Competence in the Work Environment Essay Example for Free

Competence in the Work Environment Essay 2.1Compare the strengths and weaknesses of assessment methods. Assessment can take place in a variety of settings, such as classrooms, lecture rooms, workplaces (or in a simulation of workplace conditions), community and training establishments or examination halls. No matter where it takes place or what form it takes, assessment always involves observation, evaluation, or questioning or a combination of some or all of the three. There are many different methods of assessment, a few regularly used are:-observation, evaluation or questioning. Whether they are used formatively or summatively, the most important issue is whether the assessment is appropriate for the intended outcome. Each learner is initially given a learning styles questionnaire to complete. From this questionnaire the assessor can establish which from assessment may suit the learner best. Observation The assessor observes the learners as they carry out tasks defined in the standards for the qualification. This observation often takes place in the workplace, or the conditions of the workplace, but it can also be carried out in any other place where the learner is undertaking practical activities which is a positive. Assessors should ideally plan observations to take advantage of any skills or activities that occur naturally in the learning environment, and to make the best use of the available resources. There are times however when an assessor may spontaneously observe a learner carry out a task which can be written up as an observation. One of the weaknesses of observations is that some learners amy beome self –concious or shy/embarresed and feel they are ‘being watched and graded’. The residents or clients may also act differently if they are aware that an observation is taking place and can lead to a distorted picture of the true nature of the learners role . Evaluation In some areas, as learners work towards achieving their qualifications they will generate evidence in the form of products of their work. This is the case in qualifications in Health and Social care for instance which is primarily a work-based or practical qualification. Learners may produce CVs, diet plans, weight charts, reflective accounts which can all be used to assess their knowledge in a chosen subject area. These can be incredibly posistive and allow the learner to reflect and be proud of his/her practices and positives. The weakness with evalution is that it has to be done correctly, with enough time to explore areas that may need extra work and encourage the learner in a positive way. Questioning and discussions with the learner Questioning can be used whenever an assessor wants to assess knowledge and understanding and the various different applications of knowledge such as reasoning, planning, analysing and evaluating. Questioning can be used to: * confirm knowledge and understanding where it is not apparent from performance * Address gaps in knowledge and understanding in performance based units * Authenticate evidence by asking learners to explain part of the evidence and/or describe the process of producing it * Assess contingencies where it would not be practical or safe to wait until the skill or activity can be observed * You can use oral or written questions, depending on the requirements of the outcomes of units being assessed and the circumstances of the assessment. Your choice of method should reflect any special assessment requirements your learners may have. For example, some learners do not respond well to written questions — in any case, you should always ensure that the appropriate reading level is used Discussions give the assessor the opportunity to gauge the learner’s knowledge and highlight areas lacking which can be taught at a later date. A weakness in discussions and questioning is that the assessor has to be careful not to lead or prompt or give the answer to the learner as it may not be valid. Outcome 3Understand how to plan assessment 3.1Key factors when planning assessment When planning an assessment there are a number of factors to be considered. Who are you assessing? What do you want them to achieve? Where will the assessment take place? How long do you have? Once you have answered these you then need to look at applying a holistic approach. Using a holistic approach means that many areas of work and outcomes can be covered at the same time. The assessment process isn’t just about watching a learner complete a task it is about, discussion, planning, implementing and reflection. Areas of risk that may be involved when I assess a learner in the care setting are minimal but may still arise. An example of this would be assessing a learner carrying out a manual handling task. Has the learner had the appropriate training to carry out the task? Is there a piece of equipment involved and has it been tested for use. Is the learner competent and confident to carry out the task? Do I feel that I have assessed any risk involved and am I happy for my learner to proceed? If I am not happy at anytime then the assessment will be stopped and a further risk assessment carried out. During the initial meeting the learner will have completed a Learning Styles Questionnaire, this should have highlighted any areas such as advanced learning needs or dyslexia and the planning of an assessment should take this into consideration. 