Okonkwo As A Tragic Hero

Okonkwo As A Tragic Hero Essay Question. Is Okonkwo a tragic hero? To answer this question, one must first know the definition of the tragic hero. A tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle is a character who is noble in nature, has a tragic flaw and discovers his fate by his own actions. In Things Fall Apart, a novel by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo can be considered a tragic hero because he meets all of Aristotles criteria by being a tragic hero by being a successful and respected leader in Umuofia, having a tragic flaw, and discovering his fate soon after his action. The first Aristotles criterion of the tragic hero requires that the character must be noble or a man of high status. In that sense, as described by Achebe, Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievements (Achebe, 3). Starting as a sharecropper with no inheritance from his father, Okonkwo works very hard and makes his way to a wealthy and respected man of titles in Umuofia. From his hard work, Okonkwo has 3 wives with many children, a large compound with obi for each of his wives and a large stock of yams. Okonkwo earns himself respect from people both inside his clan and outside his clan through many of his achievements. When he is a young man of eighteen, he brings honor to his village by throwing the Amalinze the Cat, a wrestler who is undefeated for 7 years. In addition, Okonkwo is one of the nine Egwugwu, a respected judge in the community who is believed to be the spirit of the ancestor. Furthermore, Okonkwo is also chosen by his village to be their representative to negotiate with Mbaino village about the murderer of an Umuofia girl in Mbaino market. With ease, Okonkwo successfully brings back a boy and a virgin as compensation and ends the conflict peacefully, without any confrontation. Similar to other tragic heroes, Okonkwo also has a tragic flaw, which is a fear of weakness and failure. While the fear of failure and weakness drives Okonkwo to work hard and helps him earns his fame and achievements, on the other hand, it also causes him many problems. Many times throughout Okonkwos life, his fear of failure and weakness leads him to act harshly, violently and impulsively toward other people, including his family members. Okonkwo is always harsh and violent with his family members because he doesnt want to be seen as a weak person. Okonkwo solves his problems only by the use strength and violence and it is this attitude that leads Okonkwo to several conflicts within his family, his failings and ultimately, his downfall. For instance, Okonkwo violates the clan rule and beats his youngest wife during the week of peace and almost shoots his second wife who comments on his gun skill. Moreover, Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna, Nwoyes close friend whom Nwoye calls brother who as ks for Okonkwos help because He was afraid of being thought weak (Achebe, 43). By trying to be a strong person and deciding to kill Ikemefuna and beats his wives, Okonkwo not only weaken his relationship with his wives and Nwoye, but also hurts himself mentally. Most important, his violent and impulsive characteristics lead him to kill a court messenger from the British during the clan meeting which soon after leads Okonkwo to the discovery of his own tragic fate. The last Aristotles criterion for being a tragic hero requires that the character must discover his fate by his own actions. Okonkwos self-realization starts when he comes back to Umuofia after his seven years exile with a great plan. However, after his arrival, he realizes that Umuofia is much changed and he is not as important and famous as he used to be before his exile. His arrival doesnt attract as much as attention as he expect and he loses his place in the Egwugwu to the another man as soon as he leaves the clan. Moreover, he also has to wait for another two years to imitate his two sons into the ozo society. But most important, Okonkwo discovers that the white men have settled down in the village. The white men establish a church and a school in the village, and then start converting Igbo people into Christian and attacking Igbo customs and faith. Okonkwo is strongly unhappy with this situation and by his violent nature; he persuades his clan to use violence to drive the whit e men out of the village. However, the clan disagrees and reminds Okonkwo that the white men also have some of the clan members supporting them. Although there is no war between white men and Igbo people, the conflicts between these two groups still often occur, including the unmasking of Egwugwu, the burning of the church and the deceptive meeting held by the white men which results in the capture and humiliation of the five clan members, including Okonkwo. However, despite these failings, it is not until when Okonkwo kills one of the five British court members, who are sent to stop the clan meeting that he discovers his tragic fate. When Okonkwo beheads the messenger during the clan meeting and sees that none of his clan members go after the escaping white men, He knew that Umuofia would not go to war (Achebe, 144). He realizes that he will never be able to drive the white men out of Umuofia because his clan will not fight with him. Realizing that he is defeated and cannot save hi s village from the white men influences, Okonkwo decides to hang himself, which is consider as an abomination in Igbo culture. Okonkwos character greatly fits the Aristotles definition of the tragic hero. From nothing, he rises to the honorable and successful leader of Umuofia. He also has a tragic flaw of a fear of weakness and failure that leads to him to several failings and ultimately, his suicide. Finally, he discovers his own tragic fate because of his impulsive murderer of the British court messenger during the clan meeting. Although Okonkwo starts his life as a successful man of Umuofia but because of his violent and impulsive characteristics, even the most successful man like Okonkwo can still falls from his grace. Work Cited Achebe, Chinua.  Things Fall Apart. Oxford: Heinemann, 1996. Print.

