, preference shares and common shares. The preference shareholders get the priority for dividends and when the corporation is liquidated, they get preference to claim over the common shareholders. However, preference shareholders do not have voting rights. Common shareholders, on the other hand, reserve the rights to vote on appointment of board members, decisions concerning dissolving of the corporation, and other fundamental ch anges in corporation such as changes in capital structure from increase in number of outstanding shares. In general, voting involves issuing a proxy card to each registered shareholders. A proxy is a person who is authorised to carry out the instructions from the shareholder. In the annual shareholders’ meeting, he/she will cast the vote on behalf of the shareholders, in case the shareholder is not able to directly vote (Davis 2003, p.34). The rights of shareholders increase with the increasing ownership. For example, in many countries, a shareholder owning a specified percentage like 5% has the right to place an issue on the agenda in the shareholders’ meeting or a majority shareholder can force a formal audit of the financial statements. In practice, the rights and entitlements with the ownership of the shares are seldom fully utilized by the shareholders. 1.1.2 Aims & Objectives In order to reach any conclusion and provide recommendations related to the shareholder rights, it is necessary to formulate the objectives of the study, which are as follows: 1. To compare and contrast the provisions of shareholders rights in corporate governance frameworks in UK, USA and China. 2. To analyze the extent to which the shareholders in the three countries exercise their rights by comparing three companies, each from the three countrie

Study case Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Case Study Example Currently, Global Motors has different models that are feasible in terms of engineering and production. Though the company has different brands and models of vehicles, the company is experiencing a problem in their marketing of the vehicles. The company gets problems in knowing the customer loyalty or the level of desirability of the models by the customers. These spans from determining the most desirable price range for potential buyers, determining the most desirable size of the vehicle (seats) and determining the models have the most desirable form of energy used for vehicle transportation. The company also faces problems in positioning of the cars to the customers in aspects such as demographic, psychographics, global warming, lifestyle and other perceptions. The company also faces problems in promotional /marketing tactics to use to reach potential buyers.Specificaly; the company wants to know the best social media to use so that they may use it to avoid spending large amounts of money on online promotions. Lastly, the company gets problem in getting the target market and the bes t segment. It is evident that these problems that concern the positioning of the cars, desirability or customer loyalty, target markets and segments, and promotional tactics relate to the marketing plans. This research therefore seeks to evaluate the effective marketing plan of the Global Motors. This research will implore both qualitative and quantitative research methods to get the important information. The research will have a sample size of 100 customers with 50 buyers in the social media and 50 and 50 who are not in the social media. The data will be collected through the usage of questionnaires and interviews as source of primary information. The secondary data will include environmental, automotive and marketing information from the

Gatorade Sport Drinks Essay Example for Free

Gatorade Sport Drinks Essay Gatorade is a brand of flavored non-carbonated sports drinks manufactured by PepsiCo and distributed in over 80 countries. [1] It was first developed in 1965 by researchers at the University of Florida, as a means of replenishing the fluid, carbohydrates and electrolytes that are divested from the body during physical exertion. Its name was derived from the school’s football team, the Gators. Originally produced and marketed by Stokley-Van Camp, the Gatorade sports drink brand was purchased by the Quaker Oats Company in 1983, which was acquired by PepsiCo in 2001. As of 2009, Gatorade is PepsiCo’s 4th-largest brand, on the basis of worldwide annual retail sales. It primarily competes with Powerade and Vitaminwater worldwide, as well as Lucozade Sport in the United Kingdom. Within the U. S. , Gatorade accounts for approximately 75 percent market share in the sports drink category. [2] PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE:PEP) is a global manufacturer, distributor, and marketer of food and beverages, owning many well-known brands including Pepsi, Frito-Lay, Tropicana, Gatorade, and Quaker Oats. [1] PepsiCo operates in over 200 countries, with its largest markets in North America and the United Kingdom. [2] In 2009, the companys revenues were $43. 23 billion with net income of $5. 95 billion. [3] Unlike its major competitor, the Coca-Cola Company (KO), the majority of PepsiCos revenues do not come from carbonated soft drinks. [4] In fact, beverages account for less than 50% of total revenue. [4] Additionally, over 60% of PepsiCos beverage sales come from its key noncarbonated brands like Gatorade and Tropicana. [5] PepsiCos diverse portfolio can mitigate the impact of poor conditions in any one of its markets. Strong demand growth in international markets the company serves 86% of the worlds population and international sales account for 48% of revenue is helping to offset a sluggish domestic market and provided the company with opportunities for continued expansion. [6] [7] PepsiCo is highly exposed to raw materials costs. Prices for the most important input materials, aluminum, PET plastic, corn, sugar, and juice concentrates fluctuate widely. For example, aluminum prices have fallen nearly 60% from their 2008 highs of $1. 50/pound to less than $0. 90/pound. [8]. PepsiCo has benefitted from lower input prices after the collapse of the commodities super spike of 2008. Contents 1 Company Overview 1. 1 Quarterly Earnings 1. 2 Bottlers 1. 3 Operating Segments 2 Trends Forces 2. 1 PepsiCo Must Survive a US Slowdown While Capturing International Growth 2. 2 Commodity Costs are Pressuring Margins 2. 2. 1 Pepsi Must Face a Declining Demand for Carbonated Soft Drinks 2. 2. 2 The Dollar Affects International Performance 3 Competition 3. 1 Beverages 3. 2 Snacks and Convenient Foods 3. 3 Coke vs. Pepsi 3. 3. 1 Global Footprint 3. 3. 