1. One story about water pollution that might have caught the attention of the world is the one put into the movie, Erin Brokovich. The link to the introduction of this story can be found on the following address: http://www.lawbuzz.com/famous_trials/erin_brockovich/erin_brockovich_ch1.htm. The story, which really happened in real life, is more on the litigation process but the truth and the cause of it is the pollution of water with hexavalent chromium or chromium 6 causing stomach cancer.

This problem, which was caused by Pacific Gas and Electric company, would have been prevented if it had not dumped 370 ,000,000 galloons of the cancer-causing chemical in the water. These problems are actually being handled at the present on similar situations. Companies become more aware and put environmental aspect on their goals which is both good for the public and for the health of the business itself..

2. The greatest problem that is caused by the use of oil and other fossil fuels is “GREED”. With greed, anything is possible. Humans are capable of killing each other to take control of oil wells, take over “oily” nations and the worst, humans, to have big profits from oil, do not think of the pollution it causes, especially to air and water. It also damage the habitat of ocean creatures when the oil is to be “rigged” and extracted. Without oil, no one would be too greedy to have it.

3.1.Growing population causes loss of biodiversity. Biodiversity loss are caused by human settlements displacing plants and animals. Forests are converted into human villages; lands for plants and woods are converted into cities and real estates; dynamite fishing kills water species to provide for human consumption. On the other hand, to feed the growing world, agriculture must be enhanced. Genetic engineering and biotechnology, which are the processes needed for improving food production, cause much loss to biodiversity. “Agriculture is considered by some agro-ecologists to be probably the single most important factor contributing to the general global decline in biodiversity.” ("Biodiversity Loss and Public" NA)

3.2 Ecosystem gets destroyed and becomes imbalanced caused by too many humans on earth. Humans must interfere with the natural ecosystem in order to survive and to support the growing number of lives on earth. Humans cause “genetic erosion” on plants and animal when humans force greater production and greater frequency of hatching to gain money and feed the earth’s population.

3.3 Too much population causes too much pollutants. One element that makes the climate change on the earth is the imbalance of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is emitted by pollution and other human activities. Although carbon dioxide is the biggest cause of greenhouse effect, water vapor and methane also cause climate change. Thus, more humans, more garbage, more incinerators, more gases, more climate change damaging the earth..

To reduce the above mentioned effects of growing population on earth, humans must think of sustainable way to exist and to “continue to exist.” This means reducing pollutants, garbage, protecting the environment and conserve any natural resources possible. This means no dumping garbage or candy wrappers in the drain, recycling of used motor oil, recycling water and everything recyclable, turning off lights and other electrical appliances when not needed. This may sound a bit difficult for the humanity (because humans are not very disciplined) but if humans would encounter big risks on harming the environment, sooner or later, they will realize what is best to do to continue to live on this earth. Sustainable agriculture, sustainable consumption would mean sustainable life on earth!

Reference
"Biodiversity Loss and Public Health;." Manila Bulletin 18 Mar. 2007: NA. Questia. 22 May 2008 .

When the word leadership is mentioned, what comes to mind is the highest person in authority, the one who is in-charge in an organization, the leader. However, in the accomplishment of a goal, the leader cannot do it alone. It has to be a product from the cooperation of both the leader and the followers. Therefore, one can say that personal interaction between the key people in the organization is vital in the achievement of success. This is the reason why in the most common definition of leadership, it is emphasized that it is a process of influencing people to get things done with the best of effort and willingness. Begrudged or uninspired followers simply cannot be helpful in the achievement of goals and so leaders should concentrate on the best way to encourage their followers to contribute the best they could.

