Pepsi Total Reward Free Essays

Business Ethics Business ethics is a topic that is often on the forefront of media and journalism reports in the United States of America today. To someone that doesn’t have a background in business, or a general understanding of the business world, these reports can be cumbersome and hard to follow. One must first understand what business ethics actually are. We will write a custom essay sample on Pepsi Total Reward or any similar topic only for you Order Now Dictionary. com defines business ethics as the study and examination of moral and social responsibility in relation to business practices and decision-making in business (dictionary. com). Once one understands the meaning of business ethics, they often wonder what major companies do to stay ahead of the curve, and excel in the area of business ethics. Sadly, it seems as if the general media is only interested in companies with poor business ethics and practices. Media outfits are able to sell more papers, and gain more viewers, and honest companies such as PepsiCo never get the positive publicity that they deserve. Ethics and compliance are present in PepsiCo’s day to day operations. PepsiCo also has procedures in place to ensure ethical behavior for both their employees, and the company as a whole. Next, one must take a look at processes within the organization PepsiCo employs to comply with SEC regulations. Finally, the financial statements of PepsiCo will be analyzed with the intent of looking into the trend for different ratios and what it tells investors, and the public alike about the organization’s financial health. In a world that is filled with unethical companies that are lying to their investors, employees, and the public, it is encouraging to still have companies like PepsiCo that are both ethical and compliant. PepsiCo goes to great lengths to attain economic success while still complying to the unwritten laws of business ethics. PepsiCo does this based on three main elements of influence: environmental, talent, and human sustainability. PepsiCo offers consumers a wide array of products from health conscious foods, to comfort foods, to athletic drinks. PepsiCo’s financial stability is greatly influenced by the decision to offer so many products. By doing so, PepsiCo gets to appeal to a variety of consumers, as opposed to just one type. When PepsiCo speaks of environmental sustainability, they are talking about their efforts to â€Å"go green† or lessen their environmental footprint. PepsiCo is planning on taking the necessary steps toward reducing their electrical consumption by 20% and reducing fuel consumption by 25% by the year 2015. In 2007, PepsiCo saved nearly five billion liters of water, and nearly five-hundred million kilowatt hours of energy worldwide in 2007 when compared to their use in years past (PepsiCo, 2009). PepsiCo is looking out for the best interests of the environment, an ethical and admirable decision made by the company. PepsiCo is also an equal opportunity employer and they are often praised for the diverse workforce that they develop. When PepsiCo speaks of talent, they are talking about their diverse workforce. PepsiCo also believes in equality, they show this by offering employment to individuals without worrying about gender, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. PepsiCo was named one of Business Ethics Magazine’s â€Å"100 best corporate citizens†. PepsiCo shows loyalty to their employees by trying to promote from within. They also participate in various surveys to prevent any issues, and to address any problem areas. The current CEO of PepsiCo is a woman by the name of Indra Nooyi; since she took over in 2006 she has promoted workplace diversity. PepsiCo’s workplace policies are available in thirty different languages to accommodate many ethnic groups. PepsiCo also does their best to try to spend as much as they could with minority owned businesses, while still looking out for the company’s best interests. (PepsiCo, 2009). PepsiCo is extremely ethical and compliant when looking at their hiring practices. Human sustainability at PepsiCo is their vow to offer more healthy choices for consumers. PepsiCo is dedicated to their consumers, and is focused on creating and innovating new products that will offer less sugar and staying away from â€Å"empty calories†. PepsiCo has been partnering with the World Health Organization to find new ways to improve the diets of consumers while promoting physical activities. When looking at PepsiCo’s promotion of human sustainability, it is evident that PepsiCo values their consumers, which is valued and ethical. PepsiCo much like any other well respected company, complies with the regulations that are determined by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). PepsiCo demonstrates their SEC compliance through their hiring of an independent registered public accounting firm. PepsiCo utilizes the well-known and respected accounting firm Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler which is more commonly referred to as