Queen Isabella I Essay -- Biography

She was born into a family of a long line of royal decedents. She became Queen at the age of twenty four. She was the first women to be on an US commutative coin. Who is this very accomplished person? Queen Isabella. Bold and daring, Queen Isabella accomplished many things in her thirty years of rein as Queen of Castile and Aragon. Queen Isabella was born on April 22, 1451 in Madrigal, Old Castile. Her mother was Isabella of Portugal and her dad was John the II of Castile. Her mom and dad were King and Queen of Castile. She had two brothers, Alfonzo and Henry (â€Å"Isabella of Castile† par13). At the age of three Isabella’s father died. After his death He4nry became King of Castile. A few years after he was crowned King he sent Alfonzo and Isabella to Segovia to be safe (â€Å"Isabella of Castile† par13). While they were in Segovia Henry got married twice, and finally had a baby. After the baby was born the people of Castile believed they needed a new king, so they summoned Isabella and Alfonzo back. The people of Castile decided that Alfonzo will be the heir to the throne. But while there was a war going on in Castile Alfonzo was killed. Now Isabella was the heir to the throne (â€Å"Isabella of Castile† par16). Henry believed that Isabella should get married if she wanted the crown. With that in mind he thought she should marry Don Carlos Prince of Vienna. But Isabella had other thoughts in mind. She wished to marry Ferdinand Prince of Aragon. Her brother would not fight with her so he allowed her to marry him. But she would have to wait until she got back from her trip. Isabella did not listen and married him during her trip. Therefore they got married in 1469 in Juan de Vivero (â€Å"Queen Isabella I† par3-5). When they ... ...w country of Spain. She mostly impacted religions. When she was alive she always taught people that everyone in this world is equal (â€Å"Isabella of Castile† par 5). She made huge sacrifices when she was young. She even turned down an offer to be Queen. She believed that unless both her brothers died it was not her right to be Queen (â€Å"Queen Isabella’ par 4). Being an educated Catholic girl, Isabella was mostly influenced by god. Her parents taught her to always follow the word of god (â€Å"Isabella of Castile† par43). Isabella wanted to be remembered as someone to look up to. Today she has accomplished that. Many people in Spain wish to make Isabella a Saint. But fro right now she is called a servant of god (â€Å"Isabella of Castile† par 39). â€Å"The distance is great beyond firm belief to the realization from concrete experiences.† Queen Isabella.