Kouzes and Posner in their book “The Leadership Challenge”, identifies actions that are key to successful leadership. These five actions particularly concentrates on the interplay between the leader and his followers. These five actions are to model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart. This reading has impacted me most amongst others because it is something that I can relate to in my experience as a follower. The leader that I want to specifically address is my supervisor at the department of corrections. She is Brenda Everett and I would say that she is great as a leader. Personally, she is someone that I want to imitate and if I could be a leader someday, her methods would serve as a guide for me. As to “modelling the way”, Brenda works as a mule and gives everything her 100% percent. She is always on the go and it is very infectious since we are all motivated to do the same. We strive to equal her input for us to achieve the most positive output. She inspires us to “share the same vision” by constantly communicating with us. We feel that we all have the same cause and doing our best to have it realized. She is also good at “challenging the process”, her hardcore personality and strength in dealing with adversities is very notable and it sparks the same strength in us. It seems that whenever there are problems and issues that challenge the organization, we worry less because we feel confident that Brenda is very competent in thinking and producing ways to succeed through it. She is also very adaptable to change and encourages us to do the same. Change is inevitable, but we embrace it and live through it. She “enables others to act” by constant motivation. She never instills fear in us, instead she is very compassionate and gives us the reassurance that she's got our back. This gives us confidence and makes us feel that we can have our ideas put into action because our leader believes in what we can do. Lastly, she “encourages the heart”, being a firecracker herself. She seems very passionate about her work and of us. She cares about her people so much that it was inculcated in us that we have to care for everyone and the organizaton as well. The drive in us to all contribute in making our jobs worthy of praise is always a burning ember because Brenda sets a very good example. However, perfect as she may sound, she is not. What I think is her top weakness is that she does not care for her self enough. What use is a sick leader to a pack of robust followers? Too much of something is bad enough and too much passion and drive can sometimes prove unhealthy. Taking our part, we constantly remind her that before everything else her health should be a priority because her leadership is required in the organization.

Leadership is one very important aspect in an organization and leaders should constanly be aware of their performance. To cite Clawson, “before you start thinking about influencing others, you might want to think about refelection and introspection”. Therefore, leaders should start from their inner self before they can be effective in dealing with their subordinates. Another important knowledge imparted by Northouse, “the way you think about leadership will influence the way you practice leadership.” It is a must to expend effort in strategizing the best way to become an efficient leader. This can be remedied by practice, study and active learning.

References
Clawson, J. G. (2008). Level three leadership: Getting below the surface (4th ed.).Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Northouse, P. G. (2008). Introduction to leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing

Kouzes, J. Posner, B. (2007). The leadership challenge (4rded.). San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

I Want a Wife by Judy Brady is a cunning essay with a hint of satire to it. It extends to the reader the writer's feeling about being a wife herself and bluntly showcases the various, if not numerous tasks and undertakings of a woman, wife and mother.

In this time of modernization, the equality issue has forced society to somehow level women with men. Women have now earned their spots, being able to perform and compete with men in the workplace, politics, and all other categories that before were purely dominated by men. The femme community have proven again and again that purely capable as men may be in performing and producing output, they can do too if not better but equally. Looking back in history, a handful of women have given others a reason to aspire for something better, to trample the notion that they are a lesser race and to gain confidence resulting to a high regard for themselves. However, this new found empowerment has not erased one quality that nature has sewn on every woman's heart --- nurturing. This is a gift to all men because at the end of the day a woman is always a wife and a mother to his kids.

