Rights Contained in the U.S. Bill of Rights Essay Example for Free

Rights Contained in the U.S. Bill of Rights Essay Through the years, the Bill of Rights of the United States has stood as the embodiment of the fundamental rights and privileges of the American public — that is, for both people and important aspects of the society. As such, it is truly crucial to uphold and adhere to the said rights in the U. S. Constitution at all times. In fact, the Supreme Courts uses such foundation to implement justice and protect people from possible violations. Thus, it is through a clear identification and execution as well as appropriate description by the Supreme Court that the nation and its citizens realize the purpose and essence of the Bill of Rights. Bill of Rights: Constitution’s First Ten Amendments Mount, as the author of the online source USConstitution. net, offers an insightful outline and even relevant notes concerning the rights contained in the Bill of Rights. It is worthy to outline the Bill of Rights according to the presentation of Mount or the USConstitution. net, which states that the rights included in the Bill of Rights (the common term for the collection of the first ten amendments) are as follows: Amendment 1 Freedom of Religion, Press. Amendment 2 Right to Bear Arms. Amendment 3 Quartering of Soldiers. Amendment 4 Search and Seizures. Amendment 5 Trial and Punishment, Compensation for Takings. Amendment 6 Right to Speedy Trial, Confrontation of Witnesses. Amendment 7 Trial by Jury in Civil Case. Amendment 8 Cruel and Unusual Punishment. Amendment 9 Construction of Constitution. Amendment 10 Powers of the States and People. (2) To better understand and eventually realize the value of the Bill of Rights, Mount further explains that its initial non-inclusion in the Constitutional Convention indicates inappropriateness (1). This is because the Bill of Rights, particularly the first ten Amendments, comprises the basic rights and privileges of people and the components of the society (Mount 1). Simply put, a Constitution without a Bill of Rights can be considered as unworthy. Hence, realizing the need to clearly identify the rights and privileges which protect the public’s interests, the Bill of Rights is a part of the Constitution that must not be neglected or should not cease to exist (Mount 1). The author however clarifies that the need to respect the Bill of Rights coincides with the requirement to amend the said ten rights in order to avoid misinterpretation and incorrect application of the measure. Thus, the condition of changing the ten most important provisions is necessary that leads us now to the existence of the Bill of Rights (Mount 1). Mount then reveals that the previous efforts made by Representative James Madison were the crucial point in the realization of the Bill of Rights. It was through such event that a clear identification of what rights should come from which Amendment was carried out. The ratification of the Bill of Rights collectively known as the initial ten Amendments on December 15, 1791 (Mount 1) paved the way for the protection of people’s rights and privileges. While there are explicit descriptions and explanations on the Bill of Rights, the above-cited outline summarizes its essence in terms of the protection, freedom, and privileges of the American people. Supreme Court’s Definition Over the years, the Supreme Courts has defined the Bill of Rights as the innate rights of the people which must always be followed and preserved. This is because the nature or characteristic of the Bill of Rights poses a great significance to the lives and interests of the people and society. It is precisely the Supreme Court which supports the Bill of Rights nowadays. In a breakthrough decision, the Supreme Courts defines the Bill of Rights as fundamental forms of liberty among people. The Supreme Court has specifically decided that â€Å"After carefully considering the relevance of the 10 inviolable rights that comprise the ideological foundation on which our nation is built, the court finds that these basic freedoms remain important for the time being, and should not be overturned† (â€Å"Supreme Court Upholds Bill of Rights in 5-4 Decision† 1). Conclusion In summary, the Bill of Rights significantly outlines a person’s rights and privileges, protects one’s freedom, and signifies the condition to be empowered. While it is always emphasized that responsibility comes in every right, it is definitely highly important to observe the Bill of Rights at all times. Ultimately, it is necessary for the components of the country such as the U. S. Supreme Court to interpret the Bill of Rights as a valuable measure aimed at providing people with justice and acknowledging their rights to humane existence. Works Cited Mount, Steve. â€Å"The United States Constitution. † U. S. Constitution Online. 6 Feb. 2009. 16 July 2009. http://www. usconstitution. net/const. html#Amends. â€Å"Supreme Court Upholds Bill of Rights in 5-4 Decision. † The Onion. 14 Nov. 2008. 16 July 2009. http://www. theonion. com/content/news_briefs/supreme_court_upholds_bill

Planning and design phase

Planning and design phase CHOICE OF PROJECT MANAGER AND TEAM MEMBERS The initial phase of the Sodor project involved the formation of the project team and the nomination of the project manager. Group 12 is made up of 4 Nigerians and 1 Vietnamese which reflects a multicultural team with each nationality possessing peculiar personality traits. The objective of the first meeting was to nominate a Project Manager and to define and agree on ground rules for project team meetings. To ensure equal participation of all team members, it was agreed that the rotational project manager system will be adopted whereby each individual in the group would serve as the project manager for 1 week each throughout the 5 week duration of the Sodor project. It was agreed that meetings will be scheduled 3 times a week by the project manager lasting no more than 2 hours each. At each meeting, specific tasks is assigned to each team member to be submitted at the next meeting day. CONTRACTOR SELECTION CRITERIA The contractor selection criteria adopted by the team is the Trade-off technique. This technique uses a scoring system to quantify specific attributes of the various contractors and provides a numerical output, the highest of which represents the best contractor choice. The use of this technique provided the best possible contractors to manage the various stages of this project. MANAGING CONFLICTS Some of the conflicts experienced by the Group 12 team in the management of the Sodor oil terminal include: Team members attitudes: Some of the team members lack motivation and commitment to participate in the project team. This is manifested as absences from team meetings, late comings to team meetings, and lack of verbal contribution to team discussions. This issue was addressed by the project manager in charge who spoke with the team members concerned. Choice of Contractors: The proposal to use Trade-Off for contractor selection was initially resisted by some team members who where in favour of using a more subjective technique. It was finally accepted after an appraisal of the objectiveness of Trade-off was done by the proponent. CONSTRUCTION CHANGE CONTROL   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All changes which include Contractor changes, Scope, Cost, and schedule changes proposed by the project sponsor passed through a Change management process which begins with a brainstorming session by the project team on the costs and benefits of adopting the change. The changes agreed on by the project team is then reflected on the Gantt chart. Due to the choice of contractor selection technique, the changes proposed by the project sponsor during the project lifecycle had a minimal impact on the actual cost and schedule. CLOSE OUT   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The close out process involved a review of the final Sodor terminal project plan to confirm scope, cost and schedule deadlines have been met. The lesson learned document was then prepared which showed the various conflicts that occurred throughout the project and how they where managed by the team in order to provide lessons for the future. The final project plan was then presented to the project sponsor and the Group 12 team was deformed by the project manager. INTRODUCTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Teamwork has been found to be an essential ingredient responsible for the success or failure of projects. The effective use and management of teams for projects has been noted to be a key determinant for how successful a project will