2 Diversified Product Offering 4 References On April 20, 2009, PepsiCo made an offer to acquire its two largest bottlers, Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) and Whitman (PAS), for $6 billion in a combined cash and stock deal. The deal was turned down, forcing PepsiCo to make a sweetened $7. 8 billion offer on August 4, 2009. PepsiCo hopes to streamline manufacturing and distribution through the acquisitions, allowing it to bring new products to market more quickly and efficiently. The company expects to gain full control of 80% of its North American market and increase pre-tax profit by $300 million, increasing eps by $. 15. [9] The deal adds $4 billion in debt to PepsiCos balance sheet. According to PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, the acquisition is necessary to consolidate profit as there is not enough total profit in the North American beverage industry to support investments in several different companies. [10] The acquisition closed on March 1, 2010. [11] With the purchase of Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) and Whitman (PAS) in 2010, company executives have said that it will lead to increased joint marketing that will bundle the companys snack and beverage offerings together. [12]. In December 2010, PepsiCo announced the purchase of 66% of Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods, a Russian food and beverage company, for $3. 8 billion. After completing this acquisition, the company is planning to buy the remaining 34%. [13] Wimm-Bill-Dan is the leading producer of dairy products in Russia and they also have a large market share for juice; the purchase significantly expands Pepsis presence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The addition of Wimm-Bill-Dann moves Pepsi closer to their goal of creating a global nutrition business worth $20 billion by 2020. [14] The acquisition comes three months after the Coca-Cola Companys purchase of Nidan Juices, a leading Russian juice manufacturer. [15] Company Overview PEP Revenues by Segment[16] PepsiCo is the largest snack and non-alcoholic drink producer in the United States, with 39% and 25% of the respective market shares. [16] Although the carbonated soft drink market in the US has gradually declined since the mid-2000s, PepsiCo has been able to grow revenues and net income through product diversification and international expansion. In 2008, the company posted revenues of $43. 3 billion, a 9. 6% increase from 2007; net income fell by 9% to $5. 1 billion. [17] The increase in revenues was primarily driven by higher sales volumes in the key European and Asian markets as well as company wide price increases. [18] The fall in net income was attributable to two reasons. First, PepsiCo recognized a $346 million mark-to-market loss on derivatives used to hedge its commodity exposure. [19] Next, the company incurred restructuring costs of $543 million in relation to its Productivity for Growth program. [20] PepsiCo expects to record another $30-60 million charge in 2009 to complete the program, which will close six plants in an effort to streamline PepsiCos global supply chain. [20] Quarterly Earnings Q1 2009 In the first quarter of 2009, PepsiCo posted revenues of $8. 263 billion, a 1% decrease from Q1 2008 figures; net income fell less than 1% to $1. 135 billion. [21] Although net pricing across PepsiCos product line increased by 7% during the quarter, the company was negatively impacted by a 7% foreign exchange loss due to the strengthening US dollar, as well as a 2% net decrease in sales volume. [22] Q2 2009 In the second quarter of 2009, PepsiCo posted revenues of $10. 592 billion, a 3% decrease from Q2 2008 figures; net income fell less than 1% to $1. 66 billion. [23] PepsiCos volumes remained roughly constant between the quarters, with snack gaining 1% and beverages losing 1%. The decrease in net revenues was due to a weakening of the companys US beverage operations, which decreased by 9%, in addition to the strengthening dollar, which adversely affected revenues by 8. 5%. Ignoring these changes, revenues would have grown by 5. 5%, driven by gains in the the Latin America Foods and Asia/Middle East/Africa divisions. Net income remained roughly constant as input costs fell in line with net revenues. Ignoring currency fluctuations, Earnings Per Share (EPS) would have grown by 8%. [23] Q3 2009 In the third quarter of 2009, PepsiCo had revenues of $11. 08 billion, a 1. 5% decrease from Q3 2008; net income increased 12% to $2. 23 billion. [24] The increasing value of the US Dollar negatively affected net income by 7% and the company had $9 million in costs associated with its merger with PBG and PAS, its two largest bottlers. [25] Worldwide, beverage volume increased 0. 5% while snack volume increased 2%. Frito-Lay North America, the largest division of PepsiCo, grew net revenue by 5% and increased volume by 3%. [26] Through the first three quarters of 2009, Frito-Lay was the fastest growing consumer goods company in North America. [27] The second largest division, PepsiCo Americas Beverages, saw net revenues decline by 9% and total volume decline of 6%. [28] Both Gatorade and Aquafina had double-digit volume declines; discussing Gatorade, executives attribute the decline to casual consumers budget worries and insist that the core consumer, athletes, are still buying the brand. [29] In Latin America and Europe, net revenue declined 10% and 2% respectively, driven primarily by foreign currency weakness compared to the US Dollar. [30] Q4 2009 In the fourth quarter of 2009, PepsiCo had revenues of $13. 3 billion, a 4. 7% increase from Q4 2008; net income increased 99% to $1. 43 billion. [31] Operating income for the quarter was $2 billion. [32] Pepsi American Foods net revenues increased 4%, with a 5% revenues decrease for Quaker Foods being offset by 2% revenue growth for Frito-Lay and 10% revenue growth for Latin American Foods. Pepsi American Beverages net revenues decreased 2% as a result of a 5% decrease in volume. Pepsi Internationals net revenues increased 5%, supported by 4% revenue growth in Europe and 7% growth in AMEA. Volumes for AMEA increased 13% in the quarter while volumes for Europe decreased 3%. [33] AMEAs strong quarter was based on a 13% increase in snack sales and 5% increase in beverage volumes, with 21% growth in beverage volume in India. [34] However, Chinas beverage volume decreased, which implies a market share loss to Coca-Cola Company (KO), whose China volumes grew 29% during the same period. [35] Q1 2010 In the first quarter of 2010, PepsiCo had revenues of $9. 4 billion, a 13. 4% increase from Q1 2009; net income increased 26% to $1. 4 billion. Operating income for the quarter decreased 47% to $840 million. [36] On February 26, PepsiCo completed the acquisition of its two largest bottlers for approximately $12. 