KPMG. KPMG is one of the largest professional services firms in the world and one of the Big Four auditors. The Big Four auditors are KPMG along with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, and finally Ernst and Young. KPMG’s global headquarters are located in the Netherlands . By employing an outside source, PepsiCo allows the auditing firm KPMG to clearly analyze their numbers, ultimately making independent judgments for the soft drink company. KPMG complies with the laws and guidelines that are set up by the Securities and Exchange Commission through a published report to the SEC that is created quarterly and annually for PepsiCo. The reports that are then created by KPMG offer the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as shareholders, and anyone else interested detailed information on what and where the company is spending money as well as on what and where the company is receiving money. Near the end of PepsiCo’s annual report, there is a statement that speaks of the honesty and integrity of the report. This statement reads: â€Å"Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, we conducted and evaluation of the effectiveness of our control over financial reporting based upon the framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on that evaluation our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting is effective as of December 26, 2009 (PepsiCo, 2009). † Based on that quote, one must believe that PepsiCo is both ethical and compliant with respect to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Despite the worldwide economic turmoil that companies have been forced to deal with, PepsiCo has done their best to rise above the state of the economy, and still post good numbers. PepsiCo’s current ratio for 2008 came out to 1. 23 and the current ratio for 2009 was 1. 35. This means that PepsiCo can pay back its short-term liabilities (debt and payables) with its short-term assets (cash, inventory, receivables) 1. 299 times in 2008 and 1. 435 times in 2009. To properly compute the current ratio for each year an individual would divide the current assets by the current liabilities. The 2008 current ratio for PepsiCo can be calculated by dividing 10,806 by 8,787. This comes out to 1 . 23. The 2009 current ratio for Pepsi is calculated the same way dividing 12,571 by 8,756. This equates to 1. 435. PepsiCo improved their current ratio year over year. A debt ratio is a ratio that indicates what proportion of debt a company has relative to its assets. Thus having a lower percentage would be ideal. PepsiCo’s debt ratio for 2008 was 23%. This can be computed by taking the total debt, which was $ 8,227 and dividing that by the total assets which were $ 35,994. In 2009 the total debt was $7,864 and the total assets were $ 39,848, giving PepsiCo a debt ratio of 19. 7%. Return on equity is known as the amount of net income returned as a percentage of shareholders equity. It can be calculated as the net income divided by common equity, and a higher percentage is favorable. In 2008 the net income was $ 5,166, which is divided by the common equity $ 12,203, this comes out to 12%. In 2009 the net income was $ 5,979 and the common equity was $ 16,908, meaning that the return on equity was 35%. Again, PepsiCo shows improvement year over year. Finally, comes the days receivable. The days receivable are a measure of the average time a company’s customers take to pay for purchases. The days receivable are equal to accounts receivable divided by annual sales on credit times 365. In 2008 PepsiCo’s accounts receivable came out to $ 4,683, annual sales on credit were $ 20,351, meaning that the days receivable in 2008 equated to 83. 99, or simply 84 days. In 2009 PepsiCo’s accounts receivable came out to $ 4,624, annual sales on credit were $ 20,099, meaning that the days receivable in 2008 equated to 83. 97 or 84 days as well. Year over year, it seems as if PepsiCo remained constant in the area of days receivable. In closing, PepsiCo establishes itself on the forefront of ethics and compliance. PepsiCo also has procedures in place to ensure ethical behavior of employees and shareholders. Finally, PepsiCo has processes that they utilize to comply with SEC regulations. PepsiCo seems to have improved financially year over year between 2008 and 2009. In a world that is filled with unethical companies that are lying to their investors, employees, and the public, it is encouraging to still have companies like PepsiCo that are both ethical and compliant. References Business ethics. (n. d. ). Dictionary. com’s 21st Century Lexicon. Retrieved September 27, 2010, from Dictionary. com website: http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/Business ethics PepsiCo. 2008 Annual Report. Purchase, NY: PepsiCo, 2008. Annual reports. September 27, 2010. http://www. pepsico. com/Investors/Annual-Reports. html PepsiCo. 2009 Annual Report. Purchase, NY: PepsiCo, 2009. Annual reports. September 27, 2010. http://www. pepsico. com/Investors/Annual-Reports How to cite Pepsi Total Reward, Papers