be; however, the effectiveness of a team depends on the ability of the team members to interact appropriately with one another to produce a common output. DEFINITION Hoegl(2004) defined teams as a social interaction between two or more people within an organization who share a common task. Teams have also been described as a group of people who hold themselves mutually accountable to each other and who work together to achieve a common purpose(Scholtes et al,2003). The above definitions take into account the fact that for a team to exist, certain basic ingredients need to be in place which include; mutual accountability, constancy of purpose, and a shared responsibility for success or failure. The benefits of teamwork in project management cannot be overemphasized. Teams help in the mobilization of diverse resources to a project as compared to that achieved by a single individual. Church(1998) also noted that teams provide the flexibility to use the mobilized resources thus helping to continue with the project in the event of a particular individual being indisposed. Perhaps the greatest value of teams in managing projects rests with the ability of teams to provide a synergy of the efforts of the individual team members whereby the results achieved is greater than the arithmetic sum of the contributions of the individual members to the team. FACTORS THAT AFFECT TEAM EFFECTIVENESS Team size and choice of members: Hackman(1987) suggested that there is no ideal team size for a project. Furthermore, the team size chosen is dependent on the scope of the project. In contrast, Hoegl(2003) proposed that ideally a project should be reduced to a level where the work package can be managed by a team of between 3-6 people. This helps to avoid the confusion that may arise from Too many Cooks spoiling the broth. The choice of team members also plays a role in determining team success. Trent(2003) proposed that the membership of a project team should be made up of people with the right skills and competencies to tackle the particular task at hand. A set of objective criteria should be used in choosing the members of a project team. Team leadership: Trent(1996) suggested a direct relationship between leadership effectiveness and team effectiveness. The results that a team produces depends largely on the calibre of the leadership. Teams that lack a strong and effective leadership are more likely to fail(Zenger et al,1994). The effectiveness of a leader depends on the possession of skills, experience, and the will to assume responsibility for the team performance. Resource availability: The availability of resources plays a major role in the ability of a team to produce results. Peters and OConnors(1980) postulated that the availability of specific resources can either promote or interfere with a team effectiveness. The resources needed by a team to be effective varies depending on the project scope. It may include financial, Human, and Environmental resources. Establishment of clear goals: Zander(1980) postulated that teams with clear and measurable goals perform better than teams with fuzzy goals. This is as a result of the use of clear goals by teams as a baseline through which team results can be measured. Furthermore, the use of clear and concise goals also helps the team in planning for what they can achieve within a particular timeframe. Reward and Recognition: The relationship between appropriate reward structures and team effectiveness cannot be overemphasized(Bullock and Lawler,1984). Developing a reward system that focuses on the entire team rather than individuals help in improving team motivation and hence its effectiveness. It is a fact that people are motivated to achieve results if they feel that the results provide value to the organization and this value is acknowledged by the organization. SODOR OIL TERMINAL PLANNING AND DESIGN   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The need to have a plan for the management of the Sodor oil terminal cannot be overemphasized. Grachev et al(2006) using 3M corporation as a case study proposed that a key benefit of planning upfront for a project is the creation of well defined project goals. The goals help to give direction to a teams project. Other benefits of planning include; it helps the team members in the coordination of individual tasks by providing clearly stated assignments. Furthermore, the project plan also enables the team to have an overview of the project schedule, costs and constraints which the team can then use as a baseline to measure actual project progress.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The planning and design of the Sodor oil terminal started with the identification of the Cost, Schedule and Scope goals from the data derived from the Project Sponsor. These goals where then integrated into a sequential structure by the use of the MS Project ® to produce the Sodor oil terminal preliminary Gantt chart. Multiple adjustments to scope, cost, and schedule data was proposed by the project sponsor which resulted in iterative changes to the project plan leading to changes in the project cost and time of completion. The final Sodor oil terminal plan is a comprehensive document showing the actual budget, time of completion, scope of the project, and the approved contractors selected for the project. Christina(2009) proposed that key factors that affect team success at the planning and design phase include; Well-Defined Goals: The definition of clear project deliverables has been shown to improve the success rate of project teams. Pinto and Slevin(1988) proposed that clearly defined and structured goals is a significant factor that determines the effectiveness of teams and hence the success rate of projects. The goals of the Group 12 team where clearly stated and well defined at the onset of the project which was to deliver a project plan within 98 weeks at no more than the stated project budget provided by the project sponsor. Management Support: Pinto and Slevin(1988) suggested that the support upper management gives a team helps in facilitating team success. This occurs by facilitating the release of resources to the project team hence ensuring their efficiency and helping to remove administrative bottle necks. Group 12 received the support of the project sponsor in the designing of the sodor plan especially with respect to weekly review meetings to assess the current status of the project plan and proffer ways to bring the plan back on track. Cross-Cultural teams: The importance of having multiple individuals from different cultures in a team has been proposed to impact positively on team results(Earley and Mosakowski,2000). Ochieng and Price(2009) also suggested that the effective use of proper communication techniques to handle cultural differences in a team helps in promoting project success. Multiple cultures in a team brings together people with different skills, competencies, and personal attributes dedicated to a common purpose. The multicultural environment of Group 12 provided a pool of diverse ideas derived via brainstorming from which the best possible solution was agreed on and translated into the Sodor project plan. Team experience and continuity: Pinto and Slevin(1988) suggested that the inclusion of individuals with specific project experience into a team helps in promoting its success. This is because this individuals already have a knowledge of the critical factors needed to ensure the success of the particular project from the lessons learned from past projects managed by them. Scott-Young(2009) suggested that the stability of a team throughout the project lifecycle helps in ensuring team success. Stable teams have been shown to maintain the consistency of ideas generation and are not susceptible to the distraction that tends to occur from a team member joining or leaving the team(Akgun and Lynn,2000). The use of team members with a wide range of experience managing projects like healthcare, education, and engineering played a key role in the results of Group 12. This is due to the diverse nature of the knowledge pool available for planning the project. The stability of the Group 12 team th roughout the project lifecycle also played a key role in the design of the sodor project plan. CONSTRUCTION AND CLOSEOUT Handling Conflicts: The absence of conflicts in a team has been proposed to be a pointer to the failure of the team(Saj-Nicole and Damon). The presence of conflicts and how the conflicts are managed indicates how successful the project team will be. The nature of the conflicts i.e. conflicts relevant to the project scope, serves to provoke a generation of ideas from the project team