6 billion; charges related to the merger in this quarter were approximately $282 million . [37] Worldwide snack volume for the quarter increased 1% while beverages volume dropped 0. 5%. Frito-Lays operating profit increased 10%, primarily as a result of increased sales of variety product packs and the decreased cost of cooking oil. [38] Quaker Foods revenue decreased 1% because of declines in ready-to-eat cereals and oatmeal, which were partially offset by substantial growth in the Roni brand; operating profit declined by 12% mainly as a result of insurance recoveries related to last years flood at Cedar Rapids. [39] In Latin America, favorable net pricing and a 1% increase in volume resulted in a 13% increase in revenues; however unfavorable currency exchange rates in Venezuela (19% decrease) accounted for a 12% decline in operating profit. [40] In Europe, favorable currency exchange rates offset 4% declines in snack and beverage volumes, for net revenues increase of 5% and operating income increase of 16%. [41] Double-digit growth in snacks and beverages volumes for India and China drove net revenues up 23% and operating income up 17% for the Asia, Middle East, and Africa segment. [42] The companys Americas Beverages segment saw volumes slip 4% (despite a 2% gain from a recent distribution agreement with Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS)) with a double-digit decline in Aquafina volume. However, net revenues increased 32% while operating income decreased 83% as a result of the completed merger with PepsiCos two largest bottlers. [43] The merger makes comparisons to previous quarters very challenging, however the Americas Beverages segment is in the process of de-emphasizing less-profitable products in favor of higher end offerings, such as Gatorade, which saw nearly 10% volume gains in the quarter. [44] Q2 2010 In the second quarter of 2010, PepsiCo had revenues of $14. 8 billion, up 40% from Q2 2009; net income decreased 3. 4% to $1. 6 billion. Operating income increased 12. 3% to $2. 46 billion. [45] The primary reason for the discrepancy in revenues and net income was the ongoing costs associated with the companys purchase of its primary bottlers. In Q2 2010 charges related to the restructuring decreased income by $155 million. [46] Worldwide volume increased 7% with an 11% increase in beverages and 1% increase in snacks. Frito-Lay pound volume fell 3% but net income increased 2%. The segment also benefited from lower commodity costs, in particular lower prices for cooking oil. Quaker Foods North Americas revenue fell by 4% with a 2% decline in volume that was primarily attributable to a decrease in cereal volume. [47] Latin America Foods net revenue increased 12% with a 2% increase in volume. However, operating profit fell by 5% after an unfavorable court settlement decreased profits by 5% and unfavorable currency exchange rates added another 5% to the decrease. The companys Americas Beverages increased revenues by 112% as a result of the merger with its major bottlers; volume for the quarter increased 13% with 8% coming from the acquisition of bottling operations in Mexico and 6% from PepsiCos contract with Dr. Pepper Snapple Group. [48] In Europe, net revenues increased 47% with snack volumes growing at 2% and beverage volume growing at 10%. Sales improved in most of Western Europe and Russia but declined slightly in Eastern European countries such as Romania and Ukraine (with the one exception of double-digit beverage growth in Turkey). [49] In Asia, Middle East, and Africa, where the company has recently invested significant funds in increasing manufacturing capabilities, net revenue grew 22%. Snack volume grew 16% and beverage volumes increased by 8%. India saw double-digit growth in both categories, while snack volume in the Middle East and China grew more than 10%. [50] Q3 2010 In the third quarter of 2010, PepsiCo had revenues of $15. 5 billion, up nearly 40% from Q3 2009; net income increased more than 11% to $1. 9 billion. Operating income increased by 25% to $2. 8 billion. [51] The companys volume and revenues increased worldwide for both food (+2. 5%) and beverages (+11%). Quaker Foods was the companys only division that failed to grow its operating income from 2009 with the largest gains posted by North American beverages, Europe, and Latin America Foods. [52] PepsiCo Americas Beverages operating profit grew nearly 80% for the quarter with the majority of this growth related to the companys purchase of its main bottlers in Q1 2010. However, volume grew by 13% during the quarter reflecting 8% growth in Mexico (operations in Mexico were included in the bottling merger), 6% volume growth due to the companys new contract with Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS), and a 4% decline in carbonated beverages in North America that was more than offset by a 5% increase in non-carbonated beverages. The success of the latter was due primarily to a double-digit increase in volume for Gatorade; water sales continued to fall during the quarter. [53] In Europe, volume growth related to the bottling merger accounted for a 7% increase, while double-digit growth in Russia, the UK, and Turkey pushed volume up 17% in total. Snack volume for the quarter grew by 3%, again supported by Russia, the UK, Turkey, and France. Both beverages and snack volume fell by more than 10% in Romania during the quarter. [54] Latin America Foods operating profit grew by 22% as a result of a double-digit volume increase in Brazil and nearly 10% increase in volume for the Sabritas brand in Mexico. [55] Operating profit for Quaker Foods decreased by more than 5% as a result of a 1% decline in volume, especially for Roni and Oatmeal brands. For Frito-Lay North America, pound volume declined 2% as a result of overlap with the companys 20% More Free promotion; sales of Sun Chips fell by more than 10% forced the company to abandon its compostable, albeit noisy, packaging. [56] In the Asia, Middle East, and Africa segment snack volume grew by 16% and beverage volume grew by 4%. Snack volumes grew significantly in the Middle East, China, India, and Australia while only China exhibited strong single-digit beverage growth. [57] Bottlers *Note Pepsis acquisition of Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) and PepsiAmericas (PAS) was completed on March 1, 2010 PepsiCos beverage division manufactures concentrated syrup forms for all of Pepsis beverage brands. PEP sells these concentrates to bottlers for production, packaging, and distribution of the final products. PepsiCo grants bottlers the use of Pepsi trademarks and other brand rights within certain geographic regions. In August 2009, Pepsi made a $7 billion offer to acquire Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) and