Coco Cola Internal Analysis

Internal Analysis Coca-Cola is the world's largest drinks company, with giant and strong advantages of global competitiveness, brand image has been popularity, in the market share high. Coca-Cola offers a unique combination of organizational and physical resources that support it’s favorable operating results. Strengths – The highest scores for the company's strengths include the high ability of innovation, research, and development.Coca-Cola has created a strong brand for itself in the drinking industry, and provides a competitive advantage over other players in the market. They use the unique flavor and price strategy to attract more customers. Weaknesses – Coke contains caffeine and other components, this is a slightly bad places that compared with other health drinks, such as milk. And it easys to cause fat. And it's a large organization, not easy to manage, and less use of celebrity advertising, decrease attraction. Our Industry overviewThe definition for so ft drink industry includes manufacturing non-alcoholic, carbonated beverages, mineral waters and concentrates and syrups for the manufacture of carbonated beverages. The world’s top 10 soft drink companies by market share (2009) are Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestle, Sunstory, Dr Pepper Snapple, Red Bull, Danone, Kirin, Asahi Breweries, Ito En. Internal Threats With regard to the bargaining power of buyers, it must be noted that there exists a low switching cost. This will give consumers more bargaining power.However, on the other hand, the limited alternative goods will lower buyers’ bargaining power. The last force indicator to estimate the degree of internal competition is the bargaining power of suppliers. Obviously, there are plenty of substitutes for sugar, one of the main ingredients in manufacturing beverage concentrates and syrups. In addition, various materials are also available for packaging. Under these circumstances, suppliers in the soft drink industry have les s bargaining power.The Coca? Cola Company is the world’s leading beverage manufacturing company. It possesses a strong brand name and brand portfolio. It operates in more than 200 countries and markets with more than 500 brands and 3,500 beverage products. Coca-Cola’s market leadership and industry-leading brands provide an exceptional competitive advantage and in turn enhance its bargaining power. Above all, operation activities, marketing activities are critical for success in our industry.

Plath Sample answer

â€Å"Plath’s provocative imagery serves to highlight the intense emotions expressed in her poetry.†I agree completely that Plath uses a lot of provocative imagery to highlight the intense emotions expressed in her poetry.The poem I will discuss in light of this statement is ‘Morning Song’.In this poem I found a lot of provocative imagery that made me feel various emotions. One provocative image that stood out for me was, ‘new statue’. I found this image provocative because it’s abnormal to describe your new born baby as a statue. It provoked/caused anger and confusion in me. It made me angry because I think that Plath is suggesting that her child is a possession. I believe it is wrong to have a child just to add to your life like a new car or home. It also confused me because the title suggests something positive but to me this image is negative.Another provocative image that stood out for me was, ‘In a drafty museum, your nakedne ss shadows our safety’. This is a provocative image because I find that Plath is being harshly honest when it comes to her relationship with her husband. To describe your home as being a drafty museum is unusual. It made me feel respect towards Plath but also anger. I respect her for being able to tell the truth about her relationship. To express the loneliness and depression she feels is courageous. However I feel anger at the idea that somehow having a child would fix the problems in their relationship, ‘your nakedness shadows our safety’.A third provocative image that stood out for me was, ‘I’m no more your mother’. This to me is extremely provocative. Her child is only born and already Plath is feeling that she is not or should not be a part of her daughter’s life. This provoked/caused me to feel sadness and pity for Plath. I feel that she’s afraid that her child will soon be an individual and will not need her mother’ s advice or encouragement. This makes me feel sad for Plath as a mother, to already be thinking of when her daughter leaves the home instead of enjoying the moments of her being a child. I also feel pity  for Plath because I feel she hopes that her child won’t need her. I think she feels this way because she’s afraid her child will be like her and take on her depression.The final provocative image that stood out for me was, ‘In my Victorian nightgown’. This is a provocative image because again I think Plath is being blatantly honest when it comes to her relationship with her husband. I think she uses the nightgown as a symbol for a lack of passion in her relationship with her husband. This image made me feel respect for Plath. I respect her for being able to tell the truth about her relationship. To express the loneliness and depression she feels is courageous especially when it’s something intimate like their sexual relationship.Overall I found t hat Plath uses a lot of provocative imagery to make a statement, to shock and cause the reader to take notice of what she is trying to say. I also feel she uses these images in a great way to provoke or create intense emotions for the reader and suggest these are the same emotions she herself is going through.