on the best way to manage the crises. Several conflicts arose during the management of Group 12; an example will be the, Who to choose as the project manager? The way it was managed was to have a face to face meeting with the project team, everybody laying their individual ideas on the table, then arriving at a decision mutually beneficial to everyone which is to have a rotational project manager system with each member of the project team ‘having a taste of the pie of being the project manager for 1 week each. This solution helped during the construction phase of the plan because all the team membe rs felt a sense of belonging and making a positive contribution to the team. Leadership: The proposal by Akgun and Lynn(2000) on the positive benefits of leadership continuity to the project team success is largely not applicable to the Group 12 project team. This is because the use of a single leader throughout the project lifecycle will have led to the presence of domineering tendencies being shown by the individual chosen which may affect certain decisions made during the formulation of the construction plan. It will also have led to project team members being made to feel they are not a part of the team. Hence in a bid to avoid this scenario, the rotational project manager system was proposed and adopted. Lessons-learned documentation: The preparation of the lessons learned document is an essential part of the project team closure phase(PMI,2008). The lessons learned document captures the lessons learned at various milestones in the planning of the project. The final meeting of the Group 12 team was a brainstorming session to identify various challenges we had during the creation of the Sodor project plan and how the challenges where managed. CONCLUSION This paper details how the Group 12 team managed the Sodor project from design to the closeout phase. It explains in detail the various factors responsible for the success of the team in arriving at the final project plan; and also the various challenges Group 12 team had and how those challenges where managed to produce positive results. The paper sheds light on the key factors that affect various stages of the project and how they where harnessed and utilized positively by the Group 12 team. REFERENCES Scholtes, P.R. Joiner, B.L. Streibel, B.J(2003) The team handbook.3rd Edition, Oriel Incorporated, USA. PMI(2008) A Guide to the Project management body of knowledge. 4th Edition, PMI, Newton square, USA. Hoegl, M(2004) ‘Smaller teams-better teamwork: How to keep project teams small. Business horizons, Vol.48, Nos.3, pp.209-214. Church, A.H(1998) ‘From both sides now: the power of teamwork-fact or fiction?. Team performance management, Vol.4, Nos.2, pp.42-52. Hackman, J.R(1987) ‘The design of work teams. In: Lorsch, J.W(1987) Handbook of organizational behaviour, Prentise-hall, USA, pp.315-342. Trent, R.J(2003) ‘Planning to use of work teams effectively. Team performance management: An international journal. Vol.9, Nos.3, pp.50-58. Zenger, J. Musselwhite, E. Hinson, K. Perrin, C(1994) Leading teams:mastering the new role. Irwin, Homewood, USA, pp.14-15. Trent, R.J(1996) ‘Understanding and evaluating cross-functional sourcing team leadership. International journal of purchasing and materials management. Vol.42, Nos.2, pp.29-39. Peters, L.H and OConnors,E.J(1980) ‘Situational constraints and work outcomes: the influences of a frequently overlooked construct. Academy of management review, Vol.5, Nos.3, pp.391-397. Zander, A.F(1980) ‘The origins and consequences of group goals. Retrospections on social psychology. Oxford university press, New York, USA. Bullock, R.J and Lawler, E.E(1984) ‘Gainsharing: a few questions and fewer answers. Human resources management. Vol.23, Nos.1, pp.23-40. Grachev, M.V. Rogovsky, N.G. Bobina, M.A(2006) ‘3M: Role model for emerging markets? Thunderbird International Business review, Vol.48, Nos.6, pp.803-821. Iles, P and Hayers, P.K(1997) ‘Managing diversity in transnational project teams. Journal of managerial psychology. Vol.12, Nos.2, pp.95-117. Pinto, J.K and Slevin, D.P(1988) ‘Critical success factors across the project lifecycle. Project management journal. Vol.19, Nos.3, pp.67-75. Cohen, S.G and Bailey, D(1997) ‘What makes teams work: Group effectiveness research from the shopfloor to the executive suite. Journal of management. Vol.23, Nos.3, pp.239-290. Scott-Young,C(2009) ‘Team management for fast projects: an empirical study of process industries. International journal of operations and production management. Vol.29, Nos.6, pp.612-635. Akgun, A.E and Lynn, G.S(2002) ‘Antecedents and consequences of team stability on NPD performance. Journal of technology management, Vol.19, pp.263-286. Earley, P.C and Mosakowski, E(2000) ‘Creating hybrid team cultures: and empirical test of transnational team functioning. Academy of management journal. Vol.43, Nos.1, pp.26-49. Ochieng, E.G and Price, A.D.F(2009) ‘Managing cross-cultural communication in multicultural construction project teams: the case of Kenya and UK. International journal of project management. Vol.10, pp.101-106. Saj-Nicole, A.J and Damon, B(2009) ‘How to pick a good fight. Harvard business review. Vol.87, Nos.12, pp.48-57. Christina, S(2009) ‘Team management for fast projects: an empirical study of process industries. International Journal of operations and production management, Vol.29, Nos.6, pp.612-635.

Symbolism in Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston Essays -- Hurston Sweat Symbo

Symbolism in Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston "Sweat" by Zora Neale Hurston is filled with symbolism ranging from images that are easily captured to things that require a little bit more insight. Religion has apparently played a major role in Hurston's life, readily seen in "Sweat" with the references to a snake and Gethsemane. Symbolism plays a big part of this story and after analyzing these, they give the story a deeper meaning and can enlighten the reader as to the full meaning of "Sweat". The most apparent symbol in the story is the title, "Sweat". It is also mentioned in the story, "Looka heah, Sykes, you done gone too fur. Ah been married to you fur fifteen years, and Ah been takin' in washin' fur fifteen years. Sweat, sweat, sweat! Work and sweat, cry and sweat, pray and sweat" (Hurston 679). The "Sweat" is the product of Delia's hard work supporting them. It stands for her work ethic and how she has tried to make her work as best as she can, it is a big part of her life. Another easily recognized symbol in this story is that of the snake. "Sykes, what you throw dat whip on me like dat? You know it would skeer me - looks just like a snake, an' you knows how skeered Ah is of snakes" (Hurston 678). The snake is the main symbol in this story, it ties it together because it is mentioned at the beginning of the story and at the end. Sykes decides to bring a snake into their home, "Look in de box dere Delia, Ah done brung yuh somethin'.Syke! Syke, mah Gawd! You tak...

Desertification :: essays research papers

Essay: What is desertification, where is it found, and what are the causes? Desertification is the process by which land dries up eventually over time and the land turning to desert. This is common in Africa where most of the terrain is a desert. It is believed that the Sahara desert was once fertile ground but now it is dried up. Sand as far as the eye can see and very little rainfall occurs in this region. About 2500 B.C., the climate of the Sahara changed. Africa was once a fertile plain but where the Sahara lies was once a fertile plain capable of harvesting foods nearly anytime of year due to the warm weather. But it slowly dried up. As the land became parched, the desert spread. The process of desertification devours thousands of acres of cropland and pastureland each year. As the region dried the people retreated. With no water and little food the land became inhabitable. Most people migrated south towards the marshlands and the savannah. It is believed on of the causes of the Sahara is due to over harvesting of crops. It is believed that the Paleolithic people had learned how to cultivate in the Nile valley then spread out and established permanent villages. Archeologist say quite a few of the villages existed on the Sahara. Due to the farming over many years the land dried up due to the lack of minerals and lack of water. The Bantu is what is believed to be the remnants of those who use to farm in the Sahara region. And archeologists have been able to track their migration by studying their language patterns. The Bantu were originally nomadic herders who traveled throughout Africa caring for their flock.