PepsiAmericas (PAS). As the US carbonated beverage market shrinks from 60% of all nonalcoholic beverages in 1999 to 35% in 2009 PepsiCo hopes to consolidate the earnings of the three companies for shareholders. [9] Additionally, PepsiCo believes the acquisitions will streamline company-wide distribution through economies of scales. Three companies distribute 60% of PepsiCos North American beverage volume:[58] The Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) is the largest of PepsiCos bottlers. PepsiCo has a 33% stake in Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG), and claims its share of income under the equity method of accounting. [59] PepsiAmericas (PAS) is the second-largest bottler in the Pepsi system. PepsiCo has a 43% stake in PepsiAmericas (PAS), and claims its share of income under the equity method of accounting. [60] Pepsi Bottling Ventures is the third-largest domestic bottling company within the Pepsi system. The company was formed in 1999 when five of Pepsi’s bottling companies consolidated to form PBV. Operating Segments PepsiCo operates in six divisions: Frito-Lay North America (29% of Revenue, 43% of Operating Income)[61] manufactures, markets and sells branded snacks. Popular products include Lays Potato Chips, Doritos Tortilla Chips, Cheetos, Rold Gold Pretzels, and SunChips. [1] Following the companys purchase of Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) and Whitman (PAS), company executives have said that it will lead to increased joint marketing, bundling the companys snack and beverage offerings. [62] Quaker Foods North America (4% of Revenue, 8% of Operating Income)[61] manufactures, markets and sells cereals, rice, pasta and other branded products. Popular products include Quaker Oatmeal, Aunt Jemima mixes and syrups, Cap n Crunch cereal, Rice-A-Roni, and Life cereal. [1] Latin America Foods (14% of Revenue, 13% of Operating Income)[61] manufactures, markets and sells a number of leading salty and sweet snack brands. Popular products include Gamesa, Doritos, Cheetos, and Ruffles. [4] PepsiCo Americas Beverages (25% of Revenue, 29% of Operating Income)[61] manufactures, markets and sells beverage concentrates, fountain syrups and finished goods, under various beverage brands. Popular products include Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Tropicana, and Izze. [4] United Kingdom Europe (15% of Revenue, 10% of Operating Income)[61] manufactures, markets and sells a number of leading salty and sweet snack brands. Popular products include Lays, Walkers, Doritos, and Cheetos. [4] Middle East, Africa, and Asia (13% of Revenue, 8% of Operating Income)[61] manufactures, markets and sells a number of leading salty and sweet snack brands. Popular products include Lays, Smiths, Doritos, and Cheetos. [63] Trends Forces PepsiCo Must Survive a US Slowdown While Capturing International Growth Soaring food and energy prices[64], the housing slump[65] and a weakening job market[66] are putting the breaks on consumer spending in North America, even in the typically recession proof drinks and snacks market. Emerging markets such as China, India, Eastern Europe and Latin America present strong growth opportunities for Pepsico. In December 2010, Pepsi announced their purchase of Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods, a Russian food and beverage company, for $5. 4 billion[67]; the purchase followed Coca-Colas purchase of a Russian juice company for $300 million in summer 2010. [68] Wimm-Bill-Dan is the leading producer of dairy products in Russia and they also have a large market share for juice; the purchase significantly expands Pepsis presence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The company had sales of $2. 6 billion in 2010 and serves approximately 280 million customers in Eurasia. [69] In addition to making international acquisitions, PepsiCo is investing significant resources in expanding their manufacturing capabilities in developing markets. The company has pledged to invest $3. 5 billion in China through 2013, mainly through the construction of 10 to 12 new manufacturing facilities (in addition to the 27 it currently operates). In China, Pepsi is also pursuing a strategy of buying back stakes in its Chinese operations from local partners. These acquisitions will give the company greater control over its operations while increasing profits. Unlike the saturated North American market, Chinas carbonated drink market is growing at almost 20% annually. [70] In late August 2010, PepsiCo announced its plan to invest $250 million in new manufacturing plants in Vietnam further expanding its footprint in the region. In the past two years, the company invested in two other manufacturing plants in Vietnam, and it currently operates five plants in the country. [71] In Latin America, the company has pledged $3 million over the next three years to create an agriculture research center in Peru, which will focus on the discovery of new potato and other vegetable varieties. [72] Pepsis expects their global nutrition business will be worth $20 billion by 2020. [73] Commodity Costs are Pressuring Margins 2007-2009 PET resin prices, ? /pound [74] PepsiCos profitability can be affected directly and indirectly by the costs of various production inputs. PEP is responsible for purchasing the raw materials used to make its products in all its markets and also acts as an agent for the purchase of its bottlers raw materials. Some of the raw materials used by PEP include grains such as corn, wheat flour, oats and rice; fruit and vegetable products like oranges, potatoes, and juice concentrates; sugar; and vegetable and essential oils. For example, aluminum prices have fallen more than 60% from their 2008 highs of $1. 50/pound to less than $0. 65/pound. [8] Changes in the prices of such raw materials could impact total production costs and the company’s profit margins. Changes in bottlers production input costs can also indirectly impact PEPs profits. If a bottlers raw materials become more expensive, it might pass on the increase to customers, which could lead to a loss of market share as customers switch to more affordable alternatives. The primary raw materials used by bottlers are high fructose corn syrup, which is used as a sweetener, aluminum, used to make cans, and PET Resin, used for plastic bottles. In an effort to insulate itself from market forces, PepsiCo has invested $29. 