Martin Luther King Jr Against Prejudice Essay Example For Students

Martin Luther King Jr Against Prejudice Essay How and why did Martin Luther King, Jr. work against prejudice? Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 25th 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States of America. He was an American clergyman, activist and prominent leader in the African-American civil rights movement. His main legacy was to secure progress on civil rights in the United States and he is frequently referenced as a human rights icon. King became a civil rights activist early in his career. King led many non-violent protests, to make his point; such as sit-ins, strikes, marches, speeches and boycotts. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, serving as its first president. Kings efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his I Have a Dream speech. There, he raised public consciousness of the civil rights movement and established himself as one of the greatest orators in U. S. history. During this speech King used many memorable lines such as â€Å"I have a dream that one day little black boys and girls will join hands with little white boys and girls as brothers and sisters. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other non-violent means. By the time of his death in 1968, he had refocused his efforts on ending poverty and opposing the Vietnam War, both from a religious perspective. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and Congressional Gold Medal in 2004; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a U. S. national holiday in 1986. Martin Luther King, Jr. Wanted to rid segregation and wanted equal rights for several reasons. One of which was because of personal experience. He didn’t want his children to live a life of racism that he has had to deal with. In one of his speeches he used this quote to agree with this point. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character. † Another reason for Martin Luther King, Jr. wanting a peaceful change was because of his Christian faith. He believed that all men were created equal and should have equal rights in all means. His faith also meant he had to love his neighbour, but he said, â€Å"Love the perso n, hate the evil that person does. †