racism Essay -- essays research papers

One sentence that summarizes economics is, â€Å"there’s no such thing as a free lunch.† Sure, anyone can have a lunch and not pay for it, but it still is not free. Everything costs something to someone. Even if you don’t pay for your lunch, someone will, whether it be your lunch partner, the restaurant manager, the owner, or the people who supply the raw materials to make that food. Everything acquired by a person or a community is accompanied by a price, monetary or not. Jaime Fox said, â€Å"Ain’t nothing in this world for free, and it blows my mind how many fools just don’t get that.† I agree with this statement. Many forms of literature, such as Martin Luther King’s speech â€Å"I Have a Dream† and â€Å"Learning to Read and Write† by Fredrick Douglas, have documented the high price paid for freedom and basic human rights; they show that even freedom, where the root word is â€Å"free†, has an expensive tag.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Usually, when we think of something as being free, we associate it with money. I believe Jaime Fox’s statement can be applied to so much more than â€Å"bought† materials. For many years, African Americans and other minorities have been fighting for freedom, a right that has been won with hard work, spilled blood, broken bones, and tears. This is the ultimate price tag. In Dr. King’s speech he claimed that by signing the Constitution and the Declaration of independence, the â€Å"architects of our republic wrote a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men—yes, Black men as well as white men—would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned† (447). He urges his audience, of both white and black citizens, to fight fo r these rights promised to all Americans. â€Å"We have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice† (448). He insists that they fight with their minds and not their force. Dr. King and all those who listened to him, who fought with him, who put their lives in danger with him, they, put the down payment on endless lease we have taken out on freedom. Although Dr. King’s discussion of freedom has affected everyone in America personally, his address of freedom was on a larg... ...w York (147). Nothing he gained was free, he has to fail, be beaten, learn to write, and then devise a life-threatening plan to be able to have the most basic of freedoms. During his time, it wasn’t a right, it was a privilege he was legally denied. New generations seem to have forgotten that high costs were stapled to the back of liberty. We think that basic human rights is something that everyone should have immediately. Some believe that these rights should be imposed as early as conception. People sometimes forget that although we are now only paying â€Å"maintenance fees,† our ancestors had to buy it with the currency they had. In order for all of us to enjoy the same civil rights, people before us had to suffer without them. Like Fox said, â€Å"many fools just don’t get that.† Today, many Americans still believe we are fighting for freedom in our country. We still fight for freedom of expression, freedom from segregation, and freedom to be who we are. Jaime Fox did say that nothing in this world is free. He was right. No one can feed a person for free because it will impose a cost on someone else. The funny thing is, that even the things that don’t cost anything to give to someone

Impact of Mixed Ability Classrooms in Catholic School

â€Å" A literature reappraisal is an history of what has been published on a subject by commissioned bookmans and research workers † ( Taylor, P.1 ) . In this chapter, my intent is to convey what cognition and thoughts have been established by others in my research field. I would discourse the literature which would assist me reply my research inquiries: What is the impact of Mixed Ability Classrooms in a Catholic School since its execution in 2005? Did low winners ability grouping scheme of GCS have a important impact on academic school accomplishment? Could Mixed Ability Classrooms and Ability Classrooms continue to coexist in the hereafter? The literature reviews what international organic structure has found on Mixed Ability and Ability Grouping and how it has impacted since execution, every bit good as its deductions in Mauritius particularly for GCS. This chapter is schematically structured as follows: Assorted Ability – Mauritanian definition v/s others Assorted Ability – Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategies which could be applicable but are non used in the Mauritanian context Assorted Ability – Disadvantages Ability Grouping – Definition and which one is adapted to GCS. The pros and cons of Ability Grouping Ability Grouping v/s – Decisions of other literatures on the correlativity bing between grouping School accomplishment and accomplishment2 Assorted AbilityAssorted Ability is foremost defined before its deduction in the Mauritanian context is considered. Mckeon ( 2004 ) defines Assorted Ability Classroom as a group dwelling of able, mean, and kids with larning troubles in the same category. ( cited in Bremner, 2008, p.2 ) . Ireson and Hallam ( 2001 ) reinforce the thought of Mixed Ability schoolrooms as those providing for diverse â€Å" learning manners † and â€Å" penchants † . ( cited in Bremner, 2008, p.2 ) . These two definitions are consistent with what is found in the Mauritanian context. In 2005, the BEC changed the corporate purpose of all Mauritian Catholic Schools in following the Mixed Ability Policy. This was translated by a alteration in the consumption standards of these schools for Form 1 pupils. Admission standards, under BEC auspices, for Form 1 pupils since 2005 are as follows: Aggregate of 15 to 20 units at the Certificate of Primary Education Zoning: The Secondary School where application is lodged should be in the same zone as the Primary School attended Social Cases: on Humanitarian evidences Individual consequences in English, Mathematics, Science, French or History/Geography ( in that order ) will be used for campaigners with the same sum Aptitude tests/Interviews/Random choice if there are excessively many successful applications( Beginning: BEC, 2003 )Therefore the Form 1 schoolrooms in Catholic Schools had a diverse group of pupils since 2005. This state of affairs harmonises itself with the Catholic Education mission which is to: â€Å" humanise instruction, teaching methods, methods, agencies for pupils, instructors, parents to be more humanaˆÂ ¦A human instruction is a collaborative and originative attack to larning † ( Bishop Piat, Le Mauricien, Jan. 2006 ) . Assorted ability categories in Catholic schools of Mauritius therefore are made up of low, in-between and high winners within the same schoolroom. This construct is acknowledged by Dauguet ( 2007 ) that in Mauritius â€Å" Assorted Ability is related to performance-based groupings † ( p.58 ) and Merven ( 2005 ) â€Å" where pupils with different academic degrees will be in the same schoolroom † ( p.36 ) . It is understood that Mixed Ability is related to distinction since â€Å" diverseness means differences † ( Tileston, 2004, p.13 ) . The construct of distinction can be defined as â€Å" meeting the person demands of each scholar, of custom-making direction to assist pupils larn † ( Fogarty, 2005, p.2 ) . . Rose ( 2009 ) compared a Mixed Ability Class with an lift. The category is a lift, and everyone demands to acquire into the lift. Some will acquire on while others have to be dragged in. Some will go to the top while others may halt at the 3rd floor, others may merely make the first floor but everyone would hold travelled successfully someplace. ( English