A Child Called It

A Child Called â€Å"It† is a true story based on one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is a twisted, brutal, and emotional book about the childhood of the author Dave Pelzer and his alcoholic mother who played many sick games on him as a child. It is about his struggles everyday to live and go on and try to beat his mother in her games. Until he is one day taken away by the Daly City Police Department and put in custody of the San Mateo Juvenile Department. His mother, Catherine Pelzer, started out as the perfect mother. Loving, caring, fun, nice, and she and her husband, Stephen, took Dave and his siblings on many trips to different places in California and all around the United States. Until one day things changed in the Pelzer household, Catherine and Stephen began arguing. The arguing caused Catherine to take all of her pent up aggression out on Dave, which is when the abuse started. She first began the abuse by burning him on a gas stove and then the abuse got much worse and she began playing â€Å"games† on him and not feeding him until his chores were done in a certain time. If they were not done in the allotted time, he was not fed that day. His father first began trying to help Dave, by sneaking him food whenever he was home from work and trying to convince Dave that things would get better in the Pelzer household. Until one day, he was caught. When Stephen was caught, arguing broke out and the â€Å"games† played on Stephen became a lot worse and more brutal than ever before. Stephen Pelzer began not coming home after work but would instead drink all night at bars and stay at hotels to avoid the arguing with his wife. Dave Pelzer,the protagonist, first began scared that the beatings and the â€Å"games† would never stop. He began to tell himself that he couldn't give up and that he had to try his mother at her own â€Å"games† and try to survive everyday or his mother would end up killing him. But as time went on and he was beginning to be fed less and less, he decided to come up with different plans to feed himself everyday. So he came up with the plan that everyday he was going to get to school extra early and steal food out of the other children's lunchboxes. Then one day children began complaining that they had food missing and then then the principal decided that Dave was stealing the food. So the principal called his mother, and the beatings gotten severely worse. Another plan he came up with is that during his lunch hour, he was going to go the grocery store and steal food during the hour. But this plan did not last long when he was caught by the manager, and he called the school and he was then reported to his mother and the beating got even worse. In the end, the nurse saw all the wounds that his mother had inflicted on him and the nurse and the principal talked about it. They then decided that they would report his wounds to the police department. The San Mateo Juvenile Department then took custody of Dave and he was removed from the household. His mother was never arrested but Dave was moved into foster care and he was never abused again. A child called â€Å"it† I don’t believe that anyone could read this book and not be disturbed it. It is a poignant and heart wrenching book of one child’s great misery at the hands of his extremely â€Å"ill† mother.The types of abuse that were inflicted upon him were horrific and terrifying to read about, let alone to have suffered through. I had to pause several times in the reading just to take a breath and try to absorb that anyone could have endured such horrors and survived it. It often brought me to tears and shock from the sheer sadness of it. David Pelzer’s writings were clear, concise, and held back no punches.At times, I felt myself filled with rage at the injustice and cruelty this man bore as a helpless child and the incredulity that it was permitted to go unchecked for so long. It seemed so inconceivable that no one interfered or made any attempt to stop it from family to public officials. This did not happen in the Dark Ages but in the 1970’s in California a nd in a country which was and is supposed to be a nation of freedom and enlightenment.How could the system have so totally and miserably failed this child? The â€Å"why† of that was still a mystery to me when I had reached the conclusion of the book? The only answer I could come up with was that no one could be bothered until it just finally became so evident that it could no longer be ignored. That, in itself, is almost as dire a tragedy as the misery and pain this child had to feel and live through.First question: A discussion of how this book impacted you emotionally and cognitively.The first real reaction I had was to the way the boy felt so unworthy in the beginning chapter of the book. This is a classic sign of child abuse, where it becomes the purpose of the abuser to demean and belittle the abused until they have no self confidence left or any sense of personal dignity. A human being that believes in themselves will fight back and refuse to be submissive.The motherâ €™s constant spew of criticism was intended for just that purpose so that David would not try to oppose her and would suffer through her abuse without fighting her. It gave her a sense of power over him, ill regardless of the fact that she was an adult and he was a child where the physical odds were against him.As each stage of the abuse became more violent and degrading as well as life threatening, my shock grew the further I read into the book. At points, it was hard to believe that a mother could be so uncaring of her child. Her coldness and lack of guilt amazed me but David’s mental and emotional fight to preserve his sanity and survival awed me more.When she broke his arm was horrible but to make him suffer through the night just so she pass it off as a fall off a top bunk and therefore, in her mind, take away any risk that she might be held accountable for it, impressed upon me just what a callous coward she was. Yet that incident seemed to pale in the mockery of th e stabbing where she simply bound his wounds and let him heal at home without any medical help.She knew if she took him to the hospital that there would questions and reactions and she would come under suspicion but in truth, the saddest and most despicable action came from his father when David turned to him for help and the man simply told him to go back and finish the dishes before the mother noticed.He let his child stand there and bleed on the carpet and did nothing. Why? Because he was afraid of his wife and her mouth! He put his comfort over the safety of his child and that is unbelievable that any loving parent would do that!I could better understand David’s siblings’ withdrawal out of fear of the mother but the father and the grandmother, both adults, failing to act in David’s defense was almost beyond comprehension.The malicious way that the mother taught her youngest son to view his older brother was feasible because a child, especially a very young o ne, reacts to the way they are taught. He was blameless in a way and more so than David’s older brothers. It brought forth the question to my mind as to why â€Å"just David† and not the other boys?Why were they allowed to eat and have privileges and David wasn’t? What was it about David that made his mother single him out as the one to be despised and abused? These were questions that the book never quite answered in my opinion. Of course, the book was written from the first person point of view, which of David and in only being a child, how would he know what caused his mother to turn on him and treat him so abominably?Second question: A discussion of the instances of where people could have stopped the maltreatment but did not.This question goes back to the instance of the father in particular. He was the only other adult in the house and it should have fallen on him to stop the abuse when it first began. Despite the fact that his wife hid the abuse from him in the beginning and made David never reveal it to his father, how could he have not noticed? With the mother denying the child food, the boy would have grown thinner and wan with an unusual lack of energy or vibrancy normal to a child David’s age.The father would have also had to see how the child clung to him when he was home. Then as time progressed and the father did openly admit to what was happening, why did he not stop it? If he had been a truly loving and caring parent, he would have taken immediate action to stop it, no matter how much he cared about his wife.He simply did not want to â€Å"rock the boat†, to use an old adage. He chose to ignore the situation and pretend that it was not happening. David was alone in a world that he was too small to be able to defend himself in.

