Why do we need to focus on the concept of secularism if we want to understand the role of religion in contemporary affairs?

Introduction Globalization in the 21st century has resulted in greater diversity of peoples and religious pluralism across the globe. Alongside a global resurgence in religion, this trend has engendered new patterns of interaction and shifting perceptions in the modern political and public sphere (Thomas, 2005; Hurd, 2008). This scenario poses a direct challenge to the modern political system internationally as it upholds secular politics as the universal foundation for international relations favoured for the stability and peace it engenders. Concern regarding the potential for social conflict and violence has heightened since the events of September 11, 2001 as well as the present tensions among secularist Western nations and religious states of Turkey and Iran. These challenges give the problem of religious pluralism much of its urgency (Thomas, 2005). Secularism refers to a movement that seeks for rejection, indifference, or exclusion of religion and religious considerations in contemporary a ffairs. In political terms it refers to the belief that religion should not play a role in government, education, or other parts of society in the quest towards the separation of and/or reduction of ties between religion and government (often referred to as the church and the state) (Taylor, 2010). This is deemed necessary to enable the protection of the rights of religious minorities among other positions in a pluralist society, and therefore to enhance democracy (Taylor, 2005). Given its success in Western democracies ending the sectarian violence in Europe and enabling the peaceful stable co-existence of various communities in the United States (Hurd, 2008), the concept is however viewed with disdain and suspicion in non-Western states and cultures especially those with predominant Muslim beliefs. This sentiment derives from the system’s assumption of moral high ground leading to its belittling of other cultures and alternative approaches; contempt for religion in public l ife; and the legitimizing of regressions of negotiations with regard to alternative approaches (Taylor, 1998). This paper explores the need to focus on the concept of secularism in order to understand the role of religion in contemporary affairs. The endeavour of this exploration is to find a solution to challenges in the dominance of secularism in the modern public and political sphere which engenders resistance and and portends violent conflict. Secularism’s meanings, history and transformations, its dominant varieties, as well as its strengths and limitations are focused upon in following sections. History of secularism Secularism is a political tradition which has continued to evolve over eight centuries sharing important relationships with religious traditions such as Judeo-Christianity with which it sustains complex ties, and Islam, its primary alter-ego with which it maintains a long-standing relationship (Philpott, 2000). The ‘secular’ notion has through time taken on a range of meanings with the earliest reference, saeculum, traced to the 13th century referring to a dualistic opposition within Christianity. Often with negative connotations, this term was used to distinguish ‘worldly’ clergy from those living in seclusion in monasteries (Taylor, 2010). The term gradually shed off its ‘Godless’ and profane connotation by the 16th century acquiring a new description of a transforming world. To secularize in the latter instance referred to the conversion from religious/priestly to civil possession or use. This process is described by Casanova (1994; 24) as th e ‘passage, transfer, or relocation of persons, things, function, meanings, and so forth, from their traditional locations in the religious sphere to secular spheres.’ Onwards from the 19th century, further transformation led secularism to assume its present recognition in current language which describes a movement†¦ ‘expressly intended to provide a certain theory of life and conduct without reference to a deity or a future life’ (Hurd, 2008). Secularists, therefore, refers to those of the belief that the church (the religious) and the worldly are in a continued historical contest, in which the world is gaining an upper hand irreversibly. Two characteristics of secularism are revealed in its relevance to international relations and the political sphere. Secularization’s earlier reference to the ‘acquisition or possession’ of land (church properties) and people, usually by state actors, entailed massive appropriation and expropriati on and often instigated religious wars (Asad, 2003). Despite secularization’s contemporary reference to the separation of the church and the state predominant in Western circles, its meaning and connotation in the above context (now overshadowed), is still retained in many non-Western contexts (Taylor, 1998). For instance, with particular regard to the Middle East, the principle of secularism has served to legitimize the suppression of local practices and political establishments. This has contributed to the hegemonic attempt to transform or to ‘take possession’ of the region in pursuit of contemporary Western ideals (Hurd, 2008). In the second instance, an important characteristic derived is secularism’s presumption to clearly distinguish between transcendental and temporal matters. In its definition of what is considered ordinary, or mundane, it by default assigns a place for religion with the secular notion only making sense relative to its religious co unterpart (Hurd, 2004). As Asad (2003; 192) argues, secularism defines itself as the foundation upon which the ‘religious’ is fashioned; the point at which dialogue on theology is hatched in the discourse of modernity. It thus assumes itself to be above the fray holding alternative approaches particularly those associated with religion in condescension and as threatening. These characteristics present distinct sets of problems: first, is its potential to jeopardize democratic politics given that groups or individuals dissenting to the secular approach are considered threatening to stability and are shut out of public deliberations. Secularists, for example, generally shun non-theistic public philosophies and are notably extremely wary of political Islam (Davie, 2003). This is the reason, for instance, politics of Turkey and Pakistan in support of a civic role for Islam and which involve non-secular and non-Western platforms and partiesare frowned upon and are worrisome to Western secularist ideals. They threaten the boundaries that secularists impose between the sacred and the secular (Banchoff, 2007). Dislike and disapproval consequent to this makes Western powers, regardless of their actual policies, to be perceived as backing the repression of Islamist parties which increases the potential for terrorism (Hurd, 2008; Bruce, 2003). Contrary to secularism’s self-representation, it has sometimes been associated with the unjust, domineering and violent yet within the movement, there is a predilection to associate religion with these negative traits in the public sphere (Taylor, 1998; Hurd, 2008). Secularism’s automatic linkage with democracy and public order is thus questionable. An indiscriminate secularism in an increasingly interdependent, pluralist and globalized world in which individuals and groups derive morality from different sources is prone to risks. These risks include potential uprisings from adherents and supporters of al ternative non-secular/non-Western approaches shut out from negotiations between religion and politics and in pursuit of public order (Banchoff, 2007; Davie, et al, 2003). Given secularism’s dominance in successful Western democracies, there is also a risk of blindness to its limitations. The following section describes two varieties of secularism and explores their implications for international politics and affairs in the public sphere which have been shown to be significant (Hurd, 2008). Laicism and international relations Laicism refers to the belief in the need to exclude religion from the public realm of politics and confining it to a space where it cannot threaten the liberties of â€Å"free thinking† citizens and political stability (Taylor, 1998). This belief forms the essence of present-day political thought. Through a complex and contested process, this approach attempts to limit and to regulate ‘religious’ disputes thus provide an authoritative and self-reliant public space (Philpott, 2000). The consequent separation of the church and state was intended to serve as a basis for provide the basis for cohesive politics and efficiency in the face of diversity and religious pluralism. Laicism relegates religion and associated beliefs to ‘things’ to be studied or an inferior culture conflicting with the ideals of modern living, politics and development (Hurd, 2008). Consequently, secularism has been described by some as having a strain of dogmatism given its propensi ty to validate a single authoritative basis of public ethics and reason (Taylor, 1998). The policing and constant delineation of this boundary poses challenges especially when society diversifies to contain substantial numbers of adherents of non-Judeo-Christian religions often suspicious of such endeavours (Hurd, 2008; Casanova, 1994). There are therefore calls for a more vibrant pluralist approach in the public sphere. Judeo-Christian secularism and international relations Through its acknowledgement of a place for religion in politics, this approach avoids the pitfalls that befall laicism. In its ‘common ground strategy,’ codes of political order and peaceful co-existence are agreed upon by members of a political community based on common doctrines (Taylor, 2010). However, these common set of values has its roots in Christianity which is a significant feature defining Western civilization (Philpott, 2000). It should be noted that many other religions around the world have complicated patterns of church-state relations as Christianity (Hurd, 2004). The challenge for global relations in this regard, is that secularism, however defined, ends at the boundaries of Western civilization which portends a fault line between the West and non-West ‘common grounds’ (Davie, et al, 2003; Thomas, 2005; Myers and Brodeur, 2006). Such a common ground exclusively dependent upon Western religious traditions is thus ill equipped to meet the dema nds of contemporary societies in and outside the West. In this regard, the common ground therefore becomes a representation of one among many parties or interests (Davie, 2003; Davie, et al, 2003; Philpott, 2000). With these limitations of the dual approaches of secularism, it is necessary in the interest of foregoing international relations and contemporary affairs to rethink the secular social reality. There might be need to approach secularism as among possible solutions to modern challenges associated with religion and public order. The secularization paradigm has served well as a model for the accommodation of religious pluralism and diversity in the public sphere, guiding decision-making in various contexts (Banchoff, 2007; Taylor, 