When a woman decides to become the other half in a relationship and become a parent, her work is cut out for her. All wives have their own story to tell but almost all of these are similar. It boils down to one major goal and that is, to make sure that everything is allright. As inventoried in Brady's essay, there are things that every wife must always be ready to accomplish. Basic needs include making sure that the household is always in order, food is prepared, clothes are washed and ironed, medical appointments met, and school problems solved. Depending on the status in life, there are different ways in having these accomplished like the more affluent ones can have maids do it for them but still, it is the woman in charge. Social needs would entail a wife to provide a good image for her husband and ensure that all the little details that can affect her husband's place in society are in order. Emotional needs is yet one that the wife/mother is irreplaceable in providing. It is always said that the measure of the quality of a wife or mother a woman is translates to the outcome of a marriage and the achievements of the children. Emotional Quotient plays a big role in having to achieve this and the woman is the main component in ensuring this. She has to provide the depth in her relationship with her husband to make him feel secure. Not only that, but she has to be the guiding star that will be light in her children's paths. She always need to be composed. If she complains, she is a nagger. If she asks, she is overbearing. If she sheds a tear, she is overreacting. So, it is a constant practice to be firm yet be loving at the same time.
Warning and Friendly Reminder: Plagiarism is a crime. This essay is here to give you an idea or guide you, not to be copied by you. You can look at the references and Works cited provided by this free academic essay and from that you can create your own. Be a smart student,be honest: look for free academic essays anywhere in the web or the Internet but don’t forget to make your own. There are so many free essays online as guides but please do your own. You can also utilize free plagiarism checkers available online.
Simply put, women as wives and mothers have a lot in their hands. Brady's essay wonderfully gives the reader a bird's eye view of the complexities and vigor that entails being both. Seeing it in a perspective of a woman herself makes it personal for a woman reader because it sheds light to the same experiences that she undergoes everyday. The hint of sarcasm that spices up this essay gives it a funny factor that makes one enjoy reading it. The manner of writing it in such a way gives it a twist and pokes at the mind making one ponder and realize that being a wife is not a simple job. In fact, it is just as strenuous if not more tiring than a day in the office. It does not require you 8 hours a day but extends to a lifetime. The essay also highlights the author's frustrations and aspirations that may have been fulfilled if only she has someone to do her obligations for her. This makes it all the more heartfelt since a lot of wives gave up their dreams for their families have unfulfilled aspirations too.

In conclusion, this essay has taught a lot about the indispensability of women as wives and mothers. Being humans themselves, they may tire or give up too. Appreciation and giving them a sense of importance is all it needs in keeping them.

1. One story about water pollution that might have caught the attention of the world is the one put into the movie, Erin Brokovich. The link to the introduction of this story can be found on the following address: http://www.lawbuzz.com/famous_trials/erin_brockovich/erin_brockovich_ch1.htm. The story, which really happened in real life, is more on the litigation process but the truth and the cause of it is the pollution of water with hexavalent chromium or chromium 6 causing stomach cancer.

This problem, which was caused by Pacific Gas and Electric company, would have been prevented if it had not dumped 370 ,000,000 galloons of the cancer-causing chemical in the water. These problems are actually being handled at the present on similar situations. Companies become more aware and put environmental aspect on their goals which is both good for the public and for the health of the business itself..

2. The greatest problem that is caused by the use of oil and other fossil fuels is “GREED”. With greed, anything is possible. Humans are capable of killing each other to take control of oil wells, take over “oily” nations and the worst, humans, to have big profits from oil, do not think of the pollution it causes, especially to air and water. It also damage the habitat of ocean creatures when the oil is to be “rigged” and extracted. Without oil, no one would be too greedy to have it.

3.1.Growing population causes loss of biodiversity. Biodiversity loss are caused by human settlements displacing plants and animals. Forests are converted into human villages; lands for plants and woods are converted into cities and real estates; dynamite fishing kills water species to provide for human consumption. On the other hand, to feed the growing world, agriculture must be enhanced. Genetic engineering and biotechnology, which are the processes needed for improving food production, cause much loss to biodiversity. “Agriculture is considered by some agro-ecologists to be probably the single most important factor contributing to the general global decline in biodiversity.” ("Biodiversity Loss and Public" NA)

3.2 Ecosystem gets destroyed and becomes imbalanced caused by too many humans on earth. Humans must interfere with the natural ecosystem in order to survive and to support the growing number of lives on earth. Humans cause “genetic erosion” on plants and animal when humans force greater production and greater frequency of hatching to gain money and feed the earth’s population.

3.3 Too much population causes too much pollutants. One element that makes the climate change on the earth is the imbalance of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is emitted by pollution and other human activities. Although carbon dioxide is the biggest cause of greenhouse effect, water vapor and methane also cause climate change. Thus, more humans, more garbage, more incinerators, more gases, more climate change damaging the earth..

To reduce the above mentioned effects of growing population on earth, humans must think of sustainable way to exist and to “continue to exist.” This means reducing pollutants, garbage, protecting the environment and conserve any natural resources possible. This means no dumping garbage or candy wrappers in the drain, recycling of used motor oil, recycling water and everything recyclable, turning off lights and other electrical appliances when not needed. This may sound a bit difficult for the humanity (because humans are not very disciplined) but if humans would encounter big risks on harming the environment, sooner or later, they will realize what is best to do to continue to live on this earth. Sustainable agriculture, sustainable consumption would mean sustainable life on earth!

