Qualifications and ETD in South Africa †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Standards And Qualifications in South Africa. Answer: Introduction Reflective practice is an important tool to let people understand their personal behavior, and their working pattern. This helps to develop and maintain the ability of individuals to accept their flaws and understand the aspects of their behavior of their working pattern they need to work on (Dean et al. 2012). In this assignment, I will be discussing the Critical Cross-Field Outcomes (CCFOs) related to the ETD or education, training and developments in South Africa according to the guidelines of SAQA or South African Qualifications Authority. Further, I will be critically discussing the CCFOs that enables me to improve my practices. The two CCFOs that I will be discussing are communication skill and organization capability. Reflection of my own practice While working with the sales trading company Dodos Matrix, all the employees had to be actively involved in a training program to learn the proper to way to operate Dodos point of sales system. The purpose of this system was to make the new employees of the Rampar trading aware of the rules and regulations of the organizations sales system and create a unit standard so that the matrix created can be utilized properly. Through this unit standard, the employees will be trained regarding the process, they will be assessed to understand the achievable outcomes and specific activities will be allotted to them as per their capabilities. Strengths: while determining the unit standard, I was very confident that I would be able to the necessary standards as per the sales matrix easily within the training process, as I was better than many of them with respect to skills. I was aware that prior knowledge of Card and RCS payment, cash up, lay-bye sale and refund would help to develop the necessary skills as per the matrix. Weaknesses: further while developing the unit standard, few sessions that I used to avoid, as I was not confident enough to undergo training regarding those processes and that process was the assessment process. I was not properly aware of the assessment criteria and hence was less confident regarding the process. Opportunities: While developing the unit matrix I came to know about the assessment criteria that helped me to develop the unit standard for the organization and the forthcoming training processes. Therefore, preparing the matrix was an opportunity for me to fulfill my weakness and utilize my complete knowledge regarding it to create and implement the unit standard. Threats: Despite of the fact that I was able to understand my loopholes in understanding the programs and sales matrix of the learning program, I still have problems while running the admin portal the payment section, cash count section and customer section is not clear to me. Therefore, for the assessment criteria and outcome of the unit standard, I need assistance so that I can learn each nuances of it. The CCFOs and their role in improving my practices Critical cross-field outcomes or CCFOs are a set of unit standards defined in the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA). The South African national authority defines these outcomesto make the ETD system or the education training and development process clear and understandable. The two CCFOs I applied in my learning process to improve my flaws were communication process and my organization skills(South African Qualifications Authority 2018). Communication skills: effective communication helps people to achieve personal success and sense the accomplishment. This is an important tool for improvement as communication with peers, trainer or the organization head will led people understand what their shortcomings or loopholes are while conducting a process (Robles 2012). This will further help the individual to fulfill those loopholes and become a better and improved individual altogether. While going through the learning program for the system matrix, I was attentive and behaved positively, as these values are important to learn any process (Mishra, Boynton and Mishra 2014). Organization skills: While going through the process, one thing I noticed about myself that I was able to organize my theoretical as well as practical knowledge to understand in which section I need help from my trainers. This skill helped me to improve my shortcomings in the system matrix process (Deming 2017). Compliance of the learning process with NFQ and its standards The National Qualification Framework (NQF) is the guidelines that are needed to provide the philosophical base of an organizational structure. The guidelines are needed in the purpose of setting a standard within an organization according to the educational qualification of an individual. The integration of education and training that is highly essential in the context of the job requirements. The National Qualification framework provides the opportunity of the learners to deal with the better levels of understanding. As the skill force within the nation is increased it can help it can help in the process of improving the intellectual capability of the nation. The chance of the nation to have better capability to establish within the global community that is achieved with the help of advanced skills. The guidelines of the training also need to have critical outcomes. This will help to ensure that regular changes are made within the training process (South African Qualifications Autho rity 2018). However, the difficult portion of this learning program was the assessment process. The evaluation was focused on completion of learning outcome therefore the trainers did not focused on the aspect that we, the trainees are able to utilize the theoretical learning in practical assessment of not. According to NQF, the trainers developed the process after complying with the standards of education, qualification, training and development as the curriculum developed for the training process complied with the qualification, standard and elective unit standards. It was evident from the facts as the training program had planned learning outcomes;they had their specific assessment criteria (questionnaires or practical assessment) and the unit standards depending on the NSB regulations. Therefore, according to my understanding, the training program was inspired from the SAQA and NQF regulations and followed the elective unit standards, depending on which it conducted analysis to determine the learning outcomes and used defined standards for assessment, education training and development (The national qualifications framework and curriculum development 2018). Conclusion Reflection practice is a strategy used by learners and trainers worldwide to understand their pattern of work, pattern of mistakes and the scope of improvement in the process. In this assignment, I reflected on the raining program, in which I took part while working in the Rampar sales matrix. The training was to acquire the detailed knowledge of the sales process and its admin customer and organizational aspects. While going through the training I understood my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of learning. Further, the critical cross-field outcomes such as communication and organization skills that helped me to overcome the weakness and threats and acquire the through details of the process. References Dean, B. Amelia., Sykes, C., Agostinho, S. and Clements, M. 2012. Reflective assessment in work-integrated learning: to structure or not to structure, that was our question. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 13 (2), pp.103-113. Deming, D.J., 2017. The growing importance of social skills in the labor market. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 132(4), pp.1593-1640. Mishra, K., Boynton, L. and Mishra, A., 2014. Driving employee engagement: The expanded role of internal communications. International Journal of Business Communication, 51(2), pp.183-202. Robles, M.M., 2012. Executive perceptions of the top 10 soft skills needed in todays workplace. Business Communication Quarterly, 75(4), pp.453-465. South African Qualifications Authority 2018.South African Qualifications Authority. [online] Saqa.org.za. Available at: https://www.saqa.org.za/list.php?e=NQF The national qualifications framework and curriculum development2017,The National Qualifications Framework and Curriculum Development,viewed 3 February 2018, fromhttps://www.saqa.org.za/docs/pol/2000/curriculum_dev.pdf.