Global Warming Contemporary Issues Companion Essay Example

Global Warming: Contemporary Issues Companion Paper If these new weather patterns continue, the panel warned, the whole world could be facing a devastating environmental catastrophe resulting in massive floods, rising seas that wipe out coastal communities, rampant epidemics, millions of people left homeless, plant and animal extinctions on an unprecedented scale, and widespread starvation. What Causes Global Warming? Approximately two-thirds of the energy earth receives from the sun is absorbed by land masses and oceans and is then released into the atmosphere as warm, long-wave radiation. The atmosphere of earth is full of so-called greenhouse gases such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, and nitrous oxide that act like a blanket, trapping some of the heat radiating from the land and oceans and preventing too much energy from escaping into space. The gas blanket works in much the same way as the glass panels of a greenhouse, serving to trap energy and keep temperatures t a steady level. The trapped heat keeps earth at a comfortable average temperature of about sixty-three degrees Fahrenheit. This process is known as the greenhouse effect. Without the protection of the greenhouse gas blanket, life on earth would be difficult or impossible. To illustrate the importance of the greenhouse effect, climate expert Mark Muslin compares earth With Mars and Venus. The atmosphere on Mars does not contain enough carbon dioxide to trap much solar energy, causing the average surface temperature of the planet to stay about 1 22 degrees Fahrenheit. Venus, on the other hand, has a much thicker atmosphere than earth, consisting of approximately 96 percent carbon dioxide. This massive greenhouse blanket results in a surface temperature of 860 degrees Fahrenheit. We will write a custom essay sample on Global Warming: Contemporary Issues Companion specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Global Warming: Contemporary Issues Companion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Global Warming: Contemporary Issues Companion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Muslins example reveals that the precise combination of greenhouse gases in earths atmosphere maintains a delicate balance that keeps the planet from getting too hot or too cold. What does the greenhouse effect have to do with global warming? According to the Epics 2001 report, human activities are causing an increase in the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. An increase in greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, means more heat is being trapped by the atmosphere, leading to higher temperatures around the globe and the potential for global climate changes. Concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases have been steadily increasing since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century. The use of fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal has increased carbon dioxide levels by 30 percent. Fossil fuel use, waste dumps, increased agricultural production, and massive livestock operations have increased levels of methane by 240 percent. Modern industries such as aluminum production and the use of liquid coolants such as those in air conditioners have added new gases including proportionate and chlorofluorocarbons (CIFS) to the green house blanket. Because of the increased concentrations of greenhouse gases, states Muslin, planet Earth is warming faster than at any other time in the past 1000 years and there is little doubt that human activity is to blame. The Debate over Global Warming Experts disagree about the causes of global warming, its severity, and how best to solve the problem. Kevin A. Shapiro, a neuroscience researcher based t Harvard, while acknowledging that earths climate has warmed slightly in the last century, argues that this fact more or less exhausts the scientific consensus. On every other important questionwhat the major causes of global warming are, what its effects will be, whether we should try to prevent it and, if so, howthere is considerable uncertainty. The use of computer simulations of weather patterns to predict the future extent and impact of global warming is particularly divisive. According to Shapiro, the use of these models has resulted in the accumulation of patchy and unreliable conclusions bout human impact on earths climate. Even the 2001 EPIC report, which was written by 122 lead authors and 515 contributing authors and was reviewed by another 450 scientists, does not represent total agreement among climate experts about the causes and effects of global warming. Meteorologist Richard Linden, who was one of the 450 scientists who contributed to the report, notes that the summary for policymakers that is widely quoted in the media was written by only 14 of those 450 scientists-? hardly a consensus. In an article about Linden and his views, Newsweek porter Fred Gutter states that many scientists agree that the EPIC, in its zeal to build the case for doing something about global warming, plays fast and loose with the science, glossing over uncertainty and pushing its conclusions too far. Earth Is Getting Warmer Although there is still some dispute about the effect human activities have on global warming and what is ultimately causing global climate change, the experts agree that, whatever the cause, earth is, indeed, getting warmer. Many climate scientists believe that allowing global warming to continue unchecked will have devastating consequences for Earth. Alexander E. MacDonald, a scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, warns that warming temperatures could lead to devastating changes in weather patterns on a regional level. MacDonald predicts that summers may become much drier in the mid-continents of North America and Eurasia, with the potential to devastate some of the earths most productive agricultural areas. The Arctic ice cap may disappear, a profound blow to a unique and fragile ecosystem. The Atlantic Ocean currents that warm Europe maybe disrupted. The West Antarctic Ice Sheet may collapse, leading to a rise in sea levels around the world. Rising sea levels pose a threat to low-lying islands that could disappear completely under rising water. Warmer, drier summers in the worlds most productive agricultural regions could devastate crop yields. Melting ice in the Arctic will endanger the habitat and food supply of animals such as polar bears. According to many experts on climate change famine, disease, and warfare could ultimately become widespread as water and other resources become scarce or disappear. As John T. Hardy, chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences at Western Washington University, states, there is no longer any doubt that unprecedented changes in climate are taking place. If We continue on our present course, life on Earth will be inextricably altered. The very sustainability of the Earths life-support system is now in question. Not all scientists believe that the potential consequences of global warming will be so dire. Some predict that warmer temperatures will lead to increased crop yields, healthier forests, and an improved quality of life. In an interview for U. S. News World Report, climatologist Craig Ids remarked that the extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is going to be nothing but a boon for the biosphere. Plants will grow like gangbusters. Shapiro points out that early predictions about the consequences of global warming have not yet come to pass. In the 1 sass, he relates, climatologists predicted that sea levels would rise twenty-five feet over the next century. Under the worst-case scenario now envisioned by the EPIC, Shapiro states, the oceans should rise no more than a foot over the next century, not nearly enough to pose a major threat. The Danger of Stopping Global Warming Some researchers believe that the consequences of attempting to slow global warming may be worse than the impact of the warming itself. Attempts to control greenhouse gas emissions could end up hurting the worlds economy.