Poem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Poem - Essay Example It is a plausible assertion to make that the â€Å"voice† in the poem is that of William Stafford who is presenting a realistic account to the reader. Of much significance is the tone of the poem and how Stafford chooses to address his audience. What may appear as the poet’s indifference towards the dead deer is soon transformed into sympathy as he touches the animal’s belly and feels the warmth of the life that is growing inside of her. The seemingly compassionate nature of this action, however, is short lived as the progress towards the fourth stanza of the poem brings into light the inner conflicts of the speaker. "It is usually best to roll them into the canyon: that road is narrow; to swerve might make more dead† (Stafford 11): the speaker had initially thought upon encountering the deer that her carcass must be removed from the path of traffic, but he soon drifted into his thoughts before the action could materialize. In this moment in the poem the to ne shifts to a display of sympathy, however, the poet’s removal of the deer as he had aimed to do is a representation of the ironic tone of the poem which reappears in the forefront towards the departure of the blank verse. The symbolism of the word â€Å"Dark† is a notion which is central to the literary work. Even though, the literal meaning of the term is obvious from the title itself the figurative meaning of the word holds the immense significance due to its multidimensional interpretations. Stafford’s use of the word â€Å"Dark† represents shock, confusion, destruction, threat, struggle, death, destiny, and even failure; humanity’s failure to synchronize and harmonize what it invented and what God created. Like the dead deer lying on the edge of Wilson River road, death is the fate of every living creature, and this is a fact that cannot be denied. Therefore, the darkness in the literary work is also the darkness of death. The beauty of the i magery used by Stafford in the poem is that the poet allows it to be open for interpretation rather than being unequivocally clear about its purpose and intention in the context of the literary work. An intriguing line with respect to this observation says, â€Å"I stood in the glare of the warm exhaust turning red† (Stafford 11), where the reader is provided with the liberty to imagine the poet standing against his car with red light on his face. Certainly, this image can be interpreted in numerous ways, primarily because the connotations associated with this depiction can be comprehended as a plethora of emotions. If the red light is believed to be indicating danger then what or who is in danger? Is it the incoming cars that might meet with an accident if the poet decides that the animal carcass should not be removed? Or is it humanity itself which is in jeopardy as it refuses to mend its ways and revere nature as it is meant to be revered? Furthermore, the imagery of the à ¢â‚¬Å"warm exhaust turning red† can also be associated with the emotions being felt by the speaker himself; these emotions that range from confusion, aggression to even embarrassment represent the challenges and complexity of the situation. Furthermore, Stafford’s use of imagery in the literary w