2005). Yet consensus on secular public order is not universally shared and is sometimes viewed unkindly, with contempt, or out rightly rejected by those dominated and/or excluded as â€Å"religious†; those who disagree with the transcendental /temporal divide; and those who feel that their politics, culture and territory has been ‘taken over’ or is challenged through secularist justifications. Also included are those who feel closed out of public debate and discourse (Haynes, 1998; Casanova, 1994; Bruce, 2003). Secularism belittles non-Western alternatives in the negotiation of religion and politics, expressing contempt for religion in public life, particularly with regard to Islam, and legitimizes repression of negotiations of such alternative approaches. Through its insistence of neutrality and identification with rationality, freedom and the democratic, secularism engenders what is described by Honig (Hurd, 2008; Casanova, 1994) as resistances and remainders. The latter constitute those within secularism who seek to upset conventional assumptions about morality, rationality and good. Secularism strives to silence these by shifting them onto the category of the religious in clearly dangerous tendencies wit h potential to incite violence and counter-reactions (Hurd, 2008). At present, secularism lays claim to the right to define the role of religion in politics and in so doing closes off important debates regarding possible alternative moral bases and public order. This, in turn, makes secularists to be perceived as seeking to privatize and to define the political domain (Banchoff, 2007; Bruce, 2003). This engenders hostile responses and criticisms against its hegemonic objectives and aspirations from among the excluded with some resorting to extreme tactics to air their grievances (Banchoff, 2007; Haynes, 1998). Such eventualities are not solely attributable to extremist religious belief as commonly perceived (Thomas, 2005), but as shown can be in response to secularism’s fervent attempts towards the universalization of secular modernity through its specific model. In both its varieties, secularism occasionally acts as a belief intolerant of other beliefs, exhibiting a tendency to restrict political space (Taylor, 1998; Myers and Brodeur, 2006). It is widely agreed that secularism, including its clearly anti-religious variants, needs to be re-evaluated as a model for the organization of public life through the exploration of its implications for contemporary affairs. This is particularly needful with regard to states outside of historical Christendom and settler colonies upon which secularism is foisted upon (Davie, et al, 2003; Thomas, 2005; Hurd, 2008). It seems that secularism operates blindly with regard to its unforeseen implications and the consequences of its tendencies to pursue the universalization of its mores. Its zealous struggle against religious intolerance blinds it to its own inadequacies while it claims moral superiority and displaces violent and antidemocratic tendencies to the domain of ‘religion’ and religious fervour or unrestrained commitment (Taylor, 2005; Hurd, 2004). Though secularism purports to be external in the te rritorial contest between religion and politics, it is not as its history and nature locates it within the spectrum of theological politics (Philpott, 2000). Religion is an ingrained marker of collective identity and entails the submersion of ultimate meaning in people’s beliefs and practices, including social and institutional practices (Banchoff, 2007). There are social and political challenges posed by emergent religious pluralism inherent in the interaction among religious groups in society and politics. A clash of religious communities in the political arena may cause core pillars of democracy to falter: minority rights and majority rule (Banchoff, 2007; Bruce, 2003). Religious tensions may undermine effective government by the majority and, as well, dominant traditions may seek to constrain minority groups. However, a multiplicity of faith traditions presents not just challenges for governance and social cohesion but also opportunities for a more vibrant political cultu re and civil society. For instance, rising faith communities (especially Islam) are engaging democratic processes wherever they reside in the world, and secular majorities and established religious groups are also accommodative (not just resistant) to the new dynamic cultural and political landscape (Haynes, 1998). In foregoing discourse, this paper does not propose the reversal of secularism or the reinstatement of religion in the public sphere. In its stead, the secular ideas of democratic politics should be broadened to acknowledge positive contributions of other approaches such as the non-secular and the non-Western to pubic life and religion. There must be developed a space for continuous discourse among religious traditions, as well as among the religious and the secular so as to transcend the volatile limitations of the secularist approaches. This would also enable the incorporation of a non-hegemonic place for religion in politics addressing the conflicting legacy of secular ization in public sphere in the West and outside it. If this is not addressed, those excluded may eventually haunt and destabilize the same closures that bring about their exclusion. It is therefore imperative for the international community to consider the support of pluralistic democracy which inevitably might entail support for religious parties rather than propping up secularist political solutions. Minority voices in the new dispensation need to