Bottled Water Industry

Running Head: Competition in the bottled water industry in 2006. The intent of this paper is to provide possible course of action according to analysis made for this case. Table of Contents Title Page Table of contents†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 Executive summary†¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 Macro-Environmental Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 Industry and competitive analysis†¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 Economic traits of the industry.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 Five forces analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 Strategic group mapping†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 Key Competitor’s analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 Key success factors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 Is this industry attractive or unattractive?.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 Company situation analysis.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 13 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The present Case Analysis is the result of the rapid growth of the bottled water Industry in the last decade. Many authors and analysts believe that this Industry has become a very important part of the economy, therefore the importance of the analysis of the sector, its competitors and its strategies. With global revenues exceeding $62 billion in 2005, bottled water was among the world? most attractive beverages categories (Gamble, John E. – Thompson Jr. , Arthur A. , 2007, p. 254) and an expected growth of 30 percent between 2005 and 2010; the companies in the sector have noticed the importance of good strategies to compete not only in local but in globa l markets. History and statistics show us that strategies and the products by themselves can make the difference between success and failure. This Case Analysis provides coverage of essential data that allow us to see the evolution of the Bottled Water Industry, its competitors, markets, forecasts, strategies and possible alternative courses of action. We also analyze the situation and performance of Coca-Cola as a key competitor in the Industry. And finally we present some recommendations that companies in the sector can use to have competitive advantages in front their competitors. MACRO ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS Technology Almost 50% of bottled water consumed in US in 1990 was delivered in returnable five-gallon containers and dispensed through coolers, called HOD due to home and office delivery. At that time, only 186 million gallons of water were sold in one-liter or smaller single-serving polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. In 2005 there were high-density polyethilene (HDPE) containers for 1-2. 4 gallons. (Gamble, John E. – Thompson Jr. , Arthur A. , 2007, p. 257) Technology needed in this industry is not cutting edge technology, so it is considered as medium technology since quality controls must be pretty high due to health problems might appear and sink a company. Legislation & Regulations Bottled water producers in the United States were required to meet the standards of both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Like some other food and beverage products sold in US, bottled water was subject to such food safety and labeling requirements as nutritional labeling provisions and general good manufacturing practices (GMPs). Bottled water GMPs were mandated under the 1962 Kefauver-Harris Drug Amendments to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938 and established specifications for plant construction and design, sanitation, equipment design and construction, production and process controls, and record keeping. Bottled water producers could also voluntarily become members of the International Water Association (IBWA) and agree to comply with its model code, which went beyond the standards of the EPA, FDA, or state agencies (Gamble, John E. – Thompson Jr. , Arthur A. , 2007, p. 258) Societal values & Lifestyles Convenience and portability were two of a variety reasons US consumers were increasingly attracted to bottled water. A heightened emphasis on healthy lifestyles and improved consumer awareness of the need for proper hydration led many consumers to shift traditional beverage preferences toward bottled water. A certain amount of industry growth was attributable to increased concerns over the quality of tap water provided by municipal water sources (Gamble, John E. – Thompson Jr. , Arthur A. , 2007, p. 257). Religion in most of the countries won’t be a big influence for this industry since it is a basic need. Similar situation with General economic conditions and population demographics, water is a basic need and tables below shows poor countries like Mexico are in the top places consuming bottled water, actually near 100% of the water consumed in Mexico is bottled. INDUSTRY AND COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS Market Size and growth rate: Global revenues exceeding $62 billion in 2005, bottled water was among the world’s most attractive beverage categories. Industry revenues were forecast to grow by an additional 30 percent between 2005 and 2010 to reach approximately $82 billion. Bottled water had long been a widely consumed product in Western Europe and Mexico, where annual per capita consumption approached or exceeded 40 gallons in 2005, but until the mid-1990s bottled water had been somewhat of a novelty or prestige product in the United States. In 1990, approximately 2. 