Comparative Analysis of Global Consumers (Italy) Essay

Comparative Analysis of Global Consumers (Italy) - Essay Example Today, the USA and Italy are working together on major economic issues. Both countries are the member of G-8. Italy, having a large population and high per capita income is the United States 10th biggest trading partner, with a joint trade of $42.5 billion, with exports to Italy totaling $11.5 and imports from Italy totaling to $31.0 Billion. The US also had a $19.5 Billion shortage with Italy in 2005 which rose up from 17.4 billion in 2004. Major transformations can be seen in this trade nowadays. Products such as, office machinery and aircraft are becoming important US exports to Italy. The US's foreign investment in Italy was $33.3 billion at the end of the year 2004. Two hard years, distinct by a financial slump in Europe and a damaging Euro/ Dollar exchange rate. In 2003, there were the first signs of recovery, which were later confirmed in the year 2004, and it became a solid movement in the early 2005. Once the slump was over the Italian machine tool industry started to run smoothly confirming the positive trends. This was an important sign; first being because of the trend in the machine tool sector, which was a good sign in the interest of the industry as a whole in the new investment sector. This indicator measures business brightness, the development objectives measured are achievable and the motivation to assemble the financial resources by increasing the risk capital. Another reason is the nature of this sector. With a â‚ ¬4 billion turnover and over more than 35000 jobs, this industry is one of the most important in the world along with the United States, Taiwan, Japan and Germany. The major reason of it is because of its size and the percentage of the products exported.

The role and impact of marketing on the use and availability of drugs Research Paper

The role and impact of marketing on the use and availability of drugs in America and effective interventions to combat corporate marking strategies - Research Paper Example a moratorium on direct to consumer advertisements in order to give doctors an opportunity to learn about new drugs before patients demand prescriptions to ease their pain, bend their minds, or sleep through the night (2007, p.3). Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) is a leading cause of drug misuse. The expenditure on direct to consumer advertising has been on a steady rise (Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation 2000). The influence of drug advertisements is on the rise too. A survey conducted in 2004 showed that doctors believed that direct to consumer advertisement affected how they interacted with patients and in their profession. Previously, drug manufacturers used to promote their drugs only to professionals in the health care sector so that they can explain how the drug works to their patients. The trend changed in the early 1990s and manufacturers changed their focus to consumers. Advertisements targeting consumers began to emerge. Marketing led to increase in spending on prescription drugs as patients began following up on their healthcare. This led to another problem as patients began demanding drugs they had seen on advertisements from their physicians. Due to this, manufacturers intensified their ad strategies is order to benefit from high sales. Some companies are suspected to be giving misleading information about their products. Some exaggerate the ability of their products to treat certain ailments or how fast they can cure a person once taken. It is for this reason that proper guidelines should be set on how companies advertise their drugs. One of the ways may be to require that any drug advertised should include a list of any likely side effects. Drugs advertised should also not be allowed to describe what they do. Drug should also be properly labeled in accordance to the set guidelines. Emotional style advertising should be prohibited as it misleads buyers. Other strategies like rising of the legal drinking age may help reduce accessibility to