Teaching Professional, p. 3 ) . This narrative is in line with Mixed Ability doctrine where every pupil can go forth the schoolroom feeling that they have been challenged and that they have achieved something. Teaching, Learning and Appraisals are ingredients used as tools to do a Mixed Ability category effectual.2.1 Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategies in Mixed Ability ClassroomsGCS Mixed Ability Classrooms have characteristics which are features of both the differentiated schoolroom every bit good as the traditional 1. ( Appendix.. ) . In my survey I aim to happen out whether Assorted Ability Classrooms at GCS were consistent with what is said on the subject in the international literature. Therefore Teaching, Learning and Assessment schemes which are used presently under Mixed Ability Policy would supply stuff for comparative analysis in my research. Tomlinson ( 1999 ) suggested that an pedagogue in a differentiated schoolroom would utilize as their planning footing, the pupils ‘ differences. The scholars on the other manus would be guided to do acquisition picks based on their involvements. In this context the scholars would be provided with an array of larning profiles such as preparedness, involvement and their attitude to larning which would determine direction. In a assorted ability schoolroom there is the possibility that pupils help their co-learners in trouble every bit good as their instructors in happening solutions to jobs. Furthermore pupils work with the pedagogue to establish encompassing whole-class every bit good as single acquisition purposes. In the same line of idea, the Mixed Ability attack expressed by Harris and Snow ( 2004 ) would do pupils go more effectual scholars and the usage of learner-centred schemes would give them the pick of content every bit good as larning manner. ( cited in Bremner, 2008 ) . Bremner ( 2008 ) acknowledged that Mixed Ability Classroom success depends on pupils larning as an person instead than holding a whole category instruction. The instructor in developing its instruction schemes would concentrate on multiple signifiers of intelligences found in diverse schoolroom as stipulated by Tomlinson ( 1999 ) . She farther advocated that in this context pedagogues will do usage of many instructional agreements every bit good as multiple learning stuffs or resources. Therefore this would take to multiple positions on thoughts and events. In this manner, the teacher/facilitator enhances pupil ‘s accomplishments in position of doing independent scholars. The GCS pedagogues in the survey were concerned about the deficiency of resources. The scarce resources could be circumvented ( Bremner 2008 ) by Educators learning scholars to be effectual. This should be done by puting accomplishable ends, by doing usage of available tools and maintaining those in good running conditions, and by pull offing efficaciously their clip allocated for work. To reenforce the key factors which would do a Mixed Ability Class successful, Moutou ( 2006 ) advocated that resource individual should hold a well planned and organised lesson program. The instructor should do proviso to provide for individualized demands. In order to suit assorted pupils ‘ demands, it should be supported by multi undertakings for one lesson. This scenario is more disputing for the instructor covering with multi degree category than a individual degree category. Similarly, this position is consistent with GCS pedagogues who found Mixed Ability Classrooms disputing. This ambitious attitude is reflected by the undermentioned quotation mark from Hubbard, Jones, Thornton and Wheeler: â€Å" Teacher ‘s attitude, their willingness to make, a sense of community in category, and a echt desire to assist, there can be progress at all degrees † ( 1983, p.318, cited in Moutou, 2006, p.1 ) . This ambitious attitude is contrasted with instructor centred attack where learning accent is on text book context and really few activities therefore engendering hapless lessons. This state of affairs is farther reinforced by deficient coaction in groups every bit good as unequal differentiated undertakings in category. ( HM Inspectors of Education cited in Bremner 2008 ) . GCS Educators have been challenged by the new policy to seek new ways of instruction and to do usage of available stuffs. Therefore, preparation and resources are of import tools to do a Mixed Ability category effectual. This links good with what Corbel ( 1989 ) said: â€Å" Professional development occurs of course in Mixed Ability Classes. These are categories that compel us to happen better ways of puting up everyday undertakings. They are the categories that make us believe, create and turn as a instructor † . ( p.4 ) . Learning, instruction and appraisals are portion of the pupil life. Thus, Tomlinson ( 1999 ) advanced that a schoolroom appraisal is â€Å" on-going and diagnostic † ( p.16 ) . He farther acknowledged that assorted types of assignments should be used in Mixed Ability Classrooms. To be in harmoniousness with a scholar ‘s demand clip flexibleness should non be a restraint. Differentiated/Mixed Ability direction and appraisal work together ( Tomlinson 1999, Chapman and King 2005 ) . Marzano ( 2000 ) suggested purposes of appraisal and direction as follows: â€Å" Appraisal should concentrate on pupil ‘s usage of cognition and complex concluding instead than their callback of low degree information † â€Å" Direction must reflect the best of what we know about how learning occurs. † ( cited in Chapman and King, 2005, p. ) Fullan ( 1998 ) reflects the above in qualifying that â€Å" appraisal has to drive the educational alteration docket around larning and pupil accomplishment † ( cited in Chapman and King, 2005, p. ) . Assessment is therefore portion of direction and has to be on-going and encompassing the acquisition procedure. Its purpose is to supply instructors with information on pupils ‘ profiles: â€Å" accomplishments, involvements and larning scheme † ( Tomlinson, 1999, p. ) . Teachers in differentiated schoolroom ( Tomlinson 1999 ) saw assessment non as a tool that semen at the terminal of a chapter or unit where it examined what has been learned instead it views appraisal as a manner of altering direction scheme. Differentiated appraisal should be used to roll up information on the pupils ‘ : â€Å" demands, accomplishments, prior cognition, manner and velocity at which they process new acquisition, and of showing advancement † ( Chapman and King ( 2005 ) p . ) . When sifting through the literature it is observed that varied agencies of appraisal directs larning and direction. In this context Formative Assessment which is ongoing before, during and after direction provides feedback on effectual pupil acquisition ( Chapman and King, 2005 ) . Diagnostic appraisals, as acknowledged by Dryer ( 2008 ) are done during the learning procedure. They tried to observe larning troubles in pupils and this has to be attended to. Appraisals, as defined by Dryer ( 2008 ) occur at the terminal of the ‘learning rhythm or stage and measures accomplishment ‘ are called Summative. The consequences ( p.17 ) are used as acknowledged by Chapman and King ( 2005 ) as ‘evidence for a class, for describing to parents, to place award receivers or to do arrangement determinations ‘ ( p. ) . Differentiated Appraisals are contrasted with traditional appraisal still in usage in Mauritanian schools. Puhl ( 1997 ) reflects on traditional appraisal which has as purpose summational trials that forces scholars to analyze. Traditional assessment focal point in on memorization and instructor centred scheme and encourages direction as a merchandise. The ensuing