This Sonnet Demonstrates Shakespeares Great Ability Of Playing With Wo

This sonnet demonstrates Shakespeare's great ability of playing with words. According to him a person is tongue-tied when he has either too much or too little to say. He illustrates his idea by giving an example of an unperfect actor who forgets his lines on stage and more curiously, some fierce thing whose heart is weakened by the weight of his own strength. This use of paradox adds intensity to the sonnet and lays the foundation for the following quatrain. The first quatrain is like the silence before a storm; the way it is presented suggests that there is more to come. The actor and the beast are summoned to serve only as analogues to Shakespeare's double-edged analytical presentation in quatrain 2 of love's agonized lack of words: So I, for fear of trust, forget to say The perfect ceremony of love's rite, And in mine own love's strength seem to decay, O'ercharged with burden of mine own love's might. The persona here compares him to the characters beckoned in Q1. In a passage such as this, the distance between the composing author and the fictive speaker almost vanishes, as it is very easy to imagine that Shakespeare, a master of expression, would tell himself that a perfect ceremony of love could be invented. Another aspect worthy of note is the way the phrase mine own love's has been used repeatedly; in line 7 the persona speaks of the decay of his love and in the very next line he speaks of its strength. This double stranglehold is an extremely interesting case, and is beautifully expressed here. The first and second quatrains can be coupled together as they basically portray the same idea. The sonnet therefore can be divided into two parts instead of four. An octet followed by a sestet. While the octet speaks of the persona's tongue-tiedness, the sestet is a plea to his beloved to understand the depth of his love. 'O, let my books be then the eloquence / And dumb presagers of my speaking breast...' the persona here wishes that his writing be the silent and truthful foreteller of all the love in his heart. Q3, in hinting at the beloved's preference for a rival poet, tongue that more hath more expressed, ascribes the tongue-tiedness of the speaker to his new perception of the debased judgment exercised by the beloved. At first, for fear of trust (line 5) might seem to mean, fearing my own powers, but when the unnamed rival enters the scene (line 12), we see the tongue-tiedness rather as a fear of trusting the potentially faithless beloved. Furthermore, the verbal parallelism o f the octet is replaced by an irregular line-motion as the persona's agitation achieves full force. The sestet ends with the frustrating speechlessness of the lover finding a way of talking, by deviating into the third person in the final line: To hear with eyes belongs to loves fine wit. It is a proverb coined by the persona and it somewhat negates his inadequacy. It has a sense of pride and provides a perfect end to the poem.