3.2 Benefits of using holistic assessment Using a holistic assessment enables the assessor to cover a large range of outcomes in a number of diploma units with one piece of evidence. Holistic assessment may for example cover infection control and manual handling. By referencing outcomes well the learner will see that good progress is being made and opportunities area taken. It saves time from both the learners and the assessor’s point of view. 3.3 How to apply holistic assessment when planning assessment As the assessor meets with the learner and plans each technical certificate or unit of work they should be thinking about how best a holistic assessment would fit into the plan and how it can be cross referenced. The learner must then be in agreement and sign the plan. 3.4Summarise the types of risk that may be involved in assessment When talking about ‘risk’ there are a number of different kinds. There is physical/environmental risk to learner, client and assessor and there is emotional/psychological risk. Environmental issues in care setting such as fire, health and safety, trip hazards, the clients themselves. Emotionally learners could feel they are being pushed if too much work is given at once or they may not feel they are being challenged enough. This creates unrealistic and unnecessary risk stress on the learner and is far from beneficial and conducive to good work being produced. 3.5.1 How to minimise risks through the planning process. Plan number one that is produced with the learner will have ensured that the learner is working in safe conditions and if needed any risk assessments have been done, i.e. if the learner is under 18 years old. The plan will also check that the employer’s insurance liability is up to date. The assessor will discuss with the learner how best to handle their work load to cause minimum stress. Some learners prefer large assignments whilst others prefer small chunks at a time. By knowing your learner you will know whether their work is authentic and justifiable, it is important that they are told about not copying and pasting articles as their own work and explain to them what plagiarism is. Outcome 4Understand how to involve learners and others in assessment 4.1 Explain the importance of involving the learner and others in the assessment process There are a large number of reasons why it’s so important to involve the learner in assessment. The diploma is for the candidate, it’s their work, and there goals and they need to feel as if they own it. By clear involvement the learner will know what is expected from them and clearly understand the standards and criteria. By involving others in the planning such as senior colleagues and managers then witness statements can be provided, time allocated for learning and support. 4.2 Types of information available to learners. In order for a learner to complete their diploma they should be given any necessary teaching and resources. This may include handouts, oral teaching sessions and websites to look at. Other types of information are items such as standards and the criteria they need to meet. The learner will be told how the evidence is gathered an in what format such as written accounts, reflective accounts, observations. 4.3 How can peer and self-assessment be used to promote learner involvement and responsibility? 4.4How can assessment arrangements be adapted to meet the needs of the individual learner? Each candidate’s assessment needs must be considered in relation to the assessment being undertaken. Most candidates will require more than one assessment arrangement. For example, candidates who have a visual impairment, hearing imparient or advanced learning needs . Outcome 5Understand how to make assessment decisions 5.1 When judging evidence we use the following terms:- Valid, authentic, current and sufficient. When assessing a learner’s evidence as an assessor I have to be satisfied that the work submitted is the learners own work and not plagiarised from a book or the internet. It is often easy to tell when this happens as the terms used and flow of the writing changes. Within the realms of health and social care the standards, policies and procedures are continually updated to ensure national standards are met, with this in mind it is important that the learners work is current and up to date with knowledge that his relevant and not historical. I also have to consider whether the work submitted is sufficient, has it covered the entire outcome required and does it show an understanding of the subject. 