Reference

"Biodiversity Loss and Public Health;." Manila Bulletin 18 Mar. 2007: NA. Questia. 22 May 2008 .

Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. I Peter 5:5 With the power of the church before the Renaissance, individualism was only a “sleeping child” by then.

I. Introduction

Pride was believed to be the root of all evil. With the Holy Roman Catholic church during the middle ages, humility was the theme and supreme virtue for everything, specially morally and intellectually. “Self-confidence the worst of sins” (McGiffert, 1931, p. 9) and it was believed that the fall of Satan was due to self-love, self-confidence, and preference of on ways and opinions of humans over by those of the Church. It was during the Middle ages. It changed during the Renaissance, especially with the outbreak of humanism and individualism.

The skills of talented individuals that were hidden prior Renaissance in a strongly Catholicized Italy started to sprung. In fact, according to Shanahan (1992, p.53) the Renaissance can be seen as a time during which the authorized self of the Christian tradition realizes its full potential, one consequence of which is a burst of creative energy in art and literature, another an eagerness to explore and discover both the physical world and humankind itself, a third a willingness to tolerate and accept difference and variety of the widest possible kinds. That was the idea of individualism. However, the question is, was this individualism during the Renaissance a positive factor when the Italian art and literature are concerned?

Was human achievement a good thing to look at and what it made to the Italian art and literature during the period? Since individualism has brought humans their “authorized self” (Shanahan, 53) to bloom and with the inherent and strong Christian tradition among Italians, that moment in history can be viewed at the peak of everything, including art and literature.

II. The Renaissance Italy
According to Taylor & Murrav (1930, p. xvi) the Italian Renaissance was an “exciting period, and can be truthfully conveyed only with some sincere imaginative excitement.” With this statement, we can only imagine what did happen in Italy during this era. In terms of education and learning, it was further considered by Taylor & Murrav (1930, p. 76) as an era of triumph and enthusiasm owed much to the peculiar condition of this very University teaching of humanism--classes in a state of flux, free and ductile, in which pupils and teachers could both give and take. By this time, the place of learning such as universities are considered market for ideas, unlike the traditional learning methods where the insegnante was the only one who may be considered correct all the time and pupils have no chance of sharing their own thoughts.

In fact in its definition, (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2003), Renaissance is considered as “the humanistic revival of classical art, architecture, literature, and learning that originated in Italy in the 14th century and later spread throughout Europe.” With its origin in Italy, it can be viewed that this is the region that was most influenced and what is meant by the word “humanistic revival”? Was humanism related to individualism in this period? To gain greater understanding and to find answers to these questions, the concept of “individualism” must be thoroughly examined first. But to have an overview what it is about, Blaney (1957, p. III) noted that "the meaning of the intentions and goals proclaimed by Renaissance and Humanism is made clear: the emancipation of man as a human, rational being." And indeed that emancipation or the liberation gave humans the spirit and value of individualism, to have greater authority upon themselves, explore their skills and capabilities.

III. Individualism
Only during the Renaissance that “the authorized individual and the tradition from which the individual had sprung enjoyed concurrent dominance, the spectacle of individual achievement is a broad and dizzyingly brilliant one.“(Shanahan, 53) because during this time the concept of individualism was at its height emphasizing one’s personality, talent, abilities, uniqueness, brilliance, and full development of his overall capabilities. It was something like a cold water for the thirsty and a delicious food for the hungered. The hunger and thirst that were caused by a very long years of Catholic repression of these mentioned human competences.