ACT Score Range Whats Good

ACT Score Range What's Good SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re planning on taking the ACT, you’re probably wondering what you can expect in terms of scores. In this article, I’ll take you through the basics of how the test is scored, show you where your scores fall in relation to other students, and give you a few tips on how to plan your studying to meet your goals. ACT Score Range: The Basics On the ACT, your composite score can be anywhere from a 1 to a 36.Unlike the SAT, the composite score is not the sum of the scores of the other tests - it’s the average. The ACT has four sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science.Each one is also scored on a scale of 1 to 36, and the average of these four scores will make up your composite score. The ACT doesn’t have an incorrect answer penalty, so your raw score on each section is just the number of questions you get right. Any questions you answer incorrectly or omit will not count towards your score.English has 75 questions, Math has 60, Reading has 40, and Science also has 40. Check out this sample conversion chart to see how raw scores are converted to the final scores on a scale of 1-36: (note that different tests have different raw score to scaled score conversion charts, but this is generally the right idea). The ACT also has an optional essay, but the Writing section will not impact your composite score or any of your test subscores. You will get a score from 2 to 12 on your essay in four different assessment categories. Your total Writing score will be out of 36 just like the other sections.The ACT gives you an English Language Arts (ELA) score as well, which is the average of your English, Reading, and Writing subscores, but again, this doesn’t factor into your final composite score. Average ACT Scores The national average composite ACT score for the class of 2014 was a 20.Average scores for subsections were: English: 19-20Math: 19-20Reading: 20-21Science: 20-21 If you’re scoring in this range, you’re already scoring higher than 50% of students who take the ACT and will have a good shot at getting into many colleges.Keep in mind, however, that national averages might not be the most relevant to your individual situation. You should look up the average scores for schools you’re interested in to figure out what target scoreto shoot for.If you’re hoping to attend a very selective school, you might need to set your sights on a score in the 34-36 range.At MIT, for example, the 75th percentile composite ACT score for admitted students in 2014 was a 35.When you look at the averages for your school of choice, you should try and aim for the 75th percentile score (higher than 75% of admitted students)because it will give you the best chance of admission. Also keep in mind that someschools want you to submit the ACT Writing score, and some don’t care about it.This is an important factor to take into account both when studying and when deciding whether to sign up for the ACT with or without Writing. MIT: A lush sanctuary where geeks can run free Studying for Your Score Goals You might know where you fall in terms of your ACT score range if you’ve already taken the test.If not, try out a practice test (with appropriate time constraints!), and see how you do.If you find that you still need to improve your scores quite a bit, don’t worry! If you come up with a solid study plan, you should be able to get them up where you want them to be by the time the test rolls around. I’ll give some brief guidelines below about how long you should study for different point improvements.For more info check out our complete study plan for the ACT and a guide I wrote on how long you should study. I’m Looking to Improve by 1-2 Points This is a very doable goal, even if you start studying only a couple months in advance of the test.Improving 1-2 points should take around 20 total hours of studying.This means that if you study for about two hours every week for two months, you should be able to meet your score goals.If you want, you can even space out your studying for a few more months so you only have to devote an hour a week to ACT prep. I’m Looking to Improve by 4 Points This is a pretty significant improvement, so you’re going to have to put in a bit more time.A four point improvement usually means around 40-50 hours of studying.You could choose to start studying two months in advance and plan out five hours a week if you prefer longer, more intense study sessions.If you’d rather spread it out more, try studying for two hours a week for five or six months instead. I’m Looking to Improve by 6 or More Points This level of improvement is going to require a lot of hard work.For a score increase of six or more points, you’ll most likely need 150+ hours of study time.This means starting early and committing to study sessions every week.If you start studying six months before the test, schedule out five hours a week to devote to ACT prep. You should also remember that your studying needs to be high quality in order for you to see results!This means figuring out what types of questions cause you problems and then practicing similar questions over and over.You'll have to take the time to really understand your mistakes before you start to see positive changes in your scores. Summary Here are some of the main points you should remember about ACT scoring: The ACT gives you a composite score on a scale of 1 to 36 There are four subtests in English, Math, Reading, and Science, and each is also scored from 1 to 36 These four tests are averaged to make up your composite score The average ACT composite score is around a 20 nationally To figure out the score range you should be aiming for, look up the 75th percentile scores of admitted students for schools where you plan to apply. This will give you a better sense of how much time you should devote to studying.Even if the gap between your current scores and your goal is pretty large, with enough planning and focused studying, you should be able to beat the test! What's Next? ACT Score Choice and Superscoring are two policies that might impact which of your scores colleges see. Read more about what they are and what they mean for you here and here. Still not sure whether you should take the ACT or the SAT? Learn more about which one is best for you. For more information on ACT scores, read this article on how to get and interpret your results. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

International PepsiCo. Company