2 billion gallons of bottled water were consumed in the United States and per capita consumption approximated 9 gallons. U. S. per capita consumption had grown to more than 25 gallons by 2005. The rising popularity of bottled water in the United States during the late 1990s and early 2000s had allowed the United States to become the world’s largest market for bottled water, with annual volume sales of nearly 7. 5 billion gallons in 2005. In 2006, emerging-country markets in Asia and South America seemed to be replicating the impressive growth of bottled water in the United States, with annual growth rates exceeding 20 percent. Even though it was the world’s largest market for bottled water, the United States remained among the faster-growing markets for bottle water according to per capita consumption rates. Whereas the bottled water market in the United States grew by 10. 7 percent between 2004 and 2005 to reach 7. 5 billion gallons, the U. S. carbonated soft drink market declined by 0. percent. Beginning in the late 1990s, consumers began to appreciate the convenience and portability of water bottled in single-serving PET containers that could be purchased chilled from a convenience store and drunk immediately. By 2005, bottled water sold in two-liter or smaller PET containers accounted for 60. 8 percent of industry volume. The unit sales of bottled water packaged in PET containers grew by 22. 5 percent betw een 2004 and 2005. Water sold in five-gallon containers used in the home and office delivery(HOD) market accounted for only 17. percent of industry volume in 2005 and grew by only 0. 2 percent between 2004 and 2005. Similarly, water sold in 1-or 2. 5-gallon high-density polyethylene containers accounted for just 16. 5 percent of industry volume in 2005 and grew by only 1. 0 percent between 2004 and 2005 (Gamble, John E. – Thompson Jr. , Arthur A. , 2007, p. 254-257). Number of rivals: Although there might a lot of local brands, this case is focused in 4 main giants: Nestle Waters, Groupe Danone, The Coca-Cola Company, and PepsiCo Inc. , a) Economic traits of the industry. The segment of bottled water is not only the one with the faster growth of the industry of soft drinks, but the most profitable. The best of all, from the point of view of the bottled water industry, is that people is paying for water, a product that used to be free. Now, the consumers accept the price not only as fair, but as preferable. Consumers all around the globe have shown their desire to spend money in bottled water. We can see a fast growth rate of bottled water sales in the United States, Mexico, China, Brazil, Indonesia, and some countries of Europe. From 2003 to 2008 we have seen compound annual growth rates of 15. 6 % in China, 9. 6% in Indonesia, 8. 3% in Mexico, and 6. 7% in United States (exhibit 4. 1). |GLOBAL BOTTLED WATER MARKET | |Leading Countries’ Consumption and Compound Annual Growth Rates | |2003 – 2008 | |2008 Millions Of Gallons CAGR* |Rank Countries 2003 2008 2003/08 | |1 United States 6,269. 8 8,665. 6 6. 7% | |2 Mexico 4,357. 6 6,501. 5 8. 3% | |3 China 2,523. 6 5,207. 7 15. % | |4 Brazil 2,842. 0 3,775. 7 5. 8% | |5 Italy 2,734. 2 3,140. 5 2. 8% | |6 Indonesia 1,834. 7 2,899. 5 9. 6% | |7 Germany 2,628. 2,863. 1 1. 7% | |8 France 2,352. 9 2,218. 4 -1. 2% | |9 Thailand 1,303. 4 1,705. 6 5. 5% | |10 Spain 1,346. 8 1,291. 3 -0. 8% | |Top 10 Subtotal 28,193. 5 38,268. 9 6. % | |All Others 9,917. 3 14,427. 9 7. 8% | |WORLD TOTAL 38,110. 8 52,696. 8 6. 7% | |* Compound annual growth rate | |Source: Beverage Marketing Corporation Exhibit 4. | The revenues exceeded $62 billion in 2005, and indust ry revenues were forecasted to grow by an additional 30 percent between 2005 and 2010, to reach approximately $82 billion. With averages prices of $5. 00 for a 24-pack of bottled water in 2005 and a consumption of gallons per capita shown in exhibit 4. 2, we can say that the economic reality of the Bottled Water Industry is really promising. | | |GLOBGLOBAL BOTTLED WATER MARKET |Per Capita Consumption by Leading Countries | |2003 – 2008 | | | |2008 Gallons Per Capita | |Rank Countries 2003 2008 | |1 Mexico 41. 5 59. | |2 Italy 47. 1 54. 0 | |3 United Arab Emirates 25. 4 39. 7 | |4 Belgium-Luxembourg 35. 1 39. 0 | |5 Germany 31. 9 34. 8 | |6 France 39. 1 34. 6 | |7 Spain 33. 5 31. 9 | |8 Lebanon 25. 30. 5 | |9 Hungary 16. 2 29. 2 | |10 United States 21. 6 28. 5 | |11 Switzerland 25. 4 26. 3 | |12 Austria 22. 7 26. 1 | |13 Thailand 20. 26. 