What is really this individualism? No matter how this word is defined, the importance of self is emphasized in it. According to the American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, (individualism, 2003) it is the “belief in the primary importance of the individual and in the virtues of self-reliance and personal independence” or a “doctrine advocating freedom from government regulation in the pursuit of a person's economic goals” holding that “ the interests of the individual should take precedence over the interests of the state or social group”
It is worth noting that individualism has eventually became the theme of Western civilization, much more so in Italy where the seat of Roman Catholic Church, the institution that "had a fierce revulsion to belief in formal dogma and the repression" (Taylor & Murrav, 1930, p. 238) was so strong. The central heart of this individualism, which was more powerful than a mere definition, according to Shanahan (p.56) lies in the psychological experience with which we began: the sense of “a clear distinction between my being and that of other people”. The significance of this experience is greatly increased by our belief in the value of human beings themselves. Humanism may not be the same thing as individualism . . . but they are at least first cousins, for a respect for the dignity of man is naturally accompanied by a respect for individual man. And humanism was the “offspring” of Renaissance according to Blayney (1957, p. III) and so was individualism.

Talking about respect, which is an inherent distinction of individualism, it would easy to tell that indeed this concept (of individualism) was something so good. But was it? Or the “concurrent dominance and the spectacle of individual achievement” (Shanahan, 53) simply caused dizziness to those who can take advantage of it?

Although individualism seems to imply that, “while thought may validate existence, it cannot validate itself: the individual's own perceptions may not provide sufficiently reliable information for the conduct of life” (Shanahan, 1992, p. 20). Without the proper guidance, individuals are left out there and how they really determine and validate that what they were doing was correct? As Shanahan further explained, an individual may simply think or tell, "I think, therefore I am -- but since I am not at all certain about the validity of what I think, how can I be certain about what I am?" This is one doubt that questioned the acts of individuals during that time.
In fact Burckhardt (1943, p. 64) seems to imply that moral lassitude and religious decay, citing murder, adultery, vengeance, brigandage, and political license, the degeneration of the religious practice of its members into reliance on ceremony that often approached, and even embraced, superstition, and the decline in morality are all attributable to "excessive individualism," and "these fundamental defects” of the Renaissance character at the same time a condition of its greatness. These were on the morality and religious aspect of individualism Renaissance, but how about individualism upon art and literature in the Italian Renaissance?

III. Individualism in Italian Art During Renaissance
Who would not acknowledge the paintings of Masaccio, the architectural works of Brunelleschi, and the sculptures of Donatello? All these Italians lived and their works happened during the Renaissance period. And with individualism, the “change in the social status of the artists” (Gilbert, 1997) are observable while new ideals and methods for art were systematized in the theoretical writings of the artist Leon Battista Alberti. Individualism has caused the full development of the artists’ talents, pushing their capabilities to the limits.

Individualism has resulted the so called classification between artists as “mechanical arts” or “liberal art”, the latter being more superior or with “higher level” (Gilbert, 1997) than the former. This classification (or discrimination?) are observable in the works of the great art masters Titia and Michaelangelo. But since individualism has been accepted and blooming that time, the better works of these more acclaimed artists “by the force their personality and genius” caused them to be in the highest of the status gaining respect and fame that their prdecessors rarely could have gained.

“The idea of artistic genius became popular; Michelangelo was called "divine" because of the greatness of his creative powers.” (Gilbert, 1997) Those who attained this kind of fame and status, like Michaelangelo and Da Vinci, their names themselves in the piece of artwork are valuable.

IV. Literature in Italian Renaissance and Individualism
The revival of the classic literature was viewed to have came slowly” (Taylor & Murrav, 1930, p. 17) during the Renaissance. Literature have yielded the “Chansons de. Geste” (Taylor & Murrav, 1930, p. 10) the inexhaustible hybrid romance of Arthur and Tristram and the Grail, chronicles of naïf intensity, clotted with colors as violent as blood, as clear as flowers; and wrought verse-forms.

On the other hand, Cicero was revived not because of their greater individualists’ enthusiasm for antiquity but because of their new focus on man, with whom Cicero had been completely preoccupied (Black, 2001, p. 20). However, after sometime Brunetto Latini came and he was “one of the first to quicken with the real Renaissance passion for things antique in life and literature”(Taylor & Murrav) followed by Nicolai Pisano who caught “from sarchophagi the language of ancient drapery.” And who can miss the achievement of Machiavelli? This person was a “conscientious official and ardent patriot who was daring enough to find lessons for his troubled time and country” (Bush, 1959, p.90) in the pages of his Livy.