3 million in five farms in China, making it one of the countrys largest agricultural companies. [75] The farms primarily produce potatoes for the companys potato chip brands and by 2005, the company was the largest private potato grower in the country. [76] In her 2008 visit to China, CEO Indra Nooyi said that the company is planning to invest $1 billion in China by 2012. [77] In addition to its farms in China, Pepsi has 12,000 contract farmers in India growing potatoes on 16,000 acres of land. In addition to potatoes, the company is hoping to expand its contract farming initiative to include oats in the near future. [78] Pepsi Must Face a Declining Demand for Carbonated Soft Drinks Consumer demand for CSD has been negatively affected by concerns about health and wellness. Since 1999, carbonated soft drinks have dropped from 60% to 35% of total US beverage volume. [9] Rising health and wellness concerns can be attributed to increasing concern for obesity as well as education campaigns on the part of the FDA as well as non-profit groups. Public campaigns to ban sales of soft drinks and fatty snacks in schools have also negatively impacted demand for sugary sodas. These factors have driven a shift in consumption away from CSD to healthier alternatives, such as tea, juices, and water. Even within the CSD segment, consumers have been moving away from the sugared drinks, opting instead for diet beverages, which do not generally contain any sugar or calories. In response to this shift in consumer demand, PEP has increased its development of both diet CSD and non-CSD beverages. With its popular Tropicana and Gatorade brands, PepsiCo is much better situated than Coca-Cola Company (KO) to react to these changing trends. Facing lower Gatorade sales in 2010, Pepsi developed a social marketing department to track the brands performance and online reputation. By tracking user discussions online and Gatorade groups on Facebook, the company has been able to quickly respond to consumer demands. The results of Pepsis new marketing initiative is inconclusive because the brand rose 2. 4% during the first half of 2010 but this is compared with low sales in 2009. [79] The Dollar Affects International Performance Changes in the strength of the dollar compared to foreign currency could impact the company by decreasing both costs and revenue in dollars. As the strength of the dollar increases, all sales made in foreign currency end up being worth less because the amount of US dollars the company gets per sale decreases. On the other hand the cost of foreign inputs (food and other commodities that go into PepsiCo products) sold in foreign currencies would decrease with the strengthening dollar. Since over half of PepsiCos sales are in international markets, the increasing value of the dollar could be a significant factor driving revenues down overseas. Specifically the company primarily deals with the British Pound, Euro, Australian dollar, and Canadian dollar. Between July and December 2008, the dollar regained nearly all its 2007 losses against foreign currencies, and has continued this trend through 2009. [23] Competition 2008 U. S. non-alcoholic beverage market by volume[80] Beverages In the domestic beverage market, the Coca-Cola Company (KO) is PepsiCos main competitor. In 2008, Coca-Cola had a 23% share of the U. S. non-alcoholic beverage volume, while PEP held a 25% share. Coca-Cola Company (KO) has a higher worldwide share of carbonated soda beverages, but PepsiCo has a more diverse product line and leads the industry in non-carbonated soft drink innovations. [81] PepsiCos revenues are also substantially higher than Coca-Colas, due to PepsiCos snack and convenient foods business, a market in which KO does not participate. PepsiCos presence in the snack and convenient food industries, as well as its industry-leading innovations in the non-carbonated soft drink segment, gives it a somewhat more balanced portfolio than Coca-Cola and provides the company with some protection against further declining demand for CSD. Pepsi also pays the Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) for the rights to sell its products, along with Coca-Cola Company (KO). In December 2009, Pepsi agreed to pay Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) $900 million for the continued rights to sell Dr. Pepper products following the companys acquisition of its North American bottlers. [82] This deal was similar to a contract signed by Coke and Dr. Pepper in June 2010, worth $$715 million, that gave Coke similar distribution rights following their acquisition of Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE). [83] Snacks and Convenient Foods 2008 U. S. Snack Market by volume[80] PepsiCos Frito-Lay and Quaker brands compete in various parts of the larger food industry. Its snack foods manufactured by the Frito-Lay segment hold a commanding share of the U. S. market, accounting for around 39% of domestic snack food sales in 2006. PepsiCos main competitor in the food market overall is Kraft Foods (KFT). Krafts products include snacks, cheese, diary, and cereal products, which puts it in competition both with Frito-Lay and Quaker products. Much like the Coca-Cola Company (KO), Kraft does not participate in both the food and soft drink markets, giving PEP the advantage of having a more diverse offering of products. Coke vs. Pepsi For decades now, Coke and Pepsi have battled for our hearts and minds but what about our capital? Which company will add the best flavor to your investment portfolio? Although both companies share powerful brand names and global franchises, there are two important distinctions between Pepsico and Coca-Cola that any investor should consider before choosing between these comestible titans: Global Footprint When it comes to international presence, Coca-Cola easily trumps Pepsico. In 2009, Coca-Cola generated 74% of its revenue overseas compared to 48% revenue for Pepsico. [84][85] Coca-Colas impressive global footprint puts it in a better position to benefit from strong growth across the globe, particularly in the developing world. Furthermore, because Coke generates so much of its revenue abroad, it stands to benefit greatly from the continuing weakening of the dollar as sales denominated in foreign currencies are suddenly worth more dollars back home. At the same time, Pepsicos heavy dependence on North America makes it much more susceptible to a slowing US economy. Diversified Product Offering. Another important distinction between the two companies is their product offering. While KO is essentially a one-product company that focuses on beverages, Pepsico has a much broader product base that includes beverages, foods and snacks. Coca-Colas heavy dependence on beverages, particularly carbonated beverages, makes it more susceptible than Pepsico to a growing aversion to soda which is perceived as fattening and unhealthy. On the other hand, Pepsicos extensive portfolio of beverages, foods and snacks puts it in a better position from the trend to healthier eating.