5.2 In order for assessment decisions to be reliable and fair between learners there are a set of learning outcomes and criteria that have to be achieved. Each learner is made aware of these outcomes and criteria and their work should demonstrate this. Each learner is assessed against the criteria and outcomes. Outcome 6Understand how your assessments contribute to the quality assurance of assessment 6.1 6.2 6.3 There is great importance of quality assurance in the assessment process as it shows whether the performance targets are being met against national standards that are in place. Within my workplace all work is quality assured by an Internal Verifier (IV). The IV is qualified and occupationally competent in the subject that they verify. The role of the IV is to provide support, advice and guidance to the assessing team. The IV holds regular standardisation meetings with the assessors and also gives one-to-one support and feedback on learner’s portfolios. When the portfolios of learners have been assessed and internally verified, and all the assessment criteria have been met, the IV should arrange for the centre to apply for certification for those learners. This will prompt a visit from the External Verifier to confirm the assessment and verification decisions made at the centre. The IV is responsible for ensuring that the details of the learners applying for certification, the assessor(s) involved, and the IV activity in relation to those assessors. The EV will visit the centre to verify the assessment and internal verification decisions made by centre staff. Where there are large numbers of learners this is normally done on a sampling basis. The sample is selected by the EV, to allow them to verify the work of all assessors across a range of evidence types and performance criteria and is based on the IV’s sampling plan. It may be necessary for the EV to sample more portfolios than was originally planned, or all the portfolio s in the group, so all portfolios should be available on the day of the EV’s visit. If a learner feels †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Outcome 7Understand how to manage information relating to assessment of occupational competence 7.1 7.2 It is important to follow procedures for the management of information relating to assessment for a number of reasons. The assessor should regularly update learning records to provide accurate information on the learner’s achievement. At my place of work we use a computer system called ‘Zylab’ which tracks each learner’s progress through a colour chart system. The up to date information contributes to evidence of quality assurance and standardisation, pointing out learners that need extra help or who are falling behind. I use the Zylab forms to show my learners how they are progressing, to see a visual representation of progress and can be extremely rewarding and increases willingness to learn and achieve. The use of feedback and questioning during the assessment process allows me as an assessor to clarify and judge the learners understanding and knowledge in certain areas. Giving critical feedback to someone is a delicate process. It is very important to assure that you approach the task with sensitivity to the persons feelings to avoid the common problem of a very defensive reaction. An example of giving positive, negative and positive feedback is:- You really did an excellent job with that Communication essay everybody has been very impressed! In the future, it would be better to avoid naming people that havent accepted all the methods you outline. Its great that you put so much thought into this and a lot of people are going to benefit from it! This is often referred to as a feedback sandwich. Outcome 8Understand the legal and good practice requirements in relation to assessment 8.1 The organisation that I work for has legal requirements, polices and procedures in relation to assessment. Each visit to see a learner I ask whether there have been any incidents that have occurred, either emotionally or from a health and safety perspective. If there has been then I check an incident form has been completed (if appropriate), what measures have been put in place to ensure it doesn’t happen again and I take time to listen to the learner express themselves. All work undertaken is dealt with in a confidential manner. No names of places, clients, service users or staff are used in portfolio evidence and the learner knows that they can talk to me in a confidential manner. Clear records of learning are kept for all learners as mentioned before we use Zylab sheets which must be updated every Friday. The organisation has a responsibility to ensure that all learners are given equal opportunity to develop and learn and the organisation recognises the diversity in each on e. 8.2 The use of technology can make in the assessment process is invaluable. I have a learner with advanced learning needs who really struggles with writing and spelling. To overcome this we use a Dictaphone and use the recording as oral evidence. The organisation now offers on line training which for many learners is ideal as the use of computers within day to day lives and workplaces becomes far more common. It has to be remembered though that there are older learners that we assess that don’t have the computer skills and would rather use a paper portfolio. Each learner needs to be assessed as an individual. 8.3 There are legal and best practice requirements that have to be met in relation to assessment with regards to gender, disability, race/culture/religion and language. Each learner that enrols on a course is initially assessed as to any factors which could lead to advanced learning needs. These needs may be due to language barriers, religion or culture. For every learning need identified the organisation has a duty to ensure each one is recognised and the appropriate support is given.