0 | |14 Slovenia 20. 5 26. 0 | |15 Czech Republic 22. 2 25. 6 | |16 Qatar 19. 6 25. 6 | |17 Saudi Arabia 23. 3 25. 2 | |18 Croati a 16. 4 25. | |19 Cyprus 22. 8 24. 0 | |20 Bulgaria 11. 4 23. 1 | |GLOBAL AVERAGE 6. 0 7. 9 | | | |Source: Beverage Marketing Corporation Exhibit 4. 2 | b) Five Forces Analysis. 1. – The threat of substitute products or services. The buyer propensity to substitute products is a reality in the bottled water industry, people is looking for healthier and innovative products, such as flavored water, non calories water, and vitamin added water. Other substitute products are tea, coffee, milk, and beer, but bottled water has surpassed these beverage categories in term of consumption in the United States since 2003. And there is no way the relative price performance of substitutes is going to be better than the price of the bottled water. 2. – The threat of the entry of new competitors. Profitable markets that yield high returns will draw firms. This results in many new entrants, which eventually will decrease profitability. Unless the entry of new firms can be blocked by incumbents, the profit rate will fall towards a competitive level. But in this case, the biggest competitors have the majority of the global market, only a few small competitor are capable of maintain their consumers. Just a competitor who is able to offer big quantities of bottled water at a low price is going to enter this industry. Such is the case of beer producers who have the technology and infrastructure, but that according to some experts, they are just waiting for the industry to reach its maturity. . – The intensity of competitive rivalry. For most industries, the intensity of competitive rivalry is the major determinant of the competitiveness of the industry. There are a few global competitors in the industry, such as Nestle Waters, Groupe Danone, The Coca-Cola Company, and PepsiCo Inc. , but almost in every country there are small competi tors who only have part in a specific segment of the industry, and the consumers are loyal to the brand because of its exclusiveness and quality of the water. 4. – The bargaining power of customers. The bargaining power of customers is also described as the market of outputs: the ability of customers to put the firm under pressure, which also affects the customer's sensitivity to price changes. The price sensitivity of buyers around the globe is big concern for the leading sellers of the industry, but consumers will not stop buying bottled water just because a high price, they may only change from one brand to another or in the best scenario form one flavor to another, because bottled water today is considered as a basic product. The uniqueness of the industry products lies in the interest of the consumers to have a healthier lifestyle; this is a benefit that no other soft drink can provide to the buyer. 5. – The bargaining power of suppliers. The bargaining power of suppliers is also described as the market of inputs. Suppliers of raw materials, components, labor, and services (such as expertise) to the firm can be a source of power over the firm, when there are few substitutes. Suppliers may refuse to work with the firm, or, charge excessively high prices for unique resources. The suppliers to the bottled water industry include municipal water systems; spring operators; bottling equipment manufactures; deionization, reverse osmosis, and filtration equipment manufactures; manufactures of PET and HDPE bottles and plastic caps; label printer; and secondary packing suppliers. Sellers of purified water are able not only to pay less for a bottle of water, but also to avoid spring water? s inbound shipping costs since water arrives through the municipal water system. c) Strategic Group Mapping. d) Key competitor’s analysis. The leading sellers in the industry of bottled water in the world are just a few, beginning with Nestle waters, Groupe Danone, The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, CG Roxanne, Fiji, Voss, Penta and Trinity Springs. Since bottled water gained wide spread acceptance in the United States, most sellers introduced in 2006 a variation of products that included flavoring, vitamins, carbohydrates, electrolytes, and other supplements. The competitors in the industry have not only bottled water but enhanced waters or functional waters available in every single market. The top four U. S. bottled water marketers for 2003-2004 are shown in exhibit 4. . SOURCES 1. Bolman, L. G. & Deal, T. E. (2008). Reframing organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership. San Francisco, CA :Jossey-Bass. 2. Gannon, Martin J. (2004). Understanding Global Cultures. London, UK: SAGE Publications. 3. Neulip, James W. (2009). Intercultural Communication. London, UK: Sage Publications. 4. Pugh, D. S. & Hickson, D. J. (1997) . Writers on organizations. London, UK: Penguin Books. 5. Jabil Circuit Co. (2009). Retrieved March 15, 2009 at http://www. jabil. com 6. Jabil Circuit de Mexico (2009). Retrieved March 15, 2009 at http://jabilweb intranet.