be heard. Remedy through the reconsideration of procedure is deemed insufficient given secularism’s prior assumption of itself as above the fray; marking its domain and associating itself with rational argument, tolerance, justice, common sense, public interest, and public authority (Davie, et al, 2003; Thomas, 2005). It thus derides religion as that which is not. Most secularists refuse to acknowledge the possible functioning of alternative non-secular and yet democratic models of order in the public sphere which could be legiti mate rivals to its dominance (Banchoff, 2007; Davie, et al, 2003; Taylor, 2005). Conclusion Focus on the concept of secularism affords us the opportunity to observe that the current foundation of international politics is far from being neutral or universal given its religious heritages and character to which it seems oblivious. Secularism’s self-confidence in its objectivity and neutrality which then drives its hegemonic aspirations may therefore be a threat to the preservation of global peace and security. It is thus argued that for value pluralism to hold, relations in contemporary affairs including the international public sphere (international relations) must distance themselves from secularist history and especially its connotations and negative perceptions. The secular foundation of modernity, particularly secularism’s assumptions concerning the inevitability of secularization, must be reconsidered and better relations among states and religions fostered in order to strengthen political interdependence and international freedom, as well as to forestall conflicts from conflicting values. The majorities must respect religious freedom but must also grapple with varied traditions such as Islam which incorporate different views of social obligation and personal responsibility – some which are at odds with dominant secular views. Therefore, the secular foundation must be exchanged with a post-secular project in which secularism and religion are considered on equal footing. References Asad, T. 2003. Formations of the Secular, Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press Banchoff, T. (ed.) 2007. Democracy and the New Religious Pluralism, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Bruce, S. 2003. Politics and Religion, Cambridge: Polity Casanova, J. 1994. Public Religions in the Modern World, Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press Davie, G. 2003. ‘The Evolution of the Sociology of Religion’ In: Michele Dillon (ed.), Handbook of the Sociology of Religion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 61-84. Davie, G., P., Heelas, and L., Woodhead (eds.) 2003, Predicting Religion: Christian, Secular and Alternative Futures. London: Ashgate. Haynes, J. 1998. Religion and Global Politics, London & New York: Longman Hurd, E. 2004, ‘The Political Authority of Secularism in International Relations’, In: European Journal of International Relations, Vol. 10, no. 2 Hurd, E, 2008. The politics of secularism in International Relations, Princeton: Princeton University Press. Myers, S. and P. Brodeur, (eds.) 2006, The Pluralist Paradigm: Democracy and Religion in the 21st Century. Scranton and London: Scranton University Press Philpott, D. 2000. â€Å"The Religious Roots of Modern International Relations.† In: World Politics 52 (January): 206-245. Taylor, C. 1998. ‘Modes of Secularism,’ In: R. Bhargava (ed.) Secularism and its Critics. Calcutta: Oxford University Press, pp. 31-53. Taylor, P., 2005. Freedom of religion: UN and European human rights law and practice. Cambridge: CUP Taylor, C. 2010. â€Å"The Meaning of Secularism,† In: The Hedgehog Review, fall. http://www.iasc-culture.org/THR/archives/Fall2010/Taylor_lo.pdf Thomas, S. 2005. Global Resurgence of Religion and the Transformation of International Relations, London: Basingstoke

Second Life Ready for Business

1. What problems can Second Life help businesses solve? Second Life provides businesses with tools for online conferencing, online collaboration, knowledge management, and prototyping. Companies can test new products using Second Life’s 3-D rendering programs. They can experiment with new marketing and advertising campaigns to see how people react. They can receive feedback on real-world products or services. 2. Considering what you have learned about Second Life, how could you, as an individual, create a modest start-up business on the Grid? What goods would you sell? Why would this be a good choice of product? What, in simple terms, would your business plan be? Why would it work? One potential new business would be to sell furnishings for online spaces. People inherently want to furnish and decorate their private spaces. The products could be bought and sold using Lindens. The start-up costs could be low since there aren’t any inventory costs. You can create the furnishings as they’re ordered. A business plan would include advertising ideas, marketing ideas, how to deliver the products, customer follow-up ideas, and financial planning. 3. Visit eBay on the Web and see what Second Life items you can find listed for auction. How would you rate the activity surrounding these items? Are you surprised by what you see? Why or why not? Obviously the information for this question will fluctuate. As of this writing, eBay offered 211 items. They included how-to manuals for making money on Second Life, a guide to selling land, and business opportunities on the site. One item in particular was a vending machine business package available for $4.99. The individual offering the item was an eBay Power Seller with 6,483 feedback postings. He was obviously an established eBay seller. Other items for sale include a Gym Workout package for $4.99 and a macro that makes navigating the skies of Second Life easier. It sold for $12.99. Answers to the last three questions will vary by student. The point is to have them realize how advanced and pervasive sites like Second Life have become. 