Analysis Coke And Pepsi Learn To Compete In India Business Essay

Analysis Coke And Pepsi Learn To Compete In India Business Essay The political environment in India has proven to be critical to company performance for both Pepsi co and coca-cola India. What specific aspects of the political environment have played key roles? Could these effects have been anticipated prior to market entry? If not, could developments in the political arena have been handled better by each company? In order to understand what Coca Cola and Pepsi had to deal with in India, it is essential to grasp the full meaning of what politics includes. Politics is not merely the political ideology the country has and thus the governance of the state including government policies and the role he plays in the country but also on a micro level it deals with small associations and unions and thus also with division of power. India was seen for many years as being unfriendly to foreign investors. In fact the Principle of Indigenous Availability law specified that if an item could be obtained locally, imports of a similar product were forbidden. Following the first Gulf War in 1991, measures were taken to liberalize the Indian economy introducing the New Industrial Policy to eliminate barriers such as bureaucracy and regulation to foreign direct investment. Despite this, protectionism was still evident in India. Pepsi entered the Indian beverage market in July 1986 i.e. before the liberalization of Indias government, while Coca Cola followed for the second time (after a presence between 1958 and 1977) in 1993. Despite this, both of them received alien status upon entry in the Indian market. The two corporations were required to follow government policies designed to impede foreign business. Sales of Pepsis soft drink concentrate to local bottlers could not exceed 25% of total sales while fruits and vegetables by Pepsi Foods Ltd. had to be processed. Coca Cola on the other hand had to agree to sell 49% of its equity as a condition of entering and buying out an Indian company (Parle). Moreover, according to Indian law it was forbidden to promote products under foreign brand names if sold within India and thus Pepsi became Lehar Pepsi and Coca Cola became Coca Cola India. The Indian government acted as a regulator imposing sets of laws and rules that restrained the way the companies do business. According to Dr. Ashok Rao, (Head of Network Project, CEDT, Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore) (2006), India has a very confused, diverse and stagnant political system. The amount of political parties present in India and the power regional political parties have, act as big barriers to businesses. Unlike Western democracies, power is centralized and top politicians dictate what happens thus businesses will have to work through many more layers to reach to somebody who can actually take a decision. The micro environment in India mainly pressure groups also affected heavily Coca Cola and Pepsi. Their political power in India was substantial at the time. To name a few, there was the All-India Anti-Imperialist Forum which called for a boycott of all American and British goods after the attacks on Iraq and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) led by Ms. Sunita Narain who issued a report stating that drinks made by Coca Cola and PepsiCo were found to contain pesticide residue far higher than the limits suggested by governments Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Both of them led to decline in sales; however, the damage done to sales through government action was less important than the bad publicity received. All the above highlight the political power and instability present in India. Government situations in India were dynamic and inconsistent mainly because government laws and policies were unclear and not based on strong foundations (Ash Rao, 2006). Because of this inconsistency in the legal environment, there was a greater importance played on lobbying the politicians. Lack of solid institutions gave way to corruption. In fact, as Li Chain, (Ex-member, Planning Commission and Political Reformer in Bangalor) stated years later (Ashok Rao et al, 2006), India ranks high on the corruption index. We have not yet found a way of containing corruption in our bureaucracy and political system. Being such a dynamic and inconsistent environment, Coca Cola and Pepsi could not predict most of the issues raised beforehand. However, just by looking at the unstable, confusing and dynamic political environment both companies should have been prepared to deal with similar issues. Coca Colas agreement to sell 49% of its equity to Indian partners within two years is a case in point. While lobbying was out of the question due to an oversight of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), another option would have been that of not investing further through a joint venture with Parle until solid foundations were built. During the time, investment rules were constantly changing and unclear