When Italian literature is being talked about and Renaissance and individualism are discussed, one name that stands out is that of Machiavelli. According to Gilbert (1997) Machiavelli’s political and historical works are very important from a literary standpoint, because of the vigor, clarity, and eloquence of their prose style” What is so admiring about this individual is the fact that his genius extended beyond politics and history. He also wrote plays, poems, and stories. Only with recognition and consent of individualism one can be able to do these things; maximization of talents.

V. Conclusion
Given the successes of the artists and literary figures and the increasing quality of works in art, individualism in Italian Renaissance was for the greater good. Although there were contentions against modernism and the growing immorality caused by individualism during that time, in the aspect of art and literature there were not so much of the bad side, aside from (maybe) the overwhelming fame those artists and literary geniuses gave gained!

Individualism of the Italian Renaissance figures have made their works claim honor and recognition, not only n Italy, or Western Europe, or in other European nations but to the rest of the world. With the beauty and the highest quality of those works they deserve the reputation that they have until these days.

Machiavelli, Michaelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci will always stay in the books of art and literature forever and their works, as long as theseworks survive, will always be there to be admired and studied. Indeed, individualism made its good effects not only during those days and to those who became renowned but in general, individualism has made humanity better through the contributions of those geniuses and talented individuals in the past.

References
Black, R. (2001). Humanism and Education in Medieval and Renaissance Italy: Tradition and Innovation in Latin Schools from the Twelfth to the Fifteenth Century. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

Blayney, I. W. (1957). The Age of Luther: The Spirit of Renaissance-Humanism and the Reformation (1st ed.). New York: Vantage Press.

Burckhardt, J. (1943). Force and Freedom: Reflections on History (J. H. Nichols, Ed.). New York: Pantheon Books.

Bush, D. (1959). The Renaissance and English Humanism: Modern Theories of the Renaissance. In The Renaissance: Medieval or Modern?, Dannenfeldt, K. H. (Ed.) (pp. 86-90). Boston: D. C. Heath.

Gilbert, W. (1997). Renaissance and reformation. Carrie Donated Ebooks. 23 May 2008. .
individualism. (n.d.) The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. (2003). Retrieved May 25 2008 from.

McGiffert, A. C. (1931). Protestant Thought before Kant. New York: C. Scribner's sons.
renaissance. (n.d.) The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. (2003). Retrieved May 25 2008 from.

Shanahan, D. (1992). Toward a Genealogy of Individualism. Amherst : University of Massachusetts Press.

Taylor, R. A., & Murrav, G. (1930). Invitation to Renaissance Italy. New York: Harper & Brothers.

SLP. I.

Coca-cola Company (hereafter referred to as “the Company” or “the Organization”) is the owner of four of the world's top five nonalcoholic sparkling beverage brands known to almost every American. Coca-cola was established in 1886 and presently, it is operational in at least 200 countries having at the minimum 90,500 associates worldwide and serving “1.5 billions” ( The Coca-cola 2008 p.1 )of customers each day .The Company’s overall goal, which is its mission is to “refresh the world in body, mind and spirit, inspire moments of optimism through their brands and actions and to create value and make a difference in all their engagements” ( Mission, Vision, 2006)

The Company is a manufacturer and seller of soft (carbonated) drinks with various brands, the most popular of which is the banner brand, Coke. In assessing its success, the Organization does not only count its monetary sales and profits but as well as its effect to the world in general. Coca-cola Company tries to be open and accessible to everyone who needs information on anything it does. Financial records, company information, customer-goal, investor values and press releases are all accessible at the Company’s website, www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

Aside from the abovementioned mission, the Organization’s vision include the following (Mission, Vision, 2006):

q People: Being a great place to work where people are inspired to be the best they can be.

q Planet: Being a responsible global citizen that makes a difference.

q Portfolio: Bringing to the world a portfolio of beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy peoples' desires and needs.

q Partners: Nurturing a winning network of partners and building mutual loyalty.

q Profit: Maximizing return to shareowners while being mindful of our overall responsibilities

Moreover, the Company’s strategies are incorporated in its values which include the following:

q Leadership: “The courage to shape a better future”

q Passion: “Committed in heart and mind”

q Integrity: “Be real”

q Accountability: “If it is to be, it's up to me”

q Collaboration: “Leverage collective genius”

q Innovation: “Seek, imagine, create, delight”

q Quality: “What we do, we do well”

SLP II.