4. How important is interoperability between 3-D worlds like Second Life and other Web sites such as Amazon, MySpace, and YouTube? Do you think that Second Life can survive and prosper on its own? What is the future of these entities? Separate or integrated? Interoperability between 3-D worlds and other Web sites is very important because of the increasing popularity of all the sites. People don’t want to continually learn new and different skills. Rather they want to transport their skills and software from one site to another. It’s doubtful that Second Life could survive and prosper on its own. Demand for the site will increase if it becomes more entwined with other sites and even real life. As people continue to combine offline and online activities, they want easy ways to transition from one to the other. This is where the people component of the three dimensions of information systems becomes apparent. Obviously this leads to more integration in the future. 5. What obstacles does Second Life have to overcome in order to become a mainstream business tool? Does it face fewer or more obstacles to become a mainstream educational tool? To what do you attribute the difference? Second Life needs to overcome the idea and perception that it’s â€Å"just another game site.† Other obstacles include ease-of-use, interoperability between pre-established business systems and Second Life’s proprietary system. It needs to create ways to import and export data between its system and external business systems—don’t require data to be re-input into either system. Second Life faces more obstacles in trying to become a mainstream educational tool. Educators are inherently opposed to online, distance education because it supposedly lacks the face-to-face communication between teachers and students. However, as more education is carried online, Second Life has all the tools in place to make it easy to conduct classes, especi ally its online collaboration tools. 6. What kinds of businesses are most likely to benefit from a presence on Second Life? Why? Retail businesses that are already used to doing business online may have an easier time of establishing a viable presence on Second Life. They are used to advertising and marketing to customers online and have the systems built for taking orders, accepting payments, and shipping products. Other companies, like IBM, that have established online collaboration systems and online knowledge management systems will probably have an easier time using Second Life as another outlet for these activities. 7. would you like to interview for a job using Second Life? Why or why not? Obviously the answers to this question will vary from student to student. Some may prefer interviewing for a job using Second Life since they may see face-to-face interviews as extremely nerve-wracking. Other may prefer a face-to-face interview rather than trying to create an avatar that adequately represents them. 8. Is Second Life a precursor of how business will be conducted in the future or a corporate experiment? Justify your answer. Second Life probably is a precursor of how business will be conducted in the future. Online presence and activity is increasing, not decreasing. Businesses are continually turning to online services to change the way they do business and move many of their offline activities to online ventures.

Pepsico Diversification Essay

PepsiCo’s Diversification Strategy in 2008 PepsiCo was the world’s largest snack and beverage company, with 2007 net revenues of approximately $39. 5 billion. The company’s portfolio of businesses in 2008 included Frito-Lay salty snacks, Quaker Chewy granola bars, Pepsi soft drink products, Tropicana orange juice, Lipton Brisk tea, Gatorade, Propel, SoBe, Quaker Oatmeal, Cap’n Crunch, Aquafina, Rice-A-Roni, Aunt Jemima pancake mix, and many other regularly consumed products. Company History PepsiCo Inc. was established in 1965 when Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay shareholders agreed to a merger between the salty snack icon and soft drink giant. The new company was founded with annual revenues of $510 million and such well-known brands as Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Fritos, Lay’s, Cheetos, Ruffles, and Rold Gold. PepsiCo’s roots can be traced to 1898 when New Bern, North Carolina, pharmacist Caleb Bradham created the formula for a carbonated beverage he named Pepsi-Cola. The company’s salty-snack business began in 1932 when Elmer Doolin of San Antonio, Texas, began manufacturing and marketing Fritos corn chips and Herman Lay started started a potato chip distribution business in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1961, Doolin and Lay agreed to a merger between their businesses to establish the Frito-Lay Company. There are also so many other products and companies that merger with PepsiCo throughout the years. Once Quaker Oats’ food, snack and beverage brand merged with PepsiCo companies in the United States and internationally broadened it portfolio of the brands. Internationally Pepsi brought countries like the Netherlands, Poland, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Brazil and Canada. Marketing From the 1930s through the late ’50s, â€Å"Pepsi-Cola Hits The Spot† was the most