Norton Introduction to Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Norton Introduction to Literature - Essay Example Birds are symbols for freedom and entrapment. Marriage and womanhood are cages for women. Also, just by being a woman, women can hardly flex their wings and do as they please. But birds can also be freed, like what Louise feels after her husband died. Furthermore, the narrator also illuminates the oppression of women inside the institution of marriage. Louise only feels genuine freedom as a widow, because her mind screams: â€Å"Free! Body and soul free!† (Chopin). This statement emphasizes that marriage has imprisoned her body and soul. The narrator then shares what marriage means for nineteenth-century women: a life without liberties and without liberties, there is no happiness. 2. Choose one of the main characters of this story. What can we learn about this character from the details given in the story? Does the character change from the beginning to end of the story? Is this a positive or negative character--and how do you know this from the story? Give details. The main c haracter of the story is Mrs. Mallard. Based on the details of the story, Mrs. Mallard does not own her life. She does not even have a first name in the beginning of the story, since she is introduced as Mrs. Mallard. Only in the end do readers learn that her first name is Louise. This mission of detail regarding one’s identity underscores that as a married woman, she is not an independent individual. She is only seen as someone who is married, someone under Brent Mallard. The character also changes from beginning to end. At first, Mrs. Mallard is the typical woman who must be treated with gentleness: â€Å"Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband's death† (Chopin). It seems that she is a fragile person, which is a perception provide to women in early times. Later on, however, inside her room, she realizes the opportunities that await her, because she is already a wi dow. Louise receives an epiphany of her future life: â€Å"She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life.† Spring stands for a beautiful life, a life with no will imposed upon her. She transforms into an empowered woman with complete control of her whole life. For me, Louise is a positive character, because she is only like every other human being, someone who wants to be free after being controlled for a long time. She feels happiness over her freedom per se, and not because she wants her husband to die. In her mind, she drinks the â€Å"elixir of life,† because she has not tasted that in her marriage. It is also understandable then for her to die when she sees her husband. Death is her only key to the elixir of life she just enjoyed. She knows that if she goes back to her married life, she will forever feel empty, for she will never be free in her marriage. 3. What role does the setting play in this story? What can you say about how it furthers the plot or the effect on the reader? What are the details that allow you to "see" one of the scenes in this story? The setting is important because it stands for the setting of every woman trapped in a patriarchal marriage. The setting furthers the plot by ensuring that readers feel how it is to be imprisoned in

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 10

Psychology - Essay Example These children should be in school instead of working in a brothel and being abused by men and even women who are old enough to be their parents or grandparents. The deeply rooted and widespread sex tourism industry in Thailand is primarily to blame for the trafficking of women and children for the purpose of prostitution (2005 US Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report). The boom in the sex tourism industry creates a huge demand for sex workers, which encourages traffickers and even parents to allow their children to take part in the industry. In most cases, the parents are given substantial amount of money as advance payments for the â€Å"labor† of their children in the brothel. The advance payments are then considered as debts which must be paid within a period of time. Since Asian children, particularly those from Thailand believe in honoring the debts of their parents, these young children are forced to work as sex workers to pay off the debts of their parents. (US Department of State Human Rights Report (2005). Throughout the duration of their bondage in the brothel, these young women and children are made to serve as sex slaves and are made to take on as many as nine customers in a day (US Department of State Human Rights Report (2005). Almost all of these women and children who work as sex slaves use drugs to keep them going through the night. For them, they simply do not have any choice but to use drugs to keep their energy up and serve more customers. Young children who are forced to work as sex workers are especially at risk of serious injuries and even death due to the abuse. The use of drugs and continued sexual abuse is inhuman to say the least. Although a lot of people are aware that prostitution in rampant in many Asian countries especially in Thailand, most of these people turn a deaf ear. Why? First of all, these people are not really aware of the extent of the hardships that these women and children

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

Comparison and Contrast - Essay Example According to the contra-divorce view, family is the smallest but the most important unit of a society, it has a huge impact on various social constructs and, at the same time, it plays significant and crucial roles in shaping a child’s mind during its earliest years. The process of socialization, which decides who and what a man will be, starts from this smallest unit of society. But inevitably this familial organization significantly depends on the marital bond between a man and a woman for its existence in modern society. Consequently, divorce is considered to be a direct blow on this important societal unit. Divorce hampers a child’s harmonious mental and physical development. Family is accepted as a man’s first and foremost efficient training center through which a child becomes familiar and learns to revere the morals, rules, and regulations of the society. It is the family in which a child gets the fundamental behavioural patterns that tend to be further sh aped by other social institutions such as religious convictions, educational, political systems, etc. The issue of children’s welfare and strong marital bond are related to each other.