and thus Coca Cola should have known better and not expect an equal treatment (other foreign companies such as Philips and Carrier were allowed to buy back most of their outstanding shares) considering that as stated by market analysts, there was no apparent logic behind India government policies. PepsiCo was quite quick in every situation to abide with the changing policies however both companies lacked pro-activeness. With specific measures in place, both companies could have avoided all the bad publicity on their brand names. Timing of entry into the Indian market brought different results for PepsiCo and Coca-Cola India. What benefits or disadvantages accrued as a result of earlier or later entry? Timing of entry in a foreign market is a critical decision. Although the first entrant in the market would have better chances of gaining market share, both first and following entrants have their advantages and disadvantages. The political and legal environment in India does not present a clear cut line which amongst PepsiCo and Coca Cola India had the most advantages in terms of time of entry. PepsiCo was the first to enter the market in 1986, although in actual fact Coca Cola had already had a presence in India between 1958 and 1977. The decision to leave was taken when Indias government tried to force Coca-Cola to share their recipe and trim its equity stake down to 40%. Coca Cola re-entered the market in 1993. PepsiCos timing was impeccable. During that period the carbonated soft drink market experienced substantial growth in India. Pepsi were able to ensure their place and grab a good share amount of the soft drink sales; managing in fact to gain 29% market share by 1993. Moreover, according to Srivastava M. (2010) Pepsi became this catch-all for anything that was bottled, fizzy and from abroad. The word Pepsi became part of everyday vocabulary in India referring to soft drinks in general and not only PepsiCo soft drinks. However, PepsiCo also suffered from a number disadvantages because of its timing. The Indian Government only approved its application to trade in the Indian market after agreeing to the threshold of total sales not exceeding 25% and that of changing name to Lehar Pepsi. PepsiCo also struggled to fight off the smaller Indian soft drink brands in its venture to gain market share. Coca Cola India, on the other hand, entered the market 6 years after PepsiCo. During this timeframe legislations were amended to facilitate foreign investment including the elimination of the clause forcing foreign companies to join forces with Indian companies in order to be able to enter the market. In fact, Coca Cola entered the Indian market as Coca-Cola India in 1993. However, wanting to expand its investments, Coca Cola India formed a joint venture with industry leader, Parle, in 1996, buying out four of its bottling plants together with its leading brands Thums Up, Limca, Citra, Gold Spot and Mazaa. For Coca-Cola India to do this, however, it had to sign an agreement with the Indian government agreeing to sell 49% of its equity to Indian Partners. The Indian market is enormous in terms of population and geography. How have the two companies responded to the sheer scale of operations in India in terms of i. product policies, ii. promotional activities, iii. pricing policies and iv. distribution arrangements. A population of over 1 billion people ( as of 2010 census) and being the 7th largest country in the world, makes India one of the largest markets in the current economy. Both Pepsi and Coke had to adapt to such enormity, and they did so throughout several areas. Product Policies Both companies carefully catered for the Indian tastes. They entered the market with products close to those already available in India such as lime beverages, fruit drinks as well as water. They carefully waited until they had a secure position in the market and had established their core products; then introduced American- type drinks. One particular example is the introduction of Sprite, a beverage forming part of the Coca- Cola family. They also introduced new products. Coke was the first to start producing bottled water under the name of Kinley while Pepsi Foods introduced Aquafina. Promotional Activities The Navrartri Festival is the second highest season for soft-drink consumption. Pepsi and Coke made full use of this festival and saw it as a promotional opportunity. Coca-Cola India: It gave away 20,000 passes to the festival; one for every purchase of a Thums Up. They also introduced a buy one get one free scheme and held lucky draws where one could win a trip to Goa. PepsiCo: It sponsored dance competitions on a large scale and had many promotional offers such as a free kilo of Basmati rice with every refill of a case of 300ml of Pepsi as well as free kit-kat with every 1.5 l bottle and free Polo with every 500ml bottle. The segmentation of different areas of India allowed for the differentiation and division of rural and urban Indian youth into categories, India A and India B respectively. Doing so they were able to advertise and promote their products differently so as to target and appeal to these markets individually. Coke made use of Bollywood stars to endorse its products, featuring