International PepsiCo. Company Introduction Every organization is expected to undertake strategic analysis to determine its market position as well as its current and anticipated performance. Through the application of different environmental analysis tools, managers are able to determine the strong and weak points of an organization. One of the activities carried out by organizations is scenario analysis.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on International PepsiCo. Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Scenarios are used to map the future based on uncertain and predetermined elements. These elements are explored with the aim of helping an organization to seek solutions to some of the foreseen problems which may have an effect on the company. The purpose of the current essay is to undertake a scenarios analysis and offer their respective strategic responses in respect to PepsiCo Company. The first task involves the development of three future sc enarios and strategic responses for PepsiCo. Scenario one predicts no major future changes scenario in the external environment. Scenario two predicts negative future changes in the external environment. Scenario three predicts positive future changes’ in the external environment. The second task of the essay involves evaluating the contribution of scenario planning to effective management. Introduction to the PepsiCo Company PepsiCo Company is a multinational company whose headquarters are in Purchase, New York (Berch, Montoya Sawayda 2010, p.1). The multinational company operates in the drinks and beverage industry. The company which was formed as a merger between Frito-Lay Inc and Pepsi-Cola is a major competitor of the Coca-Cola Company. PepsiCo has a presence in 200 countries across the globe. Some of the areas where it has subsidiaries include Africa, Asia, Middle East, Europe, and Australia, among others. Globally, the company is second after Coca-Cola in the food and beverage industry. Over the years, the company has undergone several mergers and acquisitions which have promoted its success and presence in the international markets. Through M A, the company has been able to diversify in its areas of production. For example, PepsiCo product base has expanded to increase products like snacks and foods (Berch, Montoya Sawayda 2010, p.1), PepsiCo competes with Kraft Foods.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The company has diversified its product mix where majority of the product mix are foods and the rest are beverages. Both carbonated and un-carbonated beverages are available although the carbonated beverages no longer dominate the market. Despite the success of the company, it has in the recent past been involved in challenging situations like environmental problems such as pollution and disposal of its biodegradable wastes (Berch et al. 2010, p.8) Rationale for its selection PepsiCo Inc is a large US company which controls about thirty six percent of the US’ drinks market (Berch et al. 2010, p.1). The company operates in an industry that is greatly affected by season. For example, most of the drinks are drunk seasonally and more so during summer. As a result, the company has to undertake a scenario analysis in order to determine its current and future operations. Furthermore, the company is normally faced with stiff market competition from Coca Cola, the number one market shareholder. Following the recent global market financial crisis it is imperative to acknowledge that PepsiCo was financially affected by the crisis. According to a case analysis by Berch and colleagues (2010), the operations of PepsiCo in the beverage industry has been faced with a lot of controversies. For example, the company has been accused of engaging in price wars with its main rival Coca Cola, contamination, and false labeling of its products. To remain relevant in the industry, there is need for PepsiCo to undertake a scenario analysis which would assists in strategic management. Scenario Analysis Scenario analysis has been described as the process by which several informed, alternative, plausible and â€Å"imagined alternative future environments in which decisions about the future may be played out, for the purpose of changing current thinking, improving decision making, enhancing human and organization learning and improving performance† (Chermack 2004, p15).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on International PepsiCo. Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this case, environmental scanning is an essential process which enables the success of scenario planning or analysis. Different factors in the external environment are considered in the process. To better conduct scenario analysis, SWOT and PESTEL analytical to ols have been adopted. On the one hand, the PESTAL analytical tool looks at the external environment on which the organization operates. Some of the elements analyzed include economic, political, technological, legal, social, and environmental factors that could have an impact on an organization. On the other hand, the SWOT analysis is normally concerned with the future opportunities available to an organization, as well as the threats that such a company may anticipate in the future. Scenario 1: no major future changes Competition in the beverage and drinks industry is not expected to change a lot in the future. Since the inception of the PepsiCo, its major competitor has been the Coca-Cola Company in as far as drinks are concerned (LTONEWC FIASCO 2005, p.34). On the other hand, Kraft Foods has been the major competitor of PepsiCo in the food snacks industry (Marketing Teacher Ltd, 2012). The current competition in these two industries is less likely to intensify hence the trend ca n be classified as stagnant. For instance, a new entrant into the industry would normally be required to have substantial amounts of capital and infrastructure. This creates stronger market entry barriers which prohibits other companies from entering the market. As a result, competition is not expected to increase greatly as the two companies enjoy some kind of monopoly. The company has a strong brand which ensures that the company stays competitive in the market.