feedback on summational trials is concluding and normally these trials are written work. Mauritius, whose analyzing organic structure is external – UCLES, is a advocate of summational scrutinies. As it is an island and depends on export and imports for its endurance, it has to vie. This overall competition brings frontward an elitist society where Education follows the tendency. The Mauritanian instruction system allows for ‘star or national ‘ schools where the best acting pupil is recruited, laureates ( top ranked pupils at Higher School Certificate who benefits from a scholarship ) , and the parallel instruction – broad tuition based. All this encouraged the elitist system to proliferate. As lone conc luding mark counts in such system, summational scrutinies are adopted throughout the Mauritanian school system. Although since the 70 ‘s in England, and under the different Education Mauritian policy documents, Mixed Ability doctrine has been encouraged, such schoolrooms have encountered jobs. Salli-copur ( 2005 ) reported that it is hard for a instructor even for a little group to follow each scholar. Due to single differences pupils react otherwise to text book which can be gratifying for some and tiring for others. There is besides the fact that, pupils who feel confident voice out their replies quicker and more frequently than the diffident 1s. GCS Mixed Ability Classrooms are big. As a consequence of ailments from GCS Educators meeting troubles in managing and teaching Mixed Ability Classrooms, Low Achievers Ability Classroom was formed.2.2 Ability GroupingAs a consequence of Mixed Ability Policy implemented in the Catholic School under probe in the research, the low winners ability grouping was formed and used as a scheme to advance acquisition and beef up academic accomplishment. As stipulated by George ( 1988 ) the ability grouping pattern at GCS is aimed at: increasing academic criterions compared to what it was in a assorted ability environment, the pupils which could encompass a good feeling/attitude towards schools and besides in their input as a scholar, reenforcing instructors ‘ effectivity. In perusing through the literature, it was discovered that the ability grouping is besides known as: scene, stria, streaming, tracking. This is reflected in the undermentioned quotation mark: â€Å" The contention of set uping pupils in categories by accomplishment degrees, called ‘setting ‘ or ‘streaming ‘ in Scotland and ‘tracking ‘ or ‘ability grouping ‘ in the United States is over 100 old ages old † . ( Gamoran, 2002 ) . Therefore ability grouping is defined as: â€Å" Ability grouping is the pattern of spliting pupils for direction on the footing of their sensed capacities for larning † ( Balanced View, 2002, Vol 6, No.2 ) . The Balanced View ( 2002 ) makes the differentiation between â€Å" within category grouping † and â€Å" between category grouping † . The former group separates pupils of same ability into smaller groups while the latter allocate pupils to different categories based on accomplishment. GCS has adopted the ulterior system. Smith and Sutherland ( 2003 ) offered a principle for ability grouping in the sense that instructors would experience non merely more at easiness with a smaller scope of ability but besides it could be a manner of dividing pupils with behavior jobs. Such a category would actuate pupils and scholars to larn better than in a Assorted Ability one and therefore hold a opportunity in bettering their consequences. ( cited in the Journal of Research in Particular Education Needs, 2003 ) . GCS standards for Ability Grouping would be consistent with Barker-Lunn ( 1970 ) thought that â€Å" Teachers, faced with a Assorted Ability category, will group the students harmonizing to their abilities ; in other words, they will work out the jobs presented to them by the unstreamed school by streaming within the category † ( Cited in Kelly, 1978, p.96 ) . Kelly ( 1978 ) further added that there is a direct correlativity between accomplishment and grouping. The pupils with same working gait and past accomplishments would be grouped together. The pattern in GCS is correspondent to what is described by Oakes ( 15 & A ; 16 cited in Johnson ( 2002 ) . The latter acknowledged that pupils can be grouped through the undermentioned standards: accomplishment through trials public presentation, instructors ‘ perceptual experience of where to locate the pupils ‘ degree of understanding and learning, and their chances of what pupils intend to make after graduation. Therefore, Oakes acknowledged that a homogenous group would be consistent with the scholars ‘ demands. Johnson ( 2002 ) further emphasised that to group scholars with their equals who are in similar procedure of acquisition is a positive move. Ability grouping would therefore do â€Å" instruction efficient and effectual for all pupils while recognizing single differences. † ( Johnson, 2002, p 2 ) . Grouping harmonizing to ability is non new: Ireson and Hallam recount that: â€Å" Historically, grouping in the UK had been based on steps of general ability or intelligence, such as verbal logical thinking and cognitive abilities. During the 1960 ‘s and 1970 ‘s such trial were used by many secondary schools to apportion students to streams on entry. Students were so taught in their streamed categories for all lessons † ( 1999, p.343-344 ) . GCS Ability grouping could turn out to be a discouraging scheme for the school if the disadvantages that are revealed in the literature become applicable to the school. Oppositions of ability grouping as written in the Balanced View ( 2002 ) do non believe in its good effects as they prescribed that this type of grouping encouraged the channelling of â€Å" hapless and minority pupils † to have â€Å" lower quality direction † therefore lending to enlarge the spread between the low and high winners. ( Vol 6, No.2 ) . Other statements advanced by Hollifield ( 1987 ) against ability grouping are, that â€Å" the pattern creates categories or groups of low winners who are deprived of the illustration and stimulation provided by high winners. Labeling pupils harmonizing to ability and delegating them to low-achievement groups may besides pass on self-fulfilling low outlooks † . ( p.1 ) . This farther links to Gamoran ( 1998 ) unfavorable judgment that ability groupin g creates ‘status hierarchy ‘ in the school system. To label pupils as being ‘incompetent ‘ or ‘less smart ‘ could make ‘inequities outside the schoolroom ‘ ( cited in Johnson, 2002, p.2 ) .2.3 Ability Grouping v/s AccomplishmentSince one of my research inquiries is to happen out the whether there is a important impact between ability grouping and academic accomplishment, it is deserving observing the different literature on the topic. Slavin ( 1986 ) proceeded to a â€Å" Best Evidence Analysis † . To make so, he reviewed five comprehensive ability grouping programs in simple schools. The grouping programs are: â€Å" ability grouped category assignment, reorganizing for reading or mathematics, the Joplin Plan, not graded programs, and within-class ability grouping † ( cited in Hollifield, 1987 ) . The â€Å" Ability Grouped Class Assignment † placed pupils in a schoolroom on an ability footing. The grounds found by Slavin ( 1986 ) showed that this type of grouping has no consequence on pupil accomplishment in the simple school. The â€Å" Regrouping for reading or mathematics † is merely done during those two categories as for most of the twenty-four hours the pupils are in their assorted ability schoolrooms. This grouping has proved advantageous on pupil accomplishment. This has been enhanced by the fact that degree and direction gait had been adapted to