Indeed, customer is very important. Without a customer, any financial organization would not survive As Coca-cola’s way to retain existing customers and to encourage potential ones they have the following guidelines:

Vision: Bringing to the world a portfolio of beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy peoples' desires and needs.

Mission: Refresh the world in body, mind and spirit.

Strategy: “What we do, we do well”

To follow the guidelines and achieve what it wants, a set of very specific objectives must be met. The achievement of customer level objective, which includes “the satisfaction of customers, their retention, and larger market share” (The Balanced Scorecard) makes the business perform better.Why is the customer very important? Because there is a "direct correlation between financial results and customer.”(Shaw, 2000, p. 37) The Company, to satisfy its mission and vision, through its strategies for its existing and potential customers, the following objectives are setup:

Warning and Friendly Reminder: Plagiarism is a crime. This essay is here to give you an idea or guide you, not to be copied by you. You can look at the references and Works cited provided by this free academic essay and from that you can create your own. Be a smart student,be honest: look for free academic essays anywhere in the web or the Internet but don’t forget to make your own. There are so many free essays online as guides but please do your own. You can also utilize free plagiarism checkers available online.

q To satisfy customers with the gratifying taste of high quality products;

q The introduction to customers of products with diverse and fortified products that are healthier.

q Production of healthy beverages lines which are tasty yet they are not damaging to health.

The three objectives above are very important. The Company has acknowledge that “obesity and other health problems” (The Coca-cola, 2008, p.12) may endanger the potential income of the Company as well as its name, which can be fatal to a company that” established reputations world-wide, and branding has enabled international reputations to be created" (Kay, 1995, p. 15). Looking from these objectives, it can be seen that the third one is the most specific of the three. “production of healthy beverages lines which are tasty yet they are not damaging to health” would result to the “introduction of products taste diversity and fortification making them healthier” that would make customers satisfied with gratifying high-quality (healthy) beverages. This achieves the strategy of the Company stating, “What we do, we do well” and also its mission stating. “Refresh the world in body, mind and spirit”: an unhealthy drink would not satisfy the mind and spirit.

“The following matrices represent the Coca-cola’s customer-level objectives and their corresponding performance metrics and targets as well as innovative means and the relations to the Company’s strategy, mission and vision:

Table 1. Identified Objectives and the Corresponding Metrics and Targets for the Coca-cola Company
Objectives (1)	Performance Measure/Metric (2)	Level of Performance/ Target (3)
Bringing to the world a portfolio of beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy peoples' desires and needs	The amount of worldwide sales and profits. Obtaining overall positive reputation worldwide. Internationally achieve popular and excellent Company name.	World recognition of the Coca-cola brands. Positive responses to various products offered by the Company..
Vision-Level Objective
Refresh the world in body, mind and spirit (through highly driven sales)	The sales volume and sales amount and profit of the Company.	All products are salable and customers do not have reasons not to buy them.
Mission- Level Objective
“What we do, we do well”	The popularity of products and services as well as Company recognition by the public.	Excellent product range.
Strategy-Level Objective
To satisfy customers with the gratifying taste of high quality products	The number of additional customers buying the products. Sales volume and amount to “health-conscious” market.	The products must have appealing taste to customers yet they are of high quality beverages.
Customer Perspective
The introduction to customers of products with diverse and fortified products that are healthier.	Customer response through the volume of sales of the newly introduced products. Responses of the “health-conscious” market	The availability of a wide variety of vitamins and minerals-fortified, healthy and “non-obesity causing” products from which the customers may choose from.
Internal Process Perspective
Production of healthy beverage lines which are tasty yet they are not damaging to health.	The Company’s dedication on providing healthy products through provision of additional budget for the research and development department.	Continued research and development of existing and potential products.
Internal Learning and Growth Perspective