commonly used slogan in the days of old radio, classic motion pictures, and later television. Its jingle (conceived in the days when Pepsi cost only five cents) was used in many different forms with different lyrics. With the rise of television, Pepsi utilized the services of a young, up-and-coming actress named Polly Bergento promote products, oftentimes lending her singing talents to the classic â€Å"†¦ Hits The Spot† jingle. Some of these Bergen spots can be seen on ClassicTVAds. com. Through the intervening decades, there have been many different Pepsi theme songs sung on television by a variety of artists, from Joanie Summersto The Jacksonsto Britney Spears. See Slogans) In 1975, Pepsi introduced the Pepsi Challengemarketing campaign where PepsiCo set up a blind tasting between Pepsi-Cola and rival Coca-Cola. During these blind taste tests the majority of participants picked Pepsi as the better tasting of the two soft drinks. PepsiCo took great advantage of the campaign with television commercialsreporting the results to the public. In late 2008, Pepsi overh auled their entire brand, simultaneously introducing a new logo and a minimalistlabel design. The redesign was comparable to Coca-Cola’s earlier simplification of their can and bottle designs. Also in 2008 Pepsi teamed up with Google/YouTube to produce the first daily entertainment show on Youtube, Poptub. This daily show deals with pop culture, internet viral videos, and celebrity gossip. Poptub is updated daily from Pepsi. In 2009, â€Å"Bring Home the Cup,† changed to â€Å"Team Up and Bring Home the Cup. † The new installment of the campaign asks for team involvement and an advocate to submit content on behalf of their team for the chance to have the Stanley Cupdelivered to the team’s hometown by Mark Messier. Pepsi has official sponsorship deals with three of the four major North American professional sports leagues: the National Football League, National Hockey Leagueand Major League Baseball. Pepsi also sponsors Major League Soccer. Pepsi also has sponsorship deals in international cricketteams. The Pakistan cricket teamis one of the teams that the brand sponsors. The team wears the Pepsi logo on the front of their test and ODI test match clothing. On July 6, 2009, Pepsi announced it would make a $1 billion investment in Russia over three years, bringing the total Pepsi investment in the country to $4 billion. In July 2009, Shag-me started marketing itself as Pepsi in Argentinain response to its name being mispronounced by 25% of the population and as a way to connect more with all of the population. In October 2008, Pepsi announced that it would be redesigning its logo and re-branding many of its products by early 2009. In 2009, Pepsi, Diet Pepsiand Pepsi Maxbegan using all lower-case fonts for name brands, and Diet Pepsi Max was re-branded as Pepsi Max. The brand’s blue and red globe trademarkbecame a series of â€Å"smiles,† with the central white band arcing at different angles depending on the product until 2010. Pepsi released this logo in U. S. in late 2008, and later it was released in 2009 in Canada(the first country outside of the United States for Pepsi’s new logo), Brazil, Bolivia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Colombia, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Panama, Chile, Dominican Republic, the Philippines and Australia; in the rest of the world the new logo has been released in 2010, meaning the old logo has been phased out entirely (most recently, Franceand Mexicoswitched to Pepsi’s current logo). The UK started to use the new Pepsi logo on cans in an order different from the US can. In mid-2010, all Pepsi variants, regular, diet, and Pepsi Max, have started using only the medium-sized â€Å"smile† Pepsi Globe. Pepsi and Pepsi Max cans and bottles in Australia now carry the localized version of the new Pepsi Logo. The word Pepsi and the logo are in the new style, while the word â€Å"Max† is still in the previous style. Pepsi Wild Cherryfinally received the 2008 Pepsi design in March 2010. PepsiCo and it’s THREAT According to Consumer Reports, in the 1970s, the rivalry continued to heat up the market. Pepsi conducted blind taste testsin stores, in what was called the â€Å"Pepsi Challenge†. These tests suggested that more consumers preferred the taste of Pepsi (which is believed to have more lemonoil, less orangeoil, and uses vanillinrather than vanilla) to Coke. The sales of Pepsi started to climb, and Pepsi kicked off the â€Å"Challenge† across the nation. This became known as the â€Å"Cola Wars†. In 1985, The Coca-Cola Company, amid much publicity, changed its formula. The theory has been advanced that New Coke, as the reformulated drink came to be known, was invented specifically in response to the Pepsi Challenge. However, a consumer backlash led to Coca-Cola quickly reintroducing the original formula as Coke â€Å"Classic†. According to Beverage Digest’2008 report on carbonated soft drinks, PepsiCo’s U. S. market share is 30. 8 percent, while The Coca-Cola Company’s is 42. 7 percent. Coca-Cola outsells Pepsi in most parts of the U. S. , notable exceptions being central Appalachia, North Dakota, and Utah. In the city of Buffalo, New York, Pepsi outsells Coca-Cola by a two-to-one margin. Overall, Coca-Cola continues to outsell Pepsi in almost all areas of the world. However, exceptions include India; Saudi Arabia; Pakistan(Pepsi has been a dominant sponsor of the Pakistan cricket teamsince the 1990s); the Dominican Republic; Guatemalathe Canadian provincesof Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island; and Northern Ontario.