Understanding Food Labels Essay Example for Free

Understanding Food Labels Essay When discussing nutrition, there are a few topics that should be discussed when learning about how to follow proper daily nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle. First, we will start with the 5/20 Rule. The 5/20 Rule: When reading the nutrition label on any food item, you can see what is a good source of a particular nutrient and what is not. If a food has 5% or less of the daily nutrient, it is not a good source of that nutrient. If the food product has 20% or more of a nutrient, it is a good source of that nutrient. Nutrients that you may not want much of still use the 5/20 Rule. You would want to stay away from foods that contain 20% or more saturated fat or sodium and it is healthier to stay around 5% for those types of nutrients. If you want less of a nutrient, aim for 5% and if you are aiming for more of a nutrient, aim for closer to 20%. According to the video, â€Å"The 5/20 Rule: 5% DV or less – not a good source. 20% DV or more – a good source.† When you are more active, you will probably want a higher caloric intake and more carbohydrates since your active body is burning off those carbohydrates as energy. There are six key food label facts listed on each label on a product. The first fact is your serving size. According to the percent daily value, which are â€Å"based on a 2,000-calorie diet for healthy adults† (Katherine Zeratsky, 2012), the serving size is a basis for determining how much you should eat. This includes the amount of calories, percentage of each nutrient, and how much of the daily value that particular food contains within that serving. The second fact, is the amount of calories within that serving. If you are looking to lose or maintain weight, and keep track of how many calories you consume, this is an important part of the label. The third fact is the nutrients that you should try to limit, or stay close to that 5% of the 5/20 Rule. These nutrients include Total Fat (which includes the saturated and trans fat), Cholesterol, and Sodium. Too much of these nutrients can increase your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, and even cancer. The fourth fact contains information on the nutrients you should get enough of. These nutrients include Dietary Fiber, and vitamins (which often include vitamin a, vitamin c, calcium, and iron). The fifth fact is the % of Daily Value. The percentages listed here will tell you how much of those nutrients within that serving apply to your total daily diet. So, if you have 20% of Vitamin C in that serving, that serving fulfilled 20 percent of the daily limit for that nutrient. The sixth and final fact is the footnote with the daily values. It tells the consumer that the DV is based off a 2,000-calorie diet and lists the maximum amounts of some of the nutrients.