The Rogerian approach to therapy and its limitations

The Rogerian approach to therapy and its limitations One of the phrases that Carl Rogers used to describe his therapy is supportive, not reconstructive. It is possible to explain a person to himself, to prescribe steps which should lead him forward, to train him in knowledge about a more satisfying mode of life. But such methods are, in my experience, futile and inconsequential. The most they can accomplish is some temporary change, which soon disappears, leaving the individual more than ever convinced of his inadequacies (Rogers 1961, p33). Influences Rogers never undertook specific training as a psychotherapist (Rogers and Russell 2002, p242), and was initially heavily influenced by his childhood and the restrictions and control exercised by his parents and by an early tutor, Goodwin Watson. Philosophically, Rogers cites Emerson, and in particular Kierkegaard and Buber as his key influences (Rogers and Russell 2002, p169). Psychologists influencing him included Maslow, Combs and Snygg (Nelson-Jones 2000 p99) Rogers belief in an individuals capacity for self-direction although primarily founded on his clinical experienceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦was buttressed by his understanding of Ranks work (Rogers and Russell 2002, p9), and he talks of being much influenced by Jesse Taft and Frederick Allen as well as alluding to the work of Karen Horney in his paper on newer concepts in psychotherapy in December 1940. Theoretical Development Corey (2001, p170) references Zimring and Raskins (1992) identification of four definitive periods of development in Rogers approach, commencing in the 1940s with the introduction of non-directive counseling. Corey comments He caused a great furor when he challenged the basic assumption the the counselor knows bestà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Based on his conviction that diagnostic concepts and procedures were inadequate, prejudicial, and often misused, he omitted them from his approach. During this time Rogers placed emphasis on a permissive and non-directive climate aiming to gain insight into client feelings. During the second period, Rogers shifted focus from the therapists approach onto the phenomenological world of the client. The clients internal frame of reference and the actualising tendency as the driver for change received attention, with the approach subsequently being renamed client-centred therapy. The third period observes Rogers further refine his approach, focusing on the nature of becoming the self one truly is (Corey p170), or the necessary and sufficient conditions of therapy as outlined by Rogers in his article in volume 21 of the Journal of Consulting Psychology in 1957 (Kirschenbaum and Henderson p 219-235), in which he explains his hypothesis for a set of facilitative conditions related to psychotherapeutic change. Rogers also undertook extensive research into the client / therapist relationship at this time. The final stage outlined is 1970 onwards when the focus became far broader, encompassing education, industry and world politics, subsequently becoming the person-centred approach. Rogers early work in counselling and psychotherapy therefore outlined new concepts in the world of psychotherapy suggesting a new way of viewing the therapy relationship. These developments resulted in the formulation of a non-directive approach with an emphasis on the present rather past, feelings rather than thoughts and focussing on the clients rather than the therapists resources. This led to a supportive therapy relationship, which Thorne (1992) believes Rogers maintained as key to the therapeutic process throughout his life. the whole conceptual framework of Rogers ideas rests on his profound experience that human beings become increasingly trust-worthy once they feel at a deep level that their subjective experience is both respected and progressively understood (Thorne 1992, p26) Key Concepts In a 1957 article in the Journal of Consulting Psychology, Rogers listed the conditions of the therapeutic process in which such an atmosphere can come about. For constructive personality change to occur, it is necessary that these conditions exist and continue over a period of time: Two persons in psychological contact The first, whom we shall term the client, is in a state of incongruence, being vulnerable or anxious The second person, whom we shall term the therapist, is congruent or integrated in the relationship The therapist experiences unconditional positive regard for the client. The therapist experiences an empathic understanding of the clients internal frame of reference and endeavours to communicate this experience to the client. The communication to the client of the therapists empathic understanding and unconditional positive regard is to a minimal degree achieved. No other conditions are necessary. If these six conditions exist, and continue over a period of time, this is sufficient. The process of constructive personality change will follow. (Kirschenbaum and Henderson p221) Stedmans provide a medical definition of Supportive psychotherapy as psychotherapy aiming at bolstering the patients psychological defences and providing reassurance, as in crisis intervention, rather than probing provocatively into the patients conflicts and in consideration of this the above conditions can be interpreted as a framework for the provision of a supportive environment for the therapeutic process. Therapeutic Process The case of Mary Jane Tilden, seen by Rogers in 1946, is noted by Patricia Raskin (1996, p135) as being an excellent example of the classical Rogerian approach, subsequently being subject to review from both client-centred and contemporary psychoanalytic viewpoints. The case of Mary Jane involves a withdrawn woman of 20 brought into therapy by her mother, seemingly struggling to break free from the influence of others and to resolve deep internal conflicts, apparently having tried but repeatedly failing to pass through the adolescent stages of life into maturity. Rogers had a total of 11 sessions with Mary Jane, during which marked changes are seen to take place, particularly in the later sessions when more rapid change becomes evident. Throughout the early sessions Rogers continues to support, recognise and clarify feelings even when the client portrays an extremely bleak outlook, making repeated references to sanatoriums, inadequacy, comparison to others and even mentioning suicide and possible brain damage. Mary Jane repeatedly tries to place ownership onto Rogers, asking many questions and seemingly becoming quite frustrated at his refusal to provide answers. Rogers refuses to supply answers whilst consistently remaining empathic and supportive. In the third session we see Mary Jane pushing for answers but interestingly on this occasion when left to her own thinking she works out the answer for herself. Reviewing the Mary Jane case Dingman (1996) considers that Rogers consistently refrained from providing the answers or strategies repeatedly requested, or to provide advice or guidance choosing instead to remain emphatically present, to understand her frustration and confusion without prescription for changeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [and] would not undermine Mary Janes movement toward encountering fully the what I am by providing answers (Farber Brink and Raskin 1996, p202). Although tentative moves toward improvement in earlier sessions are apparent, a definite step change is noted during session seven as Mary Jane recognises her internal conflicts. Lengthy pauses prevail as Rogers allows time for independent information processing and solution identification. In session eight the realisation of her parents influence becomes apparent however the hopelessness is now clearly interspersed with awareness, insight and tentative positivity. Dingman proposes within the empathic enclosure that Rogers provided, Mary Janes introspective, intellectual interest in self shifted slowly to more primary experiencing (Farber Brink and Raskin 1996, p202). Geller and Gould (1996) acknowledge