achievement degree. However, it must be noted that the above regrouping to be proved efficient, it should be catered for non more than two topics. ( cited in Hollifield, 1987 ) . The ‘Joplin Plan ‘ regrouped pupils across class degrees – for illustration high accomplishing 4th classs, mean 5th graders, low accomplishing six classs form portion of the 50 class reading category. Slavin ‘s ( 1987 ) found strong grounds of such grouping additions reading accomplishment. This piece of information reflects what was said antecedently in the chapter, that the impression of high winners exciting low winners when they are assorted into a schoolroom. ( cited in Hollifield, 1987 ) . The ‘Non Graded Plan ‘ which channelled pupils into flexible groups based on public presentation, the topic course of study is divided in such a manner that pupils improve at their ain gait. This program has proved a positive relationship between grouping and accomplishment. Similarly ‘Within-Class Ability Grouping ‘ where pupils are grouped harmonizing to their ability in one schoolroom, grounds has shown a positive correlativity between grouping and accomplishment. However, Slavin ( 1986 ) , found out that the effects were somewhat greater for low winners than for center or lower circulars. ( cited in Hollifield, 1987 ) . Slavin ( 1986 ) concluded that schools and instructors should follow methods that have proved its effectivity where ability grouping is concerned. These methods include within-class ability grouping in Maths, Non graded programs in Reading, and the Joplin program. If ability grouped category assignment use an alternate grouping where pupils are assigned on public presentation degree so it can be used in ability grouping category. ( cited in Hollifield, 1987 ) . Slavins ‘ ( 1986 ) recommendations for successful ability grouping and positive accomplishment degree: This type of grouping should be done merely for some topics while in other topics the pupils should be in assorted ability schoolrooms. To learn a accomplishment, for illustration, Reading, the usage of grouping programs would cut down pupil heterogeneousness ‘ ( ( cited in Hollifield, 1987 ) . The same program would non work if IQ or Achievement degree is being tested. If the instructor formed little â€Å" within ability groups † this will assist instruction better as the instructor will be able to give better support. ( cited in Hollifield, 1987 ) . The literature has besides revealed that low circulars made as much advancement as high circulars when they are submitted to certain conditions. Gamoran ( 1993 ) explained that a US Catholic schools applied a rigorous academic course of study in lower ability grouping where the same instructors taught in low and high degrees, the academic course of study stayed the same for both groups and verbal interactions and treatments form portion of the instruction and acquisition scheme. All this factors combined had a positive consequence on achievement degree. However, there have been surveies where it has been found that ability grouping aggravate inequalities in accomplishment. Kerckhoff ( 1986 ) ( cited in Gamoran ( 2002 ) , commented on the impact of puting v/s achievement inequality. The grounds that he used came from the National Child Development Survey ( NCDS ) ( informations collected comes from a 1958 British cohort over 20 old ages ) . Data collected are from England and Wales. Kerckhoff showed that pupils ‘ accomplishment degree is greater in schools or categories which apply ability grouping while those pupils in assorted ability categories have decreased achievement degree. However, low degrees schools and categories fell far behind. Kerckhoff ( 1986 ) besides explained that there is an mean degree of achievement growing when comparing Mixed Ability and Setting grouping schools. This is due to the fact that high winners success is balanced against low winners loss. Inequalities in accomplishment could besides be due to differentiated schoolroom direction. In his article, Gamoran ( 2002 ) explained these findings from the surveies of English categories in US secondary schools. The survey revealed that higher degree pupils who are channelled towards more academic classs with the support of experient, qualified and prepared pedagogues who cover instruction and learning stuffs challengingly and at a faster gait show higher degree of accomplishment than the low achieving schoolroom. The low degree of accomplishment for low degree category was due to the riotous behavior of the pupils and where the instructor set written work instead than promoting unfastened ended inquiries and verbal interactions. Ability Grouping fell in disfavor, harmonizing to Hallam, Ireson and Davies ( 2004 ) , when ‘educational theory decided against ability grouping ( puting and streaming ) from the 70 ‘s onwards ‘ ( BERJ 2004, vol 30 ( 4 ) pp 516-533 ) . However over the last decennary there has been a revival of this type of grouping. Its reappearance is commented as being the agency which would assist raising criterions. Hallam, Ireson, and Davies ( 2004 ) recapitulated the grounds for which ability grouping fell in disfavor: â€Å" Low self-pride and societal disaffection of lower watercourse pupils Inconclusive grounds for positive effects on attainment A displacement of educational focal point towards equality of educational chance † ( BERJ 2004, vol 30 ( 4 ) pp 516-533 ) In my research survey, pupils ‘ sentiment on ability group has been sought. Hallam, Ireson and Davies ( 2004 ) admit that there has been few research on ability grouping ( streaming, puting and within category grouping ) where pupils voice out their positions. The research on ability grouping popularised the relationship between that type of grouping and academic, societal and personal results. The article from Hallam, Ireson and Davies ( 2004 ) cited old research which embraces Pupil ‘s position has drawn out the undermentioned accounts: Streaming encourages both positive and negative attitudes towards school and higher winners are pro streaming compared to lower circulars. Puting among mathematics pupils reveal that more pupils would wish to travel sets or articulation categories where assorted ability instruction is being done. In primary schools, the pupils holding higher position in head would wish to be in higher ability grouping. However, most pupils would prefer to be given whole category work or single work. Streaming emphasized the negative effects towards lower watercourses. It is further acknowledged that if students of below norm are taught by instructors who are for streaming in a assorted ability environment, this has a negative impact on the pupil. This can take the signifier that those pupils do non hold any friends and are rejected by their equals. Assorted ability categories encourage societal coherence in the category. It is appropriate at this phase to reexamine the undermentioned statistics on ability grouping. George ( 1988 ) ( cited in Crosby & A ; Owens ( 1993 ) revealed that: â€Å" Educators and parents are in favor of tracking/ability grouping. 85 % of the research says that tracking is non good while 85 % of schools continue to pattern it. â€Å" ( Solutions and Strategies,1995, ( 5 ) p.2 ) . Furthermore George ( 1998 ) and Slavin ( 1991a ) concluded that Ability Grouping research has non prompted any conclusive replies whether it be positive or negative ( Cited in Crosby and Owens, 1993 ) . This is what I intend to happen out with the research inquiry on significance of low accomplishing grouping with academic school accomplishment. I would wish to happen out whether it is consistent or in resistance with George and Slavin ‘s decisions.