Table 2. Identified Objectives and the Corresponding Initiatives/Programs for the Coca-cola Company
Objectives (1)		Initiatives/Programs (4)
Bringing to the world a portfolio of beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy peoples' desires and needs		Widening the reach of the Company by establishing strong affiliations in various countries. Flexible implementation of organizational policies depending on the country governance where the Company chooses to operate and sell.
Vision-Level Objective
Refresh the world in body, mind and spirit (through highly driven sales)		Heavy product and and brand promotions. Providing greater returns to customers, adhering to their level of satisfaction by providing good customer service, reliable and affordable tasty products and selling them only the “real thing”.
Mission- Level Objective
“What we do, we do well”		Implementation of quality assurance, be it in the Coca-cola’s products or in its service.
Strategy-Level Objective
To satisfy customers with the gratifying taste of high quality products.		Create awareness on the quality of products and of products themselves, either through media commercials or giving away of free items.
Customer Perspective
The introduction to customers of products with diverse and fortified taste and ingredients, respectively, that are healthier.		Additions of compatible vitamins and/or minerals to products.
Internal Process Perspective
Production of healthy beverages lines which are tasty yet they are not damaging to health.		Reduction of fattening, obesity-causing ingredients from the products. Greater research and development efforts from the Company personnel involve on continuous improvement and product innovation.
Internal Learning and Growth Perspective

The above targets aim "to improve the quality, performance and accountability" (Stevens, Stokes & O'Mahony, 2006) of the Company. The metrics on the other hand which are the measures of the performance must be properly defined or “owned” according to Arthur M. Schneiderman (2006) for it to be useful. Additionally, initiatives provide “systematic methodology for managers, and employees, to establish a wide variety of goals and objectives, into targeted and business-aligned viewpoints, and then render detailed assessments and judgments” (Balanced Scorecard) as to the objectives’ success.

With the above identified performance targets, metrics as well as new programs and Company initiatives to satisfy the customer-level objectives going upwards to its vision, the Company would have a well-defined sets of activities and processes to truly achieve what their biggest goal is. Balanced scorecard is indeed a very useful tool for organizations because it contains. "variables that make or break a firm in the intensely competitive businesses " (Epstein & Birchard, 2000, p. 82) Although it is not really the total measure, per se, it is something that “attempts to understand the phenomena” (Milgate, 2004, p. 8) of the business from various aspects.

References

“Balanced Scorecard Initiatives.” Clear Thinking Lite, n/d. 22 May 2008. <http://www.ctlite.com/bal.htm>.

Epstein, M. J., & Birchard, B. (2000). Counting What Counts: Turning Corporate Accountability to Competitive Advantage. Cambridge, MA: Perseus. Retrieved May 23, 2008, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=88984324

Kay, J. A. (1995). Foundations of Corporate Success: How Business Strategies Add Value. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved May 23, 2008, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=29059189

Milgate, M. A. (2004). Transforming Corporate Performance: Measuring and Managing the Drivers of Business Success. Westport, CT: Praeger. Retrieved May 23, 2008, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=113133426

“Mission, Vision and Values”. The Coca Cola Company, 2006. 21 May 2007. <http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/ourcompany/mission_vision_values.html >.

Stevens, P., Stokes, L., & O'Mahony, M. (2006). Metrics, Targets and Performance.National Institute Economic Review, (197), 80+. Retrieved May 23, 2008, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5016613238>.

Schneiderman, A.M. (2006). Juggling Balanced Scorecard Metrics, Arthur Schneiderman Website. 23 may 2008. < http://www.schneiderman.com/The_Art_of_PM/juggling_Metrics/juggling_metrics.htm>.

Shaw, R. (2000). 3 Shareholder Value or Stakeholder Value? That is the Question. InShareholder Value Management in Banks /, Schuster, L. (Ed.) (pp. 36-null10). New York: St. Martin's Press. Retrieved May 23, 2008, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=102459778

“The Balanced Scorecard”. Quick MBA-Accounting, 2007. 23 May 2008. <http://www.quickmba.com/accounting/mgmt/balanced-scorecard/>.

The Board of Directors, Coca-Cola Company. The Coca-Cola Company Financial Statements. 28 February 2008. 21 May 2008. <http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/investors/pdfs/form_10K_2007.pdf >