them in their adverts and campaigns while Pepsi preferred to use sporting events and famous athletes such as cricket players and sponsored events such as the Cricket World Series of 2003. Pricing Policies PepsiCo: It included an aggressive pricing policy on their one litre bottles which created different reactions between their competition. Coc Cola India: In 2003, it slashed its prices of softdrinks by 15-25% as an attempt to encourage consumption and enhance affordability. It also made sure the soft drinks were made available to consumers so as to make it a regular purchase. PepsiCo was forced to match these price cuts in order to keep up. Distribution Arrangement In terms of distribution arrangements both PepsiCo and Coca-Cola India had production plants and bottling centers all throughout India located strategically in the largest cities including Bombay/Mumbai and Delhi. More plants were added when demand increased and when the product range grew. Moreover, having formed partnerships with local companies, both Coca Cola and Pepsi were able to get initial access into the market. Global Localisation is a policy both companies have implemented successfully. Give examples for each company from the case. By definition, the term glocal refers to the organization (in this case corporations such as Coca Cola India and PepsiCo) and the community which is willing and able to think globally and act locally. Both firms have identified this emerging trend as the key element to surviving in the Indian Market. They adapted their products to the location and culture they marketed them in. PepsiCo PepsiCos first signs of glocalisation were apparent from the moment it attempted to enter the Indian market as it did so as a joint venture with another two locally based companies, Voltas and Punjab Agro. Together they formed PepsiFoods Ltd. In 1990 PepsiCo then proceeded to changing its name as well as the name of its other products to Pepsi Lehar so as to conform with the imposed government regulations. This name also helped them to integrate further with the Indian culture. PepsiCo also launched Lehar 7UP so as to cater for the local tastes and lime culture and placed this in the clear lemon beverage category. PepsiCo vigorously sponsored cricket players as well as cricket and other sporting tournaments such as soccer. It also sponsored for the whole event those cricket players in the Indian Cricket Team who participated in the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa. Moreover, it took advantage of the World Cup Fever by organising local tournaments and featuring football heroes during this period in their campaigns. PepsiCo also chose its campaigns to tie in with imporant sporting events such as the Keep it Cool 7UP Summer Campaign which coincided with India Zimbabwe One Day Cricket Series. The endorsement of popular Bollywood actors such Amitabh Bachchcans endorsement of Mirinda was also used. As mentioned in the previous question, PepsiCo also made use of the Navrartri Festival by creating promotional offers. In the year 2000, it teamed up with Guarjarati TV to telecast the festival throughout the 9 nights. Coca-Cola India Coca-Cola India also started off as a joint venture; with Brittania Industries India Ltd. In 1993 it went on to form a joint venture with Parle, purchasing its 4 major bottling plants and leading brands including Thums up which in 2002 ranked second nationwide in terms of softdrink consumption. This allowed it to integrate a national drink under the Coca Cola brand so as to boost Coca Colas image and credibility. Glocalisation is part of Coca Colas think global act local business plan. Coca Cola also made use of the Navrartri Festival in order to integrate themselves with local culture. In 2002 they gave out 20, 000 free passes to the fast dance happening during this festival; one for every bottle of Thums Up bought. Coca Cola India also carried out lifestyle advertising and its main strategy was to build a connect using the relevant local idioms. They made use of adverts featuring famous directors such as A.R. Rahman, music director of Slumdog Millionaire, and made sure to use popular local music such as the gaana. Coca Cola India also made use of Bollywood stars to attract consumers; targeted especially to the rural and urban youth catered for in different segments. Famous stars include Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi. Some analysts consider that Coca-Cola India made mistakes in planning and managing its return to India. Do you agree? If not, what or who do you think was responsible for any mistakes? Coca Cola first entered the Indian market in 1958, however withdrawn in 1977 after facing many problems from the government, such as cutting its equity stake to 40 percent and being asked to hand over its secret formula for the syrup. Coca Cola managed to re-enter the market in 1993 after the first application in May 1990 was rejected. Pepsis application to enter the Indian market was probably a trigger for Coca Cola to do the same. This could have been Coca Colas first mistake: haste. Wanting to be part of this growing and developing market, it entered the market soon after PepsiCo; despite knowing that although sixteen years