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Although other companies like Nestle and Groupe Danone may try hard to compete, the brand of PepsiCo is a worldwide brand, well known and diversified brand (Marketing Teacher Ltd, 2012). With more than 60 brands, the company is well placed in the beverage and food industry. As such, other brands from emerging companies are less likely to influence the drinks and the food snacks industry. Scenario 2: negative future changes One of the major negative effects that PepsiCo is expected to encounter in the future is the government regulations and laws. These could either be from the political or the legal environments. In the 21st century, there is an increased awareness on the environmental changes, health and safety issues. In the future, laws and regulations related to the three fields are likely to change, thereby affecting the operations of PepsiCo negatively (Marketing Teacher Ltd 2012). For example, environmentalists and communities have been complaining on the environmental damage s Pepsi has especially in India (Berch et al. 2010, p.6). Pepsi has been accused of using chemicals in its products which jeopardizes the health and the safety of human beings. If the government imposed bans or restrictive measures on Pepsi then the company is likely to lose the second largest market in Asia after China. This will definitely affect the company operations, market share, and sales negatively leading to lose. The changes in laws could also be future changes in taxation requests, tax rates and ecological laws. All these will negatively impact the company. A memorable incidence is when the company was accused of using pesticides in its bottled water drinks (Berch et al. 2010, p.6). As a result, the company was partially banned in five Indian states. This is an indication of the excepted laws and regulations regarding the environment, safety, and the health of the customers. With these noticeable incidents, the company is faced to face the same bans in different countries if it engages in similar unethical issues in the future. Environmental laws are aimed at ensuring environmental conservation, and these are also expected to rise in the near future. As such, PepsiCo may be affected negatively bearing in mind that the company’s products are developed and packaged in plastic bottles which are non-biodegradable. For example, Aquifina is a bottled water drink packaged in plastic bottles. Upon use, people discard the plastic containers anywhere thus causing environmental contamination. So far, international environmental watchdogs have been calling for the ban of these plastics as they cause landfills and other pollution-related problems (Berch et al. 2010, p.10). Other emerging concerns on laws and regulations are the labeling of water containers. For example, although labeling laws are not very strict in the United States, countries in the Middle East and Asia have strict relations which are expected to increase in the future. Scenario 3: posit ive future change Increased market base: PepsiCo has the likelihood of witnessing an increase in its market base in the future. This is because the company has diversified its operation through the incorporation of bottled water and snacks. So far, the company has a presence in two hundred countries in the world. In 2009, the company announced its plans to expand in countries with already existing operations (Berch 2010, p.3). Through the use of its adoptable expansion strategy, the company is expected to continue expanding in the years to come. Some of its brands like the Cola diet have been increasing in terms sales and popularity. This increase has been necessitated by the fact that people have become self conscious on their health and well being. As the awareness continues to take place, the brand will catch many people. As such, its market share will increase as its customer base increases. With a broad product base, the company will expand its market share. The diversification of the company’s products to include foods and snacks has prompted its future increase in market base at present and in the future. According to Berch et al. (2010, p.7) the company is on the verge of developing health products and health foods. For example, the company has been planning to invest over USD 10 billion to support the production of healthy snacks. This trend will have positive future changes on the market base of PepsiCo. This is based on the fact that many people are becoming health conscious which represents a new untapped market. In the future, the company expects to reap over USD 30 billion in this new market (Berch et al.2010, p.7). Healthier PepsiCo snacks which incorporate the demands of the health conscious customers are more than likely going to expand the market for PepsiCo. The current collaboration with researchers from Mayo Clinics and the WHO promises to develop new healthier products which will see the market of expand its market share. The bottl ed water and food snacks have a perfect market in the US which is anticipated to get the attention of consumers (Marketing Teacher Ltd 2012). As such, the sales of the organization are anticipated to increase and so is its market share. The company has also been experiencing high returns from the diet Cola. With the trends continuing the same as they are, the company will experience an increase in market share in different parts of the globe. Proposed strategies for the scenarios The negative scenario of change in the regulations and laws regarding aspects of environment, health, and safety will definitely have negative effects if the company does not put into place strategic mechanisms. The company will have to set a legal team which oversees that all the ethical and legal regulations in different countries are followed. In the process, it will ensure that the mentioned accusations are not witnessed in the future. In case of changes in the operational laws and regulations, the comp any will have to comply with the set rules and regulations. By following the laws and regulations, the company will be able to keep off from legal battles and bans. As such, its operations will continue to be operative. Health, safety, and environmental laws are increasing and are expected to increase in the near future. PepsiCo will have to carry tests on its products before entering in the market to avoid the repetition of past incidents in India. The strategy will ensure that the company does not get a bad reputation, calling back of products and face bans in major markets. Environmental conservation initiatives could be taken in future to conserve the environment. In order to solve these ethical related dilemmas, it is necessary that PepsiCo takes â€Å"different levels of government into account, as well as the concerns of NGOs† (Berch et al. 2010, p.6). This strategy will involve all the stakeholders and deal with any negative repercussions. Furthermore, the company cou ld carry thorough stakeholder orientation with the aim of discovering ethical course of action and avoid the uncalled bans. The company can develop biodegradable PepsiCo drinks bottles which would ensure environmental safety and avoid similar incidents to the one faced in India in 2006. This would