Module7-mob Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Module7-mob - Case Study Example ood at these points: (1) they discussed the plan thoroughly before starting work; (2) they set goals based on realistic figures; (3) they all agreed on what was written on the plan and expressed their commitment to it; and (4) Parker tried to motivate his crew with a bonus. However, here were the results: (1) two members kept on failing to reach their daily targets; and (2) they did not finish on time. Flaws on how Parker managed the project include: (a) failure to acknowledge the problem in a timely manner; (b) failure to work out a performance improvement plan; (3) rejection of constructive criticism; and (4) failure to motivate members on a regular basis. Parker’s poor management of the project resulted to Millar quitting working for the company while Boyce stopped accepting assignment on a regular basis. The following suggestions could have remedied the situation. Parker should have: (1) shown empathy to his crew and listened to their concerns; (2) motivated his crew on a daily basis instead of going into a verbal tirade each time they fail to meet their goal; and (3) consulted with his crew on how to improve their

Eradicating malaria in subafrican countries Essay

Eradicating malaria in subafrican countries - Essay Example The boy William (2009) truly understood how the process of harnessing windmill energy can bring better life for his family and to his community. His constant efforts to build a small but effective device could bring the sustenance and better life. In the same way, an effective malaria eradication program can increase productive man hours and increase the output in industrial and agricultural produce. It is needed to understand the root cause of malaria in Africa first and then devise a full-fledged program, which overtime can eliminate this widespread disease. The severity of malaria in Subafrican region is due to climate and ecology. It is correct to state that malaria affected regions are mostly poor and bound by low economic growth. There are indeed some of the success stories of malaria eradication in the world in the countries such as Italy, Greece, and Spain between 1930 and 1950. Greece had a major suffering in the beginning of 1900s with the spread of malaria. WHO run Malaria eradication campaign had a major effect in Greece in 1946. Infected cases reduced to only 5000 in 1951 from 1-2 million cases per year found in the early 1930s. Unfortunately, it is hard to find much success stories in developing countries sparing the islands of Taiwan and Jamaica. Malaria was eradicated from Jamaica and Taiwan in the year 1958 and 1961 respectively and since then they were in higher growth trajectories. (Gallup & Sachs, 1998) William’s story inspires us about the innovativeness of a small boy that can transform his small town amid adversity. Malawi is a town falling under sub-African region where diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria are quite wide spread. It will be appropriate to see what the measures are taken to eliminate the disease in Malawi. Malawi's the entire population of 1.39 million is at risk of contracting the disease. Every year, almost 4 million cases are registered in health care facilities annually. Malaria is said to have almost accou nted for 40% of inpatient visits. Almost 18% deaths in hospital are accounted to this dreaded disease. Malawi is the first country who relinquished the use of chloroquine in favor of more effective drug. There are many challenges to the issue such as lack of human resources, parasite resistance to the first-line treatment, poverty and a lack of proper monitoring system. To mitigate the weak monitoring system, the World Bank spearheaded a project called Health Sector Support Project through additional funding. The project was also supported by other agencies such as U.S President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) –proposing approximately $186 million in malaria control. Malawi has stopped proposing chloroquine due to resistance developed by malarial parasites and instead implemented a change known as artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTS). World Bank's investment in evaluation and monitoring system will help assess the effect of change in treatment system. Through this system of monitoring, it will be possible to have improved result-based decision making. The additional grant with further strengthen the efforts to eradicate the malaria from Malawi. Finally, it will have multiple goals to fulfill reducing child mortality, reducing poverty and protecting the poorest from the