had passed from its first attempt in the market, the political environment was still very unstable and thus very risky. Doing heavy research before entering such a risky (politically, economically and also culturally) market, is vital. Still, there was a lot of which Coca Cola did not know about the Indian market, especially in confronting the huge political risks. Although Coca Cola has its faults, blaming Coca Cola entirely would be wrong. The Indian government and other authorities had a lot of power on businesses, as explained in Question 1, making it very hard to predict certain situations. Nonetheless, if Coca Cola India had been a bit more knowledgeable and careful in planning and implementing its corporate and business strategies, it could have avoided certain managing mistakes. However, staying out of this attractive market would have been a shame. Although it is fair to say that its market entry was not made easy due to government application rejections and other imposed rules; Coca Cola India could have tried negotiating with the government a bit more before entering the market). During its first years in the market, Coca Cola India was also very slow in realizing certain key issues such as the ideal price point for its soft drinks. Having more than 50% of the population under poverty line, a reduction in prices (which actually occurred then in 2003), would have increased consumption and thus increasing profits. All in all, Coca Cola India was quite successful in its choice of strategy, considering it has around one million retail outlets around India selling Coca Cola. Few of its best communication strategies were those of including stars from Bollywood in its advertising and the Buy one Get one free promotion. Despite this however, as mentioned before, understanding the Indian population a bit more could have helped. In conclusion, what Coca Cola India needed most were safer and more solid grounds to compete on. While there were a lot of external factors and hidden risks which were out of Coca Colas control, better management of these situations would have lead to better results (as discussed in question 1). Although its clear that Coca Cola made mistakes in its market entry stage; it was also a bit unlucky; maybe due to its hasty decision in entering the market. How can Pepsi and Coke confront the issues of water use in the manufacture of their products? How can they defuse further boycotts or demonstrations against their products? How effective are activist groups like the one that launched the campaign in California? Should Coke address the group directly or just let the furor subside, as it surely will? The Coca Cola Company used 290 billion liters of water in 2006 alone, enough to meet the entire worlds drinking water needs for 10 days (Amit Srivastava, July 30, 2007). This fresh water was mainly used to clean their equipment in the production process, turning two thirds of this water into waste water. One must note that this is done in a country where water shortage is a meagre problem. Therefore both multi-national must take the bull by the horn and change the way they do certain procedures without hiding but being sincere. More efficient ways of cleaning must be found to waste less water and be more responsible towards the Indian nation. Coca-Cola has lately announced a partnership of US $20 billion over three years between them and the world wildlife fund on water conservation. This will help in rebuilding the trust with the Indian population so as to succeed in the Indian market. An element of corporate social responsibility is important for companies to work better within for eign market. Bad publicity can damage a companys reputation definitely. This was clearly experienced by both PepsiCo and Coca Cola India. Although advisory boards were created and purity tests were conducted in order to avoid further boycotts or demonstrations against their products, this was not enough. Better use of Public Relations would have been a first step. Having conducted purity tests, the next step would be that of communicating the results in an effective way. Choosing to deny the accusations and then presenting these tests could have been felt as a pique. The use of press releases and open days at the factories showing the process for example would have made both the government and the general public more participant. Moreover, trying to deal with the government by emphasizing on corporate social responsibility could have gained governments trust and thus earn a safer position in exchange. Offering a percentage of their profits to help in building schools or hospitals in India could h ave been an idea. Activist groups, like the one in California, are very powerful. They can be great allies but also worst enemies for a company. Their influence on the general Coke consumer is great as they reach the consumer directly through various activities; and in turn these consumers force manufacturers/ suppliers etc to take action. In fact, the campaigns in California led to several bottling plants closing down as well as the discontinuation of contracts with Coca Cola. Coke should address the group directly avoiding accusations of trying to hide its activities and actions. In