#8220;Argumentative Essay Sample on the Myth of the Half Soul #8220;

#8220;Argumentative Essay Sample on the Myth of the Half Soul #8220; Religion is a potent instrument in directing peoples opinions and conviction so the masculinity of the god it represent certainly have a impressive influence to those who believe that doctrine. When this attitude is taught to a child, he/she receives it as the ultimate truth. As he grows up, the patriarchal society imposes the same teaching through the stories like Beauty and the Beast, Psyche and Eros, Iseult and Tristan, and Lancelot and Guenevere. Because of how I was brought up, I am having a hard time believing that even divine scriptures could be only derived from what a writer just want to believe. And based from the book, the writer is a masculine imposing his power and control over women. The gender used in the Bible that refers to God only imposes mens superiority over women, so as the use of man instead of woman and he instead of she. Using god for this gender issue make patriarchy the natural and original thing. I disagree with the part where it is said that the romantic myth declares that a man longs to posses his beloved and that a woman longs to be posses, not only sexually, but emotionally and spiritually. It is like saying that women should be inferior compared to men. Because of the negative characteristics given to the first woman, females were prearranged to have the same personality. I prefer the first version of origin of humanity were man and woman were made together. It gives a sense of equality compared to that version where Eve was made for Adam. The myth about the rib only suppresses women’s image. Man is given the authority to say that they are guilty of sins but accuse Eve as responsible for it. Like in the story of Iseult, a couple could not be happily married forever because they followed the romantic expectations set for them. They must truly love each other and not just long for love. Females are posed to be the objects of the fulfillments of males needs. Even if women try to get away from this they could not free themselves because of what the society imposes. Instead of being compared to men by qualities like diligence and productiveness, they are measured by attractiveness and purity. The story of Beauty, in a way, could also tell mens weaknesses. The father and the beast depended on Beauty for their life. It lifts a womans worth and at the same time, she may not need any rescuing like what was shown on the retelling of Beauty’s story. The Myth of the Half Soul shows women that they have a choice. They could stand up to the standards made for them but may not be prepared for their worth. It does not mean that Romantic Love is not real if we cannot pin down what exactly we long for. Like the characters in the stories, women could be equal to men or could find their own Romantic love if they could understand the source of their love or the basis of their relationship with men.

Answer the following question about Adam Smith with 1-2 paragraph Essay

Answer the following question about Adam Smith with 1-2 paragraph answers - Essay Example Q 3. Self-interest in the context of the book means that an individual applies his talent to a certain craft or job so he can exchange his produce with other goods which he will need for himself. A person is motivated to apply himself to work, which others can benefit from, not for the sake of others but for his own self. Self-interest entails wisdom and intelligence whereas selfish and egotistical motives refer to vanities and mindless instincts. Smith had self-interest in mind when he stated the aforecited passage. Q 4. This statement simply means that all men need the same basic things to survive, food, shelter and clothing. This aspect of a man’s life makes a genius an equal to the street porter because a genius ( like the philosopher) and the average-intellect person (street porter), both need food to live and, need clothes to wear for protection and shelter to protect himself from the elements. 2 on the theory that the value of a thing, is dependent upon its usefulness. Smith, in introducing this new theory, pointed out that water is very useful but without value while diamonds are valuable but are useless. Q 6 It is unfair and wrong to demand rent on top of the land rent because it – a non-labor income – already grants the tenant the right to use the land in accordance to the agreement between him and the land owner. Smith advocated that land rents must be taken from the surplus profits of the produce of the land and therefore the rate of which is dependent upon other variables like quality of the produce, the law of supply and demand, their marketability and the like. Q 7 The law of supply and demand, that is – the price of goods goes up because the demand exceeds the supply. When somebody important dies, the family, the relatives and the supporters of the deceased will be wearing black to show mourning and thus there is a heightened demand for the black cloth. This will have the effect of raising the price of the black

