Coke vs Pepsi Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Coke vs Pepsi - Research Paper Example Due to a primal fear of losing ground to the competition, these contracts with suppliers are in fact the very backbone of what defines the domestic and to a large part, international success of the firms. The second of the five forces that has such a profound and noticeable effect on the marketplace is that of the supreme intensity with which the competitive rivalry takes place. As will be discussed at length later in this analysis, this high level of competition means that both companies have behaved in highly competitive and aggressive ways both as a means to closely mirror the product offerings of one another and to ensure that if one is expanding within a given region a level of reciprocity within the other firm is also exhibited. b. Which of the 5 Forces would you expect to have had the most impact on the industry for the 10 years after the case ended? Why? If only one of the 5 forces had to be considered as the one that would be the most likely to have a strong impact on the in dustry for the 10 years after the case ended, it would have to be that of the bargaining power of the suppliers. As was detailed in the case, Pepsi Cola has only recently sold its controlling interests in both KFC and Taco Bell. As a function of this, these two large fast food chains, represented by thousands of chains throughout the US and the world, are not at a degree of freedom to go with the soft drink supplier that they deem to most represent the needs of the firm and of the consumer base. As a function of this, it is the bargaining power of the suppliers which has come to an even higher level of importance. c. Would your answers above be different if applied separately to Coke and Pepsi, or were they impacted similarly? Explain. It is the belief of this author that even if the answers were provided separately with relation to Coke and Pepsi, the end results would be similar. The reason for this is due to the fact that both companies mirror each other so closely; they compete in the same markets, the offer similar products, the compete for the same customers, and subsequently the same forces impact them (Lemley 2012). As a result of these similarities, the results to the answers would be very much the same even if done separately. Question 2: Competition/Barriers to Entry (3points) a. Keep in mind these are competitive forces in one of the most profitable businesses in the history of the industrial world. Coke and Pepsi control approximately 75% of the market share. Why have so few other firms been able to successfully enter this industry? Your answer should include some analysis about barriers to entry! One of the largest reasons that a level of further competition does not exist within the given industry is the fact that Coke and Pepsi have so thoroughly dominated the supply chain, vender contracting, and restaurant affiliation. As a function of these barriers to entry, it is almost impossible for a new, little known, start up to penetrate into such a well protected and highly contested market. Moreover, another factor that reduces the level of competition that is noticed is the fact that when a valuable start up does experience a level of success, they are oftentimes quickly picked up by either Coke or Pepsi and co-opted into their brand; an obvious case in point would of course be Naked Juice (Jacobson 2011). Question 3:

The Mind-Body Problem, Freedom and Determinism Problem Essay

The Mind-Body Problem, Freedom and Determinism Problem - Essay Example The knowledge of our conscious states is usually connected to the perceptual experiences that we go through. Constant thoughts, thirst, hunger, feelings of sadness and anger, pains and itches and somatic sensations are among the inclusions of a conscious mental state (Kim 67). There have been different sets of ideas regarding the mind and the body. Many people have argued and different and separate thoughts and ideas of whether the mind and the body are the same thing or whether they are different and separate. We have been brought up with the idea that we have minds. We are taught in many different ways that we have both minds and bodies and they exist differently. Many people have accepted this fact despite the few people who argue against it. The small number has been increasing due to the several changes in beliefs that have sprouted recently that give evidence contrary to the popular belief. Self-understanding by humans is an important part of philosophy and science. This can be achieved by understanding the place of thought and feeling in the natural world. When trying to understand the natural world, one has to consider the relationship between mental and physical phenomena. There has been a lack of agreement on what really is the relationship between mental and physical phenomena in psychology and this is what is traditionally known as the mind body problem (Cooney 25). It is a philosophical problem that occurs in the fields of metaphysics and philosophy of mind. This problem usually arises because of the difference in the qualitative and substantial characteristics of the mental problem and the physical bodies which the mind depends on. This theory was realized by philosopher Descartes. Mental states have a character which is qualitative in nature. This character is usually known as qualia. When one is aware of his or her conscious state, then the only thing in question is oneself. A distinct and unique feature about our consciousness is that we have k nowledge of them which means that when we are conscious, we know we are and we know how we are but we do not infer this knowledge (Dretske 56). Intention is another feature of the mental that is important. It makes the mind directed at something. Desires and beliefs are also an important part of the mental state. These are referred to as propositional attitudes because we can express them. Some mental states usually seem to lack intentions, such as when someone is in a state of anxiety or euphoria. Intentions are usually directed by our desires and beliefs. Physical theory usually changes with time. This means that the current physical theory may go through several changes and revisions. The mind body problem, however, does not change with the changes in the physical theory. The mind body problem has the response of the basic constituents of things that have mental properties. Physical phenomena have three different impressions. The first one is that the position will be classified as a version of physicalism. The second interpretation does not give the option of mental phenomena being reduced to physical phenomena. The third interpretation is that physical phenomenon is exemplified by our current physics. Although theories have been propounded whether the mind is part of the body or separate, its existence cannot be ignored. This can be exemplified by the common language usages such as â€Å"What’s on your mind?,† â€Å"