reduce environmental pollution and ensure safety. Additionally, the dream machine project currently present in US could be initiated in other countries. This would encourage customers to discard their products wastes in a more planned manner which ensures conservations. On the issue of labeling the drinks bottle, the company needs to follow the regulatory laws and regulations in every country. Positive changes are expected in the future in the external environment in which PepsiCo operates. The market share for PepsiCo may increase in the future given that people are becoming health conscious. To accommodate the anticipated positive change, the company has invested a lot in research and de velopment. Therefore, the organization should continue to invest in R D in order to come up with products that can accommodate the expected changes in the future. Furthermore, the organization has already started collaboration with WHO and Mayo clinic to develop snacks and foods which are health conscious. The same has been done on the drinks sector. In the future, the same processes are required to continue to meet the anticipated changes. Contribution scenario planning make to effective strategic management To begin with, strategic management has been described as the process by which organizations manage the relation with the current environment while aligned to the organization mission (Sung 2004, p.12). It can also be defined as the manner in which a balance is maintained between strategies and the internal activities to manage the external environment. Therefore, to achieve the definition and the purpose of strategic management, scenario planning has to be carried out. This e nsures that the relationship between the organization and the changes anticipated in the future is monitored. With the changes exhibited in the external environment, managers depend on the scenario planning to plan future planning of the organization. One of the major benefits associated with scenario planning is the ability to help an organization information center from repeating past mistakes (Schoemaker 2011, p.43). As such, the organization’s strategic management team thrives to develop ways of mitigating the anticipated future negative scenarios. For example, PepsiCo scenario planning will assist the organization avoid past mistakes related to ethical issues and regulations. When an organization knows the anticipated change, it carries out up-front investment. As such, an organization avoids unnecessary thinking of the anticipated future problem change like laws and regulations. This saves the company time, energy, and costs that would result from the anticipated change if it was not carried up-front. As part of strategic management, planning prepares an organization from possible changes (Schoemaker 2011, p.43). As such, a company like PepsiCo would be in a position to reduce overexposure. Uncertain risks associated with resources and capitals are reduced if scenario planning is carried out in advance. The investment of the present and the future depends heavily on scenario planning for efficient and effective decision making process (Van Der Heijden 2011). Strategic decisions made by the strategic management team should depend on facts and collected data on external environment. As a result, the decision making process is improved since the management is aware of the possible future external environment changes (Schoemaker 2011, p.43). Managers are assisted as they are made to think in a certain systematic way. For example, through scenario planning, managers are provided with the possible predetermined changes which a manger cannot ignore or re ject. Compared to the traditional method of decision making, scenario planning is much better and effective process (Schoemaker 2011, p.43; Van Der Heijden 2011). Uncertainties resulting from different variables are easily adjusted at the same time without any difficulties. Issues of imperfect reasoning and bias by the managers are overcome through the use of this method. Scenario planning influences strategy development positively. For example, the management is forced to think beyond the current position and situation of the company. This enables the company to focus on the future of the company. Van Der Heijden (2011) adds that the process of planning energizes the management system of an organization. Attention is paid while the top management team is making decisions. Unlike in the traditional way of decision making and management, using the results of scenario planning enables the management to justify the operation on a single line or department (Schoemaker 2011, p.43). Scena rios provide contexts in which decisions are passed down the chain of command. Through the provision of a context for decisions and decision making, the communication process in an organization is improved. The decisions made are well communicated through set up channels which define the direction of an organization. Monitoring of weak signals and recognizing them until they are fully coalesced enhances corporate perception. For example, a company is enhanced to effectively incorporate any changes no matter how small it may be. This creates a corporate attitude that ensures that all problems have to be solved. As a result, strategic management process is improved. Van Der Heijden (2011) note that the commitment by a company to scenario planning makes it become part of the organization language. The reason behind this is the way in which a complex inter-disciplinary reality is transferred in effortless manner. As part of the strategic management, an organization has to ensure that it educates its managers to make quality scenarios. Consequently, the organization is in a better position to make realistic decisions both in the present and in the future of the company. ‘Stretching mental model’ is achieved which is used by planners to determine the driving forces of an organization in respect to the business environment (Van Der Heijden 2011). In reference to the case study, PepsiCo would be in a position to know the drivers of its business in respect to the business environment. Leadership is an essential tool in strategic management which coordinates the different tasks of an organization. Van Der Heijden (2011) has advised that scenario planning acts as a leadership tool. Scenario process or planning reinforces the interests of the management. Consequently, the managers become involved in the process of developing scenarios in occasional basis thus improving their leadership qualities. As the process continues, managers get more involved in the pro cess of generating scenarios which becomes contextual and