How have the wars changed womens lives in the Congo Puechguirbal Essay

How have the wars changed womens lives in the Congo Puechguirbal argues that Congolese women must be a part of the peace process. Do you think this would change things If so, how If not, why - Essay Example During the war in Congo, men left their women and families and moved to the forests to defend their communities. The women were left to care for their families which proved very difficult without the companion of their husbands. No economic activity or farming was taking place during this time of war and the stored food run out. Women were faced by hunger and they were left in pain watching their children die out of hunger. A report from the UN showed that 12% of the deaths during the war were caused by lack of food. This war left many women childless and without husbands since most of them were killed in the forest during the war and this has brought the greatest social inequality that ever existed in the world. Sexual violation was rampant during this war as the women were forced to have sex since they were armless and at the same time harmless. Women were forced to have sex to protect their children from being killed and this led to traumatization among women and an increased spread of sexually transmitted diseases. No medical care was operating during the war and hence the women were not treated after the sexual assaults. The results were unwanted children leading to an end of the happy families that existed(Gettleman, 2007,p.7). The war has created a situation that has led to women living in fear and with no trust on their military. Women have also been burdened with the responsibility of taking care of their children since the number of men reduced massively and the report by UN showed that 41.3% of all the women in Condo are single mothers(Gettleman, 2007,p.7). Despite the severe impacts, the Congo people have been positive in rebuilding their nation through peace-making processes. The united Nation in conjunction with government has played a big role in the process that has involved not only the political giants but also the people on the ground. Puechguirbal

Principles of research & evidence based practice Essay

Principles of research & evidence based practice - Essay Example In addition, concepts and theories of nursing allege that a nurse is bound to his/her practice policies as well as personal choices. Therefore, for nurses to undertake any course of actions, evidence is supposed to lead the decisions while concepts and information enabling such decisions is required prior to implementing decisions and deemed solutions. For the nursing career, care is the major responsibility which the nurse is entrusted with as it involves of use of interventions aiming at providing care for patients with differing and a wide range of personal and medical needs (Burns, & Grove, 20). Evidence in nursing is a function of both research and analysis of data regarding medical problems that the nurse may be presented with. This means that a nurse is entitled to provide diagnosis of illness through researching on symptoms, medical tests, and information on the best practices available. However, while nurses are categorized as care givers, their welfare in terms of performan ce and attachment with the work they do has been identified as problematic at personal development level. For example, the nurses are care givers and therefore are classified as the service deliverers but their welfare hangs on the balance as they do not have bodies or entities that care for them. This is according to a research conducted by Burtson and Stichler (2010) in which they allege that satisfaction of nurses is a function of how they are treated, both in compensation and how they are developed to adapt and deal with personal issues while at the same time providing the best care to their patients. According to the results from Burtson and Stichler’s research, nurses get their satisfaction from the work they do. The responsibility of providing care to patients is one among a cluster of factors that ensure that a nurse is satisfied. The level of satisfaction enables the nurse to conduct research and employ cohesiveness in their duties. In this case, a nurse with persona l issues and unsatisfied needs is unable to provide substantial evidence-based care. In this case, the quantitative research article ‘nursing work environment and nurse caring: relationship among motivational factors’ gives an account of the various factors that influence nurse satisfaction and the possible outcomes when caring is considered. The purpose and aim of this document is to analyze the various factors of consideration that connect nursing research with best practice. In addition, a critique to two articles, quantitative and qualitative research methods, will show the different types of research methods, designs, and approaches used by the nurses before they implement their interventions. Research methods and designs are used to determine the variables and factors that affect a group of patients, individual patients, or the relevance of using treatment and control groups in a research-based intervention. Nursing therefore includes research whose purpose is to provide evidence which in turn is used to implement interventions. A background study on evidence-based practice shows that during the 1980s, evidence-based medicine was the term