Why Racism Will Never End Essay - 1168 Words

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I think that progress has been happening very slowly, but not enough for it to completely come to an end. His dream, forever ingrained in every American s mind, hasRead MoreThe Oldest Form Of Bullying1326 Words   |  6 PagesFelipe Barbosa English 1302 10/15/15 Ms. Dew The oldest form of bullying is racism. Racism started when humans were created in planet earth. In the past century 62 million people have died from racism, and I’m not including the other billions of people suffering from it. Racism is one of the worst social diseases or problems in our society, and we should do something about. What is Racism? Racism is the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to thatRead MoreCan A Blind Person Be Racist?903 Words   |  4 Pages Racism is not based on the appearance of skin color but on what physical features represent ,such as hair,nose,lips and much more. In the excerpt from Obasogie’s book â€Å"Can a blind person be racist?†, Obasogie explains how this is possible. Osagie K. Obasogie is a professor of law at the University of California in San Francisco and is P.H. D. and a J.D. In this excerpt he shows how a blind person can be racist. Obasogie’s testing on hundreds of blind people,gives him credibility. It is hard toRead MoreWhy Is There War?950 Words   |  4 PagesWhy is there war? Why is there racism? Why must almost all disputes be solved via violence? Why, why, why. It is in human nature to question, and to be curious. As well as abhorring anything that is different from what society defines as â€Å"normal†. Society abhors anything unusual. Honestly, many things puzzle me, as well as the rest of the human race for the most part. Whether it be the existence of paranor mal entities, which has boggled the world for millennia, or the meaning of life. Some thingsRead MoreWhy Is Innocence Becomes Experience?1225 Words   |  5 PagesKill A Mockingbird there are several reason why innocence becomes experience. Phys.com stated â€Å"Between ages 5 and 11, the researchers found, children become aware that many people believe stereotypes, including stereotypes about academic ability. When children become aware of these types of bias about their own racial or ethnic group, it can affect how they respond to everyday situations.† This shows that Scout and Jem are in a time of their lives when racism will take effect. Not only because of theRead MorePerception Is Everything By Toni Morrison975 Words   |  4 PagesPerception is Everything Perception is everything. People never know what is going on with the another race or side. In Toni Morrison’s â€Å"Recitatif† she brings up racism and the societal normal. She never reveals the race of either of the girls in this story. Never knowing the race of the girls other than they are two different races shows how one race never knows that the other is thinking about or where they are coming from. In this story, two girls meet from very different back grounds and differentRead More Huck Finn Essay892 Words   |  4 Pagesinterested, the real reason I found myself enjoying this book so much, was Mark Twain’s use of the underlying theme of racism. In this story, I found myself admiring Huck’s innocent approach to slavery, and the treatment of slaves. Is Huck Finn a racist? Now this is a tough question. I would be tempted to say no. He always treats his run away slave-partner Jim equally. Never in this book once did he treat a black any different then he would have treated any white in the same situation. WhetherRead MoreRacism And The Civil Rights Movement984 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is racism? By definition racism is the prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one s own race is superior. This is a big issue in America today. Many Americans believe that racism is over in this country because it had gone through a civil rights revolution but those people are more than wrong. Some people believe that just because America went through a civil rights movement that all racism is gone. That everything wasRead MoreRacism During The Civil War973 Words   |  4 Pages Racism is an issue that has plagued in country from the day it was declared the United States of America. Whether it comes in the form of slavery, forced segregation or political racism, it is still here. Racism can be seen throughout our history from slaves picking cotton in the south to Jim Crows laws preventing slaves from having equal rights to current days where we have things such as affirmative action and movements such as Black Lives Matter. In the beginning of our country, we began ourRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s The 976 Words   |  4 PagesPerception is everything. People never know what is going on with the other race or side. In Toni Morrison’s â€Å"Recitatif† she brings up racism and the societal normal. She never reveals race of either of the girls in this story. Never knowing the race of the girls other than they are two different races so how one race never knows that the other is thinking about or where they are coming from. In this story two girls meet and become friends and go separate directions. They continue to meet throughout