Rogers achieved success in strengthening Mary Janes capacities for autonomy and mutuality and that she had become increasingly self-accepting, but argue Rogers and Mary Jane never did achieve full agreement on the goals of treatment, their relative responsibilities or the kind of relationship required to do the therapy work (Farber Brink and Raskin 1996, p218). They argue Rogers responded to Mary Janes strengths but was neither empathic nor perceptive about her more negative feelings, failing to address unconscious conflicts and therefore potentially limiting the depth of her explorations in these areas. They question whether follow through would have produced more enduring gains. Accelerated change is observed during the last few sessions, with Mary Jane confronting dependence issues. Although still asking questions she no longer pushes for responses, instead progressing to answer independently. In the final session Mary Jane speaks of progress made and changes experienced, noting that it has become easier to talk with more reliance on instinct and an ability to act natural. Raising concern improvement may be temporary, she nonetheless appears confident that she now has the ability to cope. Considering Mary Janes movement toward adjustment, Dingman refers to the necessity for resolution of all her preconceived notions of what she should do and should be prior to ceasing to resist and so shift toward acceptance of what I am, stating Evaluation, comparison, analysis, the longing to be what one is not all this had to die for the new living pattern to emerge. (Farber Brink and Raskin 1996, p208) In reviewing Rogers management of the case, Geller and Gould comment Rogers style of working can be viewed as essentially directed toward helping Mary Jane forge a cohesive sense of self, capable of individuationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Rogers primary aim was to support the development of the clients unique individuality and expressiveness further stating the belief that Rogers approach did promote therapeutic change in Mary Jane through consistently providingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦empathic responsiveness tempered by optimal frustration, remaining non-judgemental and through a refusal to provide answers or to provide guidance or reassurance thus forcing Mary Jane to take increasing responsibility for her own life. (Farber Brink and Raskin 1996, p224) Geller and Gould state the classical psychoanalytical view that reconstruction was paramount to the therapeutic process, noting that this view has since evolved to recognise the role of the relationship and concluding that Carl Rogers demonstrated, 20 years before the current popularity of short term psychodynamic psychotherapy, that it was possible to achieve ambitious therapeutic goals within a relatively short space of time and believe that [Mary Jane] did create some enduring internalized representations of Rogers warmth, support and helpfulness. (Farber Brink and Raskin 1996, p228) The case is therefore a good example of Rogers not deconstructing the past to effect reconstruction, consistently remaining supportively and empathically present. Mary Jane, rather than the therapist, carried out independent deconstruction with subsequent disintegration of all analysis and previous structure before progression toward a reconstructed self resultant from a supportive and empathic relationship. Reconstructive Therapy In understanding the term reconstructive therapy Stedmans definition is considered: a form of therapy such as psychoanalysis, that seeks not only to alleviate symptoms but also to produce alterations in maladaptive character structure and to expedite new adaptive potentials; this aim is achieved by bringing into consciousness an awareness of insight into conflicts, fears, inhibitions, and their manifestations. Sperry states supportive psychotherapy is differentiated from reconstructive psychotherapy and considers the goal of reconstructive psychotherapy is to work through the abandonment depressionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This leads to the achievement of ego autonomy and the transformation of split object relations into whole object relation and the split ego into a whole ego. Supportive psychotherapy is noted as being less intensive and regressive. (Sperry 2003, p97) To achieve deeper understanding of differences between reconstructive and Rogerian therapy, Interpersonal Reconstructive Therapy is considered. Benjamin states therapy starts with learning to recognise your patterns, where they came from and what they are for (Benjamin 2006, p21), considering problem behaviours and associated symptoms represent attachment centred around dysfunctional relationships with important persons in early life, referencing Bowlbys 1977 assumption that important early relationships provide internal working models for a child. Benjamin explains The linchpin of IRTà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦is the process of coming to terms with important persons and their internalised representations (IPIRs)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦coming to terms compares to working through in traditional psychodynamic therapy (Benjamin 2006 p73). In total contrast to the Rogerian approach, IRT is structured and directive, aiming at reconstruction and is configured of five sequential steps commencing with the identification of patterns. Movement through a deconstruction stage relying heavily on regression, before progression through a reconstruction process leads to final embracing of change. The goal is that the impossible wishes that support the quest for psychic proximity to the IPIRs must be recognised, grieved for and given up. Then reconstruction of personality can begin (Benjamin 2006 p326) Research Basavanthappa (2007) considers Supportive therapy to be the most widely practised form of individual psychotherapy today, and on review of the Mary Jane Tilden case there is seemingly agreement that Rogers supportive approach successfully achieved a positive outcome. To quantify these opinions research evidence is explored, prior to consideration and discussion of any potential limitations a strictly Rogerian approach may present. Two independent studies (Friedli et al 1997; Bower et al 2000) based on randomised, controlled assessment concluded that person-centred, non-directive therapy more than holds its own compared with other forms of therapy. (Feltham and Horton, 2006, p296) Analysing the outcome of The Menniger Psychotherapy Research Project carried out in the 1950s, Howitz (1974) suggested that patientsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦did improve significantly in supportive therapy, given the achievement of a powerful therapeutic alliance. (Fonagy, nd). Reanalysis by Wallerstein in 1986, reported on the long term follow up (Fonagy, nd), and Sperry (2003) states the report outcomes suggest that supportive treatment is able to bring about the basic personality changes that were expected only from reconstructive dynamic psychotherapy, before concluding despite Kerbergs (84) characteristic of Supportive Psychotherapy as a treatment of last resort Supportive Psychotherapy is a potent intervention. (Sperry 2003, p98) The Hamburg study (1981), involving comparison of client-centred and psychoanalytic therapy, concluded In direct comparison of psychological test scores between cct and pt groups, few significant differences emerged and none of those that did were replicated in subsequent analyses. (Fonagy nd, p301). Cooper (2008, p128) notes that psychotherapy researchers such as Lambert have estimated that relational factors account for around 30% of the variance in outcomes whilst technique and orientation factors may contribute only 15% toward overall outcome of therapy with Wampold (2001) calculating a much lower figure of only 1%. Furthermore, the Task Force of the Psychotherapy Division of the American Psychological Association, found demonstrably effective elements for positive therapeutic outcomes to include empathy (Bohart et Al 2002) and promising and probably effective elements to