Tools and concepts to construct your personal career strategy

Tools and concepts to construct your personal career strategy Random House Dictionary defines success to be the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors. The ambiguity in this definition may be attributed to the fact that there is no universal meaning for the word success. The meaning of the term depends entirely on the dreams and aspirations of the individual. Most people are given the opportunity to choose their own path, and use their choices to determine their idea of success. My life is a little bit different in that my idea of success has determined my career path. After much contemplation, I have realized that my personal definition of success is to make my fathers company internationally competitive. Stella Cortells book describes several issues related to personality development, and outlines activities and reflections on topics such as: identifying how you perform your best, improving your performance, task-management, assertiveness, giving and receiving constructive criticism, among others. I have considered the results of these activities in the crafting of my career development plan. The self-awareness of an individual should be taken into consideration when he or she is in search of a career. It should also be applied to enhance in the performance of ones job or profession. According to Goleman, the most important variables in ones career decisions are the level of self awareness and self-efficiency. (1996) Self-awareness will enable individuals to make the correct career decisions. In order to achieve my personal career goal, I must strive to become a more self-aware individual. Garavan defined self-awareness as the individuals ability to assess others evaluations of the self and to incorporate these assessments into ones self-evaluation. (1999) In developing my personal career strategy, I first considered my career goal, and the skills and qualifications needed to realize it. Afterward, I considered results of my MBTI model and Johari Window Model. I then integrated my self-realizations and the opinions of my peers and family members as a basis for my career development plan. I first identified how I perform the best. As a child, my favourite sport was football. I played on both community and school teams, and would frequently volunteer to help my coaches organise transportation to and from games. When I reached high school, my football skills were not honed enough to qualify me to play for the team, but out of love for the game, I stayed on as a manager. During my tenure as team manager, I designed several activities for the team and fundraised more money for my schools soccer program than any other manager before. This money was used to purchase new training equipment and uniforms for the team. That year, we beat our rival school for the first time in 5 years. Looking back at this experience, I was able to realize how much I truly enjoyed being in a managerial position. Curious, I consulted my old report cards to see if any of my past teachers had mentioned my leadership skills. Much to my surprise, several of them had mentioned that I was quiet, yet I had the natural ability to lead my classmates in group activities. In the future, I will inherit my fathers company. When the day comes for my to assume a managerial position, my leadership skills will definitely be useful. Despite this, my surprise at the discovery of my teachers comments shows me that I have several blindspots. Based on the comments of my friends and past teachers, I have come to realize that one of my personality traits that has the potential to negatively impact my future career plans is the fact that I am a shy person. While this shyness is not quite a liability, my fear of public speaking, and my reluctance to assert myself may serve to be a serious disadvantage when I assume a managerial position. In order to improve my performance as a manager, I have added relevant steps to my career development plan that will train me enhance my speaking skills and will teach me to be more assertive. I have also added steps and goals in my career development plan in an effort to expand my current knowledge and talents, and thereby improve my performance. According to Monster.com, Many employers are looking for candidates with a strong sense of self-awareness. Monster evens offers a quiz on their website to help determine how self aware you are now as you are looking for a job. (Christie) These skills will help an individual choose the right career and make the appropriate decisions in managerial development. Companies are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of self-awareness, and as such, they are also looking to hire employees who possess these qualities. In order to become more self-aware, I examined my ability to manage and complete tasks. Through personal reflections and feedback from peers and academic advisors, I observed that many of my peers perceive me to be organised and responsive. As a result of this observation, I have realized that I am reasonably efficient in the management of my personal tasks. Because of this, I have designed my career development plan to include a several activities. This will enable me to maximize my time. I took the MBTI test to further my level of self-awareness. The results show that my personality is the ENFP (Extroversion, Intuition, Thinking and Perceiving). People with ENFP personalities tend to lead by creating a vision, and helping people see their potential. ENFP personalities also tend to influence by listening to and incorporating the ideas of others. Finally, ENFP personalities tend to focus on exploring all the possibilities. This personality type describes many characteristics that are in line with the steps I have outlined in my career development plan. One of the steps in my action plan is to obtain a Masters Degree in Business Administration. I hope my studies will supplement my personality and provide me with formal training to enable me to help people see their potential. This skill will be invaluable when I become a manager. I have also used the results of my Johari Window model in the development of my career plan. I noticed that I do not consider myself, nor do others consider me, to possess certain characteristics that I believe are essential to good leadership. For example, I do not consider myself, nor was I described to be articulate. I believe that the ability to communicate with others effectively is an extremely important aspect of management. Considering this, I have modified my career development plan to develop my public speaking skills. It was also interesting to note that I had an empty quadrant in the results of my Johari Window model. This quadrant was the hidden one, which represents the things that the subject knows about his or her self but other people do not know at all (Luft and Ingham 1955). This panel contains all the information that the subject has not divulged to anyone or to the person with whom the interaction is taking place. It is during this step that the process of self-disclosure takes place (Luft and Ingham 1955). Over time, as people begin to trust each other more and reveal more information about them, the items that are contained in the hidden quadrant are moved to the open quadrant. While I would like to believe that I am transparent to the point that there is nothing hidden about me, logically, I know this is impossible. The empty quadrant can likely be attributed to my reluctance to admit that I prefer to keep some things to myself. While this observation did not translate into a step in my career development plan, my awareness of this aspect of my personality will make me more conscious of such behaviour in the future. Another thing I learned through the application of an activity performed during this class, is that I sometimes have difficulty receiving and giving constructive criticism. As I tend to be a very reserved person who tries