Marketing Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing Research - Essay Example Due to this, the firm used a third party to come up with an infomercial to raise awareness and recorded sales. However, after a few months 25% of the initial sales have been returned by consumers. Golfers who had tried the Jacket before its debut didn’t show any sign of embarrassment while wearing the device nor did they find it uncomfortable. In addition, during initial stages of development, no problems were identified at all. The problem is that, before initial production, the company did not have requisite consumer information to inform the actual production. In this case, the firm has proposed a study in order to determine the causes of Swing Jacket return rates once purchases have been made. Research Objectives In marketing products, consumer behaviour is always an important aspect (Aaker 1991; Conover, J. N. 1982). According to Perner, L (2010), a market research is often carried out to ensure that what is produced is what customers yearn for and not what the producersà ¢â‚¬â„¢ term as the ideal product. ... t return rates once purchases have been made despite the fact that golfers who had tried the Jacket before its debut didn’t show any sign of embarrassment while wearing the device nor did they find it uncomfortable. In addition, during initial stages of development, no problems were identified at all. Further, it will be of importance to establish whether the information contained in the infomercial is coherent with the product. This as Bettman and Park (1980) puts it goes a long way in maintaining marketing ethics of beneficence, where the benefits and not risks are spread out uniformly between the sellers and buyers. This goes a long way in maintaining consumer trust. Importance/Benefits The study of consumer needs on a Swing Jacket will help Swing Jacket Inc. to improve the Swing Jacket with the understanding of how consumers perceive the product and how they make their selections between different alternatives, if any. The returns are made after several months of using the Swing Jackets. In this regard, the study will help the firm determine the level of influence from their environment e.g. culture, family, the media etc.). Such information will further assist the firm in understanding the behavior of consumers while making shopping and other marketing decisions as well as in gaining understanding on limitations hindering consumer access and processing of information (Perner, L 2010; Brucks, M. (1985). Swing Jacket Inc. is in dire need to cut a market niche and to reduce the return rate of the Swing Jacket which is at nearly 25% of the total sales. In this regard, the information from the study will enable the firm adopt new marketing strategies and campaigns to reach more customers effectively translating to more profits. An understanding of what brand was

Confucianism And Education In Asia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Confucianism And Education In Asia - Essay Example Additionally, the article argues that Confucian based education encourages students to be passionate about education. Kristof states that United States ought to borrow some ideas from Confucian based education systems (Kristof Web). How Confucianism Affects Education Confucian is a traditional outlook and practices followed in East Asian countries, which are based on teachings of Confucius, a Chinese philosopher who lived between 551 and 479 BCE. Confucianism emphasizes on ethics as well as statecraft. Confucius believed that education was the only way that one could earn appropriate social status in addition to material success. Additionally, he claimed that education helped foster harmony and morality in the society. Due to this believe, Confucian countries lay a lot of emphasis on education in terms of the fund set aside to facilitate education. Additionally, the parents tend to pressure their children to work hard and prosper academically. This has led to higher performance in Co nfucian countries (Gove and Huang 10-13; Phuong-Mai, Cees and Albert 1-3; Kristof Web). Learning is a process influenced by interaction of many factors many factors. The world or the environment that one learns in plays a role in determining ones perceptions toward education hence the possibility of succeeding or not succeeding. Culture is one of the factors that determine the modes of learning as well as the development of education policies. Most Asian schools follow Confucian ideas in teaching. Confucianism is one of the greatest stimuli of education in most Asian countries such as Singapore, China, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong. Confucianism entails a lot of strictness, demand for students to... This essay stresses that Confucian is the main difference that segregates education in the Asian countries from that in Western countries. Additionally, the notion that Confucianism encourages surface learning, which is inadequate for future performance in jobs, is not correct. This is because Students from Confucians countries have been regarded as good performance even in their jobs. It is true that students in counties such as Hong Kong considerably depend on deep memorizing to pass their exams, but the fact that they end up outdoing their western counterparts means that Confucianism is an appropriate approach worth emulating. This report makes a conclusion that Confucianism, a cultural approach that emphasizes on education as the path that enables success in life is responsible for the improved performance in Confucian countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, and China. This is according to Kristof, who adds that the strict nature demanded in Confucian educations systems cultivated good attitude towards education. This argument is true and can be supported by the recent international findings that ranked student from Confucian countries as the best performing in math, science and reading. Since culture plays a role in modeling the learning environment, it is appropriate to argue that Confucian culture is responsible for this performance since the west students have been outdone by Confucians students irrespective of the believe that Confucianism is inefficient since it entails memorizing.