influential tool. Ideas are easily communicated enhancing development of projects. According to organizational theory, the external environmental creates pressure on the internal environment of an organization (Fuhs n.d, p.6). The different pressures on the organization can be determined through the use of scenario planning. The claim can be supported by the views of Van Der Heijden (2011) who adds that the scenarios analysis which was first carried out more than 35 years ago at Shell have enabled the company deal with any external pressures. Because of the benefits associated with the process, Shell has been carrying scenario planning even to-date. The purpose of scenario planning is to â€Å"envisage alternative views of the future in the form of distinct configurations of key environmental variables† (Grant 2003, p.494). Therefore, scenario planning enables organizational managers to get on thinking and have the ava ilable mental models of thinking changed to accommodate the specified changes. As a result, managers and strategic analysts are able to synthesize different knowledge coupled with sharing of information. Russell (2005, p.11) note that managers and team players are able to discuss the possibilities of the future in relation to the stated scenario. This allows the management to solve the problems and note the possibility of the anticipated future outcomes (Russell 2011, p.11). It should be noted that scenario planning does not give alternatives to the anticipated changes from the external environment. Chermack (2004, p.15) note that scenario planning is more of the intended outcomes of the external factors than offering alternatives. Conclusion In summary, scenario planning is an essential undertaking which plays an integral role in strategic management. In reference to the essay, PepsiCo which is a MNC is more prone to changes and pressures from the external market hence the need for scenario analysis. Essentially, with increased competition and changes in laws and regulation on the areas of environment, health, and safety, the organization is required to carry scenario analysis. Based on the analysis, the major negative changes in the future are change in the environmental, safety, and health related laws and regulations. These may reduce the sales and market share of the organizations. News markets segments are a positive change which PepsiCo is more likely to depend on in the future. However, the current competition trends are not expected to reduce or increase as the market has strong entry and exit barriers. The major benefits associated with scenario analysis/planning is enabling leadership and effective decision making process which aids in strategic management of an organization. Others include creation of effective communication of decisions from management to other departments in an organization. It also allows the development of the ‘stretching mental model’ which allows better thinking among the managers. As a result, corporate perception is enhanced which enables coalesce of weak points. Lastly, the leadership of an organization is developed as the managers develop the attitude of scenario planning. This promotes the process of strategic management in an organization. Reference List Berch, K, Montoya, J Sawayda, J 2010, PepsiCo’s journey toward an ethical and  socially responsible culture, http://danielsethics.mgt.unm.edu/pdf/PepsiCo%20Case.pdf Chermack, T 2004, ‘The role of system theory in scenario planning, Journal of Futures  Studies’, vol. 8, no.4, pp.15 3 Fuhs, C n.d, Toward an integral approach to organization theory: An integral  investigation of three historical perspectives on the nature of organizations, experienceintegral.org/uploads/media/Fuhs_Toward_An_Integral_Approa h_to_Org_Theory.pdf Grant, R M 2003, ‘Strategic Planning in a Turbulent Environment: Evidence from the Oil Majors’, Strategic Management Journal, vol. 24, no. 6, pp. 491-517 LTONEWC FIASCO 2005, Cola Wars: Coca-Cola vs. PepsiCo, http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/16/04717432/0471743216-3.pdf Marketing Teacher Ltd 2012, SWOT analysis PepsiCo, marketingteacher.com/swot/pepsi-swot.html Russell, L 2005, Leadership development. Alexandria, ASTD Press Schoemaker, P J H 2011, General environment, oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199581610/henry2e_ch02.pdf Sung, M 2004, Toward a model of strategic management of public relations: scenario  building from a public relations perspective, University of Maryland Press, Maryland. Van Der Heijden, K 2011, Scenarios: The art of strategic conversation, John Wiley Sons, Chichester.

The cases of Maryland v. King and Florida v. Harris Essay

The cases of Maryland v. King and Florida v. Harris - Essay Example In such scenarios, I believe that the overall circumstances must be considered in totality instead of referring to different legal provisions in isolation and verifying compliance with them. It is also vital that the final decision becomes source of benefit for the maximum number of stakeholders involved and doesn’t breach the universally accepted rights. This paper discusses similar two cases, elaborating on legal facts of the case and arguments presented by different courts. It includes my critical evaluation of the two cases where I strongly agreed or disagreed to either court’s decisions, concurring opinions or dissenting judgments. Case 1 – Maryland v. King: Agreement This began in 2003 when a masked man named Alonzo King raped a woman in Maryland and escaped, not to be found until in 2009, when he got arrested and was identified during a DNA cheek swab test as part of routine search procedures. DNA sample matched the previous one from rape case and hence th e criminal was charged with former offences as well. Subsequently, King went into the Circuit Court to hold that the authorities were not entitled, as per Fourth Amendment Rules, to evade his privacy and conduct routine search on him and therefore any evidence drawn during the course of such procedures shall be invalid and cannot be held in the court of law. The court disagreed and continued to penalize him with life sentenced imprisonment with no allowance of parole. However, eventually Court of Appeals of Maryland agreed to notion presented by King and disregarded the conviction placed on him. In event of disagreement, the Supreme Court intervened and declared King as guilty as there is no violation of Fourth Amendment requirements. Justice Roberts, Thomas, Breyer and Alito gave concurrence that it doesn’t constitute to invasion of privacy while Justice Scalia, Sotomayor, Ginsburg and Kagan gave dissenting opinion that DNA test is too specific and advanced