Energy Drink and Alternative Beverages Essay

1. What are the strategically relevant components of the global and U. S. beverage industry macro-environment? How do the economic characteristics of the alternative beverage segment of the industry differ from that of other beverage categories? Explain. SEGMENTATION: The global market for alternative beverages was divided by product type (sports drinks, energy drinks, and vitamin-enhanced beverages) with different demands for each group. Sports drinks accounted for nearly 60% of alternative beverage sales in 2009, while vitamin-enhanced drinks and energy drinks got about 23% and 18% of 2009 alternative beverage sales, respectively, in the US. RIVALRY: The worldwide competition between three major producers (PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and Red Bull) made the industry rivalry become global. In U. S. , Pepsico has engulfed almost half or 47. 8% of the market shares last 2009. The only region where Coca-Cola beats Pepsico is in Asia-Pacific. Coca-cola has 13. 7% of the market shares while Pepsico has 12. 4%. Worldwide, Pepsico is still leading among the three with 26. 5% of market shares while Coca-Cola and Red Bull had 11. 5% and 7%, respectively. MARKET SIZE: The global beverage industry’s dollar value for beverages in 2009 was $1,581. 7 billion (458. 4 billion liters); with 48. 2% of industry sales was from carbonated soft drinks, 29. 2% from bottle water, 4. 0% from sports drinks, 1. 6% flavored or enhanced water, and 1. 2% from energy drinks. The dollar value of global market for alternative beverages in the same year was $40. 2 billion (12. 7 billion liters), while the dollar value of the U. S. market for alternative beverages stood at $17 billion (4. 2 billion liters). Meanwhile, in Asia-Pacific region, the dollar value for alternative beverages in 2009 was $12. 7 billion (6. 2 billion liters) and it was $9. 1 billion (1. 6 billion liters) in the European market. MARKET GROWTH: The dollar value of the global beverage industry had grown approximately 2. 6% annually from 2005 to 2009 and was forecasted to grow approximately 2. 3% annually from 2010 to 2014. However, this indicator for the alternative beverage industry was much higher. For example, the dollar value of the global market for alternative beverages grew at a 9. 8% annually from 2005 to 2009, but was expected to slow down to 5. 7% annually from 2010 to 2014. Based on the geographic share of the alternative beverages market, U. S. largely covers 42. 3% of it; while Asia-Pacific, Europe and Americas (excluding U. S. ) only cover 31. 5%, 22. 2% and 4% respectively. US is the country that has strongest growth internationally in terms of alternative beverage sales with a 84. 78% growth between 2005 and 2009; while Europe and Asia-Pacific are 22. 97% and 24. 51%, respectively. However, poor economic conditions in the US in 2008 and 2009 led to a 12. 3% decline in sports drink sales and a 12. 5% decline in flavored and vitamin-enhanced waters sales. It was also the reason why energy drinks sales increased just a little of 0. 2% between those years. 2. What is competition like in the alternative beverage industry? Which of the five competitive forces is strongest? Which is weakest? What competitive forces seem to have the greatest effect on industry attractiveness and the potential profitability of new entrants? In the beverage industry, competition can be extensive (large scale). There are many substitute beverages from tea,soft drinks,fruit juices, and bottled water. Provided that there is a wide range of substitute beverages, this weakens the competitive power of substitute beverages when there comes a change to consumer preference. Because there is a large purchase for wholesale clubs, grocery stores, and convenience stores ; consumers have significant influence in negotiations for pricing and slotting fees with the producers. Wholesale clubs and the likes find it difficult to represent new brands due to limited shelf space.when products become a household name such as coca cola, red bull, etc already offer the demands of consumers. Coca Cola and PepsiCo are the least vulnerable when it comes to substitute products since they offer a wide range of variety beverages. The strongest competitive force is competitive rivalry within the industry, competition grows stronger by the year. The primary focus on brand image is key to becoming a household name in the industry, Attractive packaging should be developed, New research and product development, Increase of distribution capabilities, Better taste and more variety. The Bargaining power and leverage of suppliers is the weakest competitive force, Consumers tend to buy more alternative products. The threat of new brands varies by market maturity of each alternative beverage category. Competition is strong and will continue on growing every year in the product line. Competition among all brands center mostly on brand image, attractive packaging, new product and research development, sales promotion, better access to shelf space, and strengthening distribution capabilities. Rivals expands their numbers and types of alternative beverages in their product line, the opportunity for low switch cost for consumers gets introduced and sales efforts to establish consumers brand loyalty. 3. How is the market for energy drinks, sports drinks and vitamin-enhanced beverages changing? What are the underlying drivers of change and how might those forces individually or collectively make the industry more or less attractive? The market for energy drinks, sports drinks and vitamin-enhanced beverages is now changing due to the change in the long-term industry growth rate. Because of the US recession on the entire beverage industry the demand for the alternative beverages was expected to grow worldwide as the purchasing power of the consumers increased. The volume of the alternative beverages offered higher profit margin than those of other beverages. Product innovation, in terms of flavors and formulation, was the most important competitive feature of the alternative beverages. They competed on the basis of differentiation from traditional drinks. This made the industry attractive because of the enhanced look and flavors that the company made. The modernization in marketing and distribution system changed the industry in the way that the beverages may be bought from convenience stores, restaurants, sporting events, delis, concerts, festivals, carnivals and vending machines. The industry was made more attractive because of the famous artists that the companies hire for advertisements. There was also an expansion of target markets, and an increase in new entrants, which made the industry seem appealing to others. The regulations and policies that the government implemented made the industry less attractive due to the products’ faults being exposed to the public. The growing concern of people about health associated with their consumption also made the industry less attractive. For example, caffeine in energy drinks, mixture of alcohol and energy drinks, melatonine hormone in relaxation drinks, and use of Kava and unapproved valerian roots as food additives. The drivers of change, however, will unlikely alter the attractiveness of the alternative beverages for the next years because large producers of this industry would rely on product innovations and acquisitions to increase sales and market shares. But individual and collective effect of industry drivers of change will likely affect the attractiveness of the industry. 4. What does your strategic group map of the energy drinks, sports drink, and vitamin-enhanced beverage industry look like? Which strategic groups do you think are in the best positions? The worst positions? PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Red Bull GmbH, and Hansen Natural Corporation are strategic groups that are in the best positions because they have already established a market position and they hold most of the market share in the alternative beverage industry. They also account for most of the sales in the industry and they have conquered not just US but also Europe and some parts of Asia and America. Living Essentials, Vacation in a Bottle, Dream Water or Drank are strategic groups that are in the worst positions. This is due to the small number of consumers that they have and policies implemented by the government hinder their expansion. Though Living Essentials lead the development of energy drinks, they did not expanded their market thus other companies took advantage of the opportunity. 5. What key factors determine the success of alternative beverage producers? The four key factors that determine the success of alternative beverage producers: (1) access to distribution, (2) innovating product skills, (3) image, and (4) sufficient sales volume. The first one is access to distribution, which is regarded as the most important industry success factor due to the fact that most brands of energy drinks/alternative beverages cannot achieve good sales volumes and market shares unless they are widely available in stores, and there are also far too many brands for all to be included on store shelves. Popular brands that enjoyed first mover advantages such as Red Bull and 5-Hour Energy and brands offered by Coca-Cola and PepsiCo were assured of consistent access to distribution. The second factor is innovating product skills. By definition, alternative beverages were different from traditional beverages based upon product innovation. Moreover, continuing product innovations were essential to developing additional volume gains from line extensions and the entry into new categories like energy shots. The third one is image, which was also a critical factor in choosing a brand of customers. The image presented by the product’s name and emphasized in advertisements, endorsements, and promotions created demand for one brand over another. Brand image was also a result of labels and packaging that alternative beverage consumer found appealing. Small producers with poor image building capabilities found it difficult to compete in the industry unless the product enjoyed a first-mover advantage similar to that achieved by 5-Hour Energy. Finally, sufficient sales volume to achieve scale economies in marketing expenditures is also an important driver. Successful alternative beverage producers were required to have sufficient sales volumes to keep marketing expenses at an acceptable cost per unit basis. 6. What recommendations would you make to Coca-Cola to improve its competitiveness in the global alternative beverage industry? to PepsiCo? to Red Bull GmbH? Coca Cola * Increase alternative beverage drink brand awareness in Europe and capture its market * Grow infrastructure in Africa. * Continue to budget and implement their â€Å"2020 vision† corporate strategy * Enhance product line and innovation PepsiCo * Focus on current energy drink line * Continue to promote their tea and juice-energy lines * Offer different sized cans for current energy drink lines of No fear and Amp * Proceed to distribute Rockstar energy drinks and strengthen their alliance with them RedBull * Expand product line while focusing on market penetration in South America * Branch out with additional lines of alternative beverages * Continue to promote brand.