include positive regard (Farber and Lane 2002) and congruence or genuiness (Klein et al 2002) (Feltham and Horton, 2006, p67). Research by Bohart and Tallmand (1999:51) concluded from a client perspective, the most important aspects of therapy typically are the non-technological factors: having a time and place to talk; having someone care, listen and understand; having someone provide encouragement and reassurance; having someone offer an external perspective and advice (Cooper 2008, p99). These findings reinforce Heines 1950 study quoted by Rogers (1967) concluding that regardless of therapeutic orientation it was the attitudinal elements in the relationship that accounted for positive outcome. These include trust felt in the therapist, being understood by the therapist, the feeling of independence they had had in making choices and decisions and therapist ability to clarify and state feelings. Elements found to be unhelpful included the giving of direct specific advice or emphasising past history rather than present problems. Cooper concludes that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is closely associated with therapeutic outcomes across both relationally and non-relationally orientated therapies (Cooper 2008, p120). On review of empirically supported treatments subjected to rigorous experimental studies against specific forms of psychological distress, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is repeatedly presented as a treatment of proven effectiveness (Cooper (2008) p38-45), consequently being adopted by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as a treatment of choice for many psychological disorders. Cooper notes, however, that the lack of evidence does not correlate to lack of effectiveness pointing out the need for further research to support the effectiveness of other therapies. In summarising technique and practice factors, Cooper considers that although there is little evidence to support the effectiveness of one technique over any other, CBT has the strongest evidence base, particularly for anxiety related issues. Cooper also suggests that although there is evidence to support directive and non-directive methods extremes of either should be avoided. Humanistic techniques, when undertaken effectively and with the result of deepening levels of experiencing and emotional processing can be linked to positive therapeutic outcome. (Cooper 2208, p154) Research by Glass and Arnkoff (2000) suggests that a collaborative approach is favourable, and whilst the above research promotes the effectiveness of CBT, Kirschet al. (1995) found hypnotic procedures have been found to significantly enhance the efficacy of CBT (Cooper 2008, p174). One such model taking this approach is presented by Assen Aladdin in his Cognitive Hypnotherapy model, with Aladdin quoting research studies by Schoenberger (2000) and Kirsch, Montgomery and Saperstein (1995) as concluding that hypnotherapy was found to be significantly superior to non-hypnotic treatment when combined with CBT (Aladdin 2008, p10). Limitations Considering limitations of the client-centred approach Corey (2001) quotes feedback from an exercise by Cain (1988): Person centred therapy is too simple. It is limited to techniques of attending and reflecting. The approach is ineffective and leads to undirected rambling by the client. Rather than emphasising the counsellor as a person, it would be better to focus on developing a variety of techniques that can be applied to solving specific problems. More emphasis should be placed on systematic training of counselling skills and less on the attitudes of the counsellor. It is not necessarily true that individuals have within them a growth potential or actualising tendency. Not all clients have the capacity to trust their own inner direction and find their own answers. (Corey 2001, p186) In reviewing the above, one could question whether these represent the failings of the approach if carried out incompletely than in the method originally intended by Rogers. Indeed, prior to this Corey comments Therapist authenticity and congruence are so vital to this approach that those who practice within this framework must feel natural in doing so à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ If not, a real possibility is thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦therapy will be reduced to a bland, safe, and ineffectual pabulum. (Corey 2001, p185) By nature, the purist Rogerian approach is heavily dependant on the therapist and their abilities to meet the conditions Rogers considered essential to ensure necessary and sufficient conditions of therapy, and therefore the extent to which the outcome is also dependent on the therapist has to be questioned. On reviewing the nine case commentaries in The Psychotherapy of Carl Rogers Cases and Commentaries (1996), it becomes apparent how inconsistent Rogers approach can appear, with notable changes in both his style and approach between clients, not only indicating the importance of therapist ability but further questioning the extent of therapist influence on the process. Research by Sasche(2004) concluded that clients are not particularly good, by themselves, at deepening their levels of processing and that they are strongly influenced by their therapists statements Sasche explains that deepening statements conducive to more productive therapeutic work are actively achieved by the therapist through reflection at a deeper level, with flattening statements reflecting back at the same or shallower level producing more superficial client processing (Cooper 2008, p141). This suggests the therapist is therefore very much in control of the therapy process, even in a non-directive approach. Whilst it is evident on study of Rogers cases that he frequently encourages deepening of experience in the way that his reflection is carried out, he also appears to subtlety challenge clients in the process. Corey (2001, p185) notes that many therapists fail to achieve this and that they have limited the range of their responses and counselling styles to reflections and emphatic listening becoming client-centred to the extent that they diminish the value of their own power as a person and thus lose the impact of their personality on the client Conclusion There is considerable research evidence suggesting the importance of the therapeutic relationship, and moreover to the specific qualities of empathy, positive regard and congruence all of which are pivotal to Rogerian therapy, however further empirical research is required to enable links to positive outcomes for specific psychological issues. research evidence that the therapeutic conditions are both necessary and sufficient is not unequivocal, though much of it suffers from inadequate methodology and the possibility of poorly reported and discussed reportsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦this research forms the basis of the mainstream viewà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦that the therapeutic relationship is the key factor in successful outcome. (Feltham and Horton 2006 p296) Whilst the relationship is evidently key for a positive therapeutic outcome, utilising relationship alone relies solely on therapists ability to emulate Rogers intended approach. It is logical to assume this is likely to produce more inconsistent results than a structured therapy integrating the Rogerian approach could achieve. There is also evidence to suggest that extremes of either directiveness or passiveness are detrimental and also that a collaborative approach is the most appropriate intervention in ensuring a positive outcome. A feasibly conclusion can be drawn that a collaborative approach (Glass and Arnkoff 2000) combining a relationship comprising empathy, positive regard and congruence (Task Force Study) with CBT (Cooper 2008) and enhanced by hypnotherapy (Kirsch et al 1995) could hold the potential to provide a consistently effective and positive therapeutic intervention in the alleviation of psychological disorders with further empirical research needed to prove efficacy for specific forms of psychological distress.