to be considered as a routine procedural check and is only executed when there is a preconceived suspicion on an individual (Supreme Court of the United States, 2013a). I agree with the court’s final decision in this case as it seems most appropriate, legitimate and socially correct. Firstly, nature and duration cheek swab test is so minor that it cannot be considered to be a source of privacy intrusion. Secondly, it is essential to consider the end-results to any incidence. In this case, the DNA test eventually generated favorable results by identifying a criminal that was long lost and roaming free in our society. Thus, this decision also indirectly benefits our community by keeping its interests safe from such escaped criminals. DNA test is merely a method used for crosschecking an identity so it can be stored in database for subsequent retrieval and can also be used to generate past criminal history of the guilty individual. Additionally, the Fourth Amendment rules cannot be stated to hav e been breached if any check or search has been conducted in pure good faith with no biased intentions. Obviously, it is difficult to prove good faith but overall circumstances, as in this case, give clear cues regarding the reasons behind the test being conducted. Therefore, in light of the above arguments, I believe that court’s decision was legally as well as ethically correct and furthermore, I would strongly recommend that regulatory authorities must use lessons from such instances to adjust legal provisions and include DNA testing practice in standard routine search procedures as it does atleast no harm to the society as a whole, if not

Inheritance Taxes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Inheritance Taxes - Essay Example â€Å"Death tax† label came about during the debate in the first years of George W. Bush’s presidency when those who saw the inheritance tax as a tax on wealth—their wealth—wanted it repealed. Using terms such as â€Å"death tax,† and framing the inheritance tax as a â€Å"double tax,† the small minority, approximately 2% of Americans, won the repeal. It did not hurt having a president set not only to inherit but who also has heirs to a sizeable fortune, and who wanted to please his â€Å"base,† deep-pocketed conservatives. In all actuality, the inheritance tax is a wealth tax: it taxes estates willed to heirs that net worth exceeds $5 million, so only the wealthy are affected by it. Even David Joulfaian of the U.S. Department of the Treasury admits that it is a wealth tax. â€Å"The estate and gift tax is the only wealth tax levied by the federal government. The estate tax was first enacted in 1916 and applied to the wealth of decede nts with estates in excess of $50,000. It has undergone numerous changes, especially in 1976, 1981, and 1997. Significant temporary changes were introduced in 2001 and are set to expire in 2011†. Yet even many poor people oppose it because they believe it will somehow affect them, and that has to do with the way those who the tax will affect marketed the idea to the masses. Conservatives succeeded in their efforts to have the estate tax temporarily repealed mainly because of the way they presented their argument. They framed the argument against the estate tax as though it would affect everybody who would inherit any sum of money or property upon a relative’s death including the heirs of small business owners and farmers. These people fear that, should they die, their business or farmland would be worth more than the $5 million dollars where the estate tax kicks in, and then their heirs would not be able to keep the business or land, which would affect the future income of the heirs. Small business owners and farmers, who subscribe to the conservative view, fear that if they die suddenly their families would be left in poverty because the government would tax them out of their source of income. But, conservatives not only emphasize the fact that heirs would not inherit the full worth of a business or farm they include the presumption that small business owners are so concerned over the estate tax that it affects their hiring practices. The website, Nodeathtax.org, says, â€Å"The United States economy has endured a severe recession and is currently growing too slowly. Accordingly, it is imperative that policy be focused on generating the maximum possible pace of economic growth. The estate tax is an important element of pro-growth tax policy. Recent research indicates that the estate tax has significant impacts on asset accumulation (and, thus, balance sheet repair), as well as the payroll and

Bleeding Kansas Leading to Civil War Research Paper - 1

Bleeding Kansas Leading to Civil War - Research Paper Example There are several events that resulted into the secession which finally led to the civil war in America. 2Progressively, there are several events that finally broke the civil war and Americans found themselves in the fight. They include; The Mexican war of 1848, fugitive slave act of 1850, the release of Uncle Tom’s cabin, Bleeding Kansas, attack of Charles Summer, the decision by Dred Scott, rejection of the Lecompton constitution, Harper’s Ferry Raid by Brown, Election of the Abraham Lincoln as the president of the U.S. However, it is important to note that Kansas-Nebraska Act was one of the most instrumental events that led to civil war. This paper has therefore outlined the events that took place at the moment when the act was passed as well as ho it resulted into the civil wars. This act gave the Kansas and the Nebraska the opportunities to decide for themselves what they wanted to take place. They were given the opportunity to decide for themselves whether they wanted to sop slavery or whether they wanted to continue with the slavery activities. As a result of this, there were divisions in the minds of individuals in these states. As a result, there was a clear battle line between the pro and the anti-slavery idea. These wars therefore became some of the events in the war that finally led to the civil war in the United States of America. Bleeding Kansas is therefore a term that refers to the different and consequential violent activities that took place in several parts of the Kansas state. 3The violent activities were mainly between those who supported the slavery and those who were against the slavery. It is important to note that this was a civil war of its own because the government had already passed legislation for the people to choose what was good or bad for them. These events took place between the years 1854 and 1858 and resulted into several issues that were difficult to resolve at that time and hence there was increasing