to see the best in everyone, I have realized that I am not very good at criticizing my peers as I have a tendency to be too nice. This realization came as a shock. Because I consider myself to be a very honest person, I had previously assumed that I was able to provide candid evaluations. My self-awareness of this limitation will definitely help me in my future career. One of the fundamental parts of being a manager is the need to provide employees with constructive criticism. Managers who are unable to do so will be extremely ineffective. As such, I have realized that I need to train myself to be less afraid of what people think, and more concerned with providing helpful evaluations. My awareness of my inability to provide constructive criticism further convinced m e of the need to obtain a Masters Degree, which is a step on my career development plan. I hope that my study of Business Administration will teach me to be a more candid evaluator. A similar activity taught me that I also have difficulty receiving constructive criticism. I attribute this personality deficiency to the fact that I have set a very high standard for myself, and because I am proud of my personal achievements. As such, criticism often embarrasses me. My awareness of this facet of my personality will not only help me in my future career, but I believe it will help me become a better person. In my opinion, it is extremely difficult to advance as an individual without the criticism of others. A person must be able to learn from his or her errors; otherwise he or she will probably continue to repeat the same mistakes. In order to be an effective manager, I will undoubtedly need the advice and guidance of my father, and those who have extensive experience in the field. If I am unable to receive criticism with an open mind, I will be greatly limiting myself. Although my awareness of this personal limitation cannot be translated into a phase on my career de velopment plan, but I will always remember that this is something I need to work on. Conclusion The various concepts and theories in this course have allowed me to become a more self-aware individual. They have enabled me to discover of my personal strengths, weakness and personality tendencies. There are several aspects of my personality and a few character traits of which I was previously unaware. Before being made of aware of these, I already had a career development plan, but it was very vague and general. Much of what I learned about my shortcomings and myself has translated into a phase in my career development plan. Some of the other things I learned about myself cannot be explicitly seen on the plan. Despite this, I will strive to remember these positive characteristics and use them to my advantage. With regard to my negative qualities, I am certain that my awareness of them will help me to ensure that they will not limit my careers progress. Unlike most individuals who are able to use their self-awareness to select their career path, my professional future was determined at birth. As such, I have used my improved sense of self-awareness to identify what needs to be done in order for me to achieve my career goals. Thus, my present plan is much more direct, and focuses on skills and qualifications I need to attain in order to become a better manager. Critically evaluate the role that your self-awareness will play in making your career a success A manager who is unaware of his or her blind spots or of how he or she impacts others is a walking disaster in the workplace, a leader who may lead the troops over the cliff. (Koonce, Richard) My lack of self-awareness could be a liability in the near future. As such, I will strive to be more aware of my blindspots, so as to be informed as to my strengths and weaknesses. This awareness will allow me improve my performance as a manager, as I will be able to better prevent my blindspots from negatively affecting those under my management. By being more self aware, I will be able to use my strengths and personality to create a more work conducive environment. I aspire to be able to use my self awareness to become a better leader, and a more efficient manager. When trying to enhance leadership skills it is imperative for leaders to understand that their behaviour is interpreted differently according to a subordinates personality. Indeed, the same message that a leader is communicating (even if the content is the same) could be interpreted in several different ways depending on the personalities of the subordinates. (Hautala) By being more aware of my behaviour, I will be able to modify my actions according to the personality of my subordinates. Because of this, as a manager, I will be able to communicate effectively with my staff. I believe that effective communication between managers and employees is paramount to the success of a business. The results of my personality test have taught me a lot about myself. Because of the MBTI model, I learned that people who have an ENFP personality tend to influence by listening to and incorporating the ideas of others. As such, I plan to one day use this aspect of my personality in future management practices. I firmly believe that two heads (or more) are better than one. As such, I hope that this side of me will make me more responsive to the changing business conditions. I also learned that ENFP personalities tend to focus on exploring all the possibilities. I have realized that this tendency could be either an asset or a liability. As a future manager, I understand the value of examining all aspects of an issue before making a decision. A thorough consideration of all factors and conditions is more likely to result in a more prudent choice. However, people who are overly concerned with being able to predict the effects of decisions are sometimes unable to make choices quickly, which often results to their disadvantage. My awareness of this side of my personality will enable me to be a better manager, as I will be strive to ensure my desire to consider all possible angles will be an asset, not a liability. Based on the results of my Johari Window model, I have learned that I perceive myself to be kind and shy, while others consider me to be clever, giving, happy, helpful and logical. Today the Johari Window model is especially relevant due to modern emphasis on, and influence of, soft skills, behaviour, empathy, cooperation, inter-group development and interpersonal development. (Businessballs, 2008). This insight into my personality will be useful in my future career. As a manager, the perceptions of the people being management are of utmost importance. Subordinates must perceive their manager to be logical. If they believe otherwise it is unlikely that they will be able to perform their tasks effectively. I hope to maintain the way people view me, as I believe it will be useful in my future career. Self-awareness is necessary to my success as a manager. I truly believe that a deeper understanding of myself will allow me better understand others. Action plan Graduate I am currently a college student I study diligently and manage my tasks efficiently to ensure that I graduate on time Before graduation, I plan to engage in more student activities that will help develop my leadership skills Hone my Public Speaking Skills I am a shy person. Due to the fact that I aspire to be the manager of an internationally competitive company, I need to develop my public speaking skills I will enrol in classes that will train me to become a more articulate and confident speaker Obtain a Masters Degree Further study in the field of Business Administration will be useful in my future career Concurrently, I hope to find a job in company in a similar line of business to my fathers company Work for my fathers company Given my educational training and work experience I hope to study the structure of my fathers company and evaluate its performance and make the necessary changes to make the company internationally competitive