this way it would defend itself and would also be able to regain its credibility and continue building its image by being proactive. Another reason why it should do so is to gain trust of customers since it claims it has nothing to hide by being truthful and giving an answer instead of waiting for the rumors, accusations and scandal to subside. Which of the 2 companies do you think has better long term prospects for success in India? The two companies in question are strong multinationals which are widespread around the world. Some might argue that on world terms Coca-Cola is the strongest brand out of the two. However after analyzing the case in hand it is evident that both companies could have handled situations different leading to different results. The success or lack of it in the first years in a foreign country can be very helpful in predicting the future of the company. Pepsi on the one hand has already a great market share and sustainable brand recognition. On the other hand, Coca Colas conflicts with the Indian government are not very promising. Having a good relationship with authorities is vital for growth. Both multi-nationals have been successful in developing marketing strategies aimed at increasing the consumption of carbonated soft drinks. Moreover, they were both very successful in glocalization as seen earlier. Some argue that PepsiCo was most successful through the use of Basmati rice (considered a luxury type of rice) in its sales promotions while others consider Coca Colas depiction of Bollywood stars its advertising campaigns as being impeccable. Moreover, Coca Cola India was always the initiator of the new ventures/strategies, but failed to follow through. PepsiCo followed Coca Colas initial ideas, going that step further. In fact, PepsiCo was more successful in engaging the local people with its brand. Statistically, Pepsi has had constant growth during its occupancy in a stable pattern. Long term investors seem to prefer Pepsi Co due to its promise of future expansion. If a company invests in Pepsi Co today, PepsiCo is promising a rise of almost 100 more points by 2015. Coca Cola India seems to be attracting more those who believe in fixed income, as its investments seem to be fluctuating less. Regarding direct competition, Coca-Cola still trails behind Pepsi in terms of market share which could signify that Pepsi has a better overall strategy for success. Coca Cola seems to be struggling more to survive in such a dynamic and growing market. All in all, the current situation does point more towards Pepsi as being more successful than Coca Cola in the Indian market. What lessons can each company draw from its Indian experience as it contemplates entry into other Big Emerging Markets? It seems that prior market research was most overlooked by both companies. Deep market research including all the PESTLE elements is vital in order to understand how to do business in the foreign country. As stated in the text: In many ways, Coke and Pepsi managers got to learn the hard way that what works here does not always work there. Moreover, on-going environmental scanning is important in order to be able to anticipate matters rather than being re-active to situations. With specific measures in place, both companies could have avoided all the bad publicity on their brand names. Both companies should also have focused more on education of their products. Most probably, many emerging countries lack knowledge of their brands and also lack certain infrastructures and standards of living present in other developed countries. PepsiCo lessons learnt Pepsi realized how important it is to understand and keep with local tastes thus focusing on the clear lemon category which was a great hit in India. It is also beneficial to pay attention to market trends in order to position your product accordingly. A very important point for Pepsi in India was the pricing policy and bottle sizes. Adapting your communication mix as well as distribution methods to the market is also a key point. Local celebrity appeals made for exceptional advertising for PepsiCo. Coca Cola India lessons learnt While also realizing the importance of paying attention to market trends; Coca Cola surely realizes the importance of investing in local products. While not investing in Thums Up brand for the first couple of years, decreasing market share from 60% of total carbonated beverage sales to 15%, after a substantial investment, Thums Up ranked second nationwide within a year. The importance of timing of entry should not be overlooked. Coca Cola entered the market at a poor time because they had to agree to abide by all of the Foreign Investment Laws of that year Defining your target audiences more specifically than what Coca Cola did in India could have helped for better targeting/positioning and thus advertising of products. Coca Cola separated its markets as India A and India B without any further differentiation through for example age, gender, language, interests, location. Establishing a good business relationship with the host countrys government and/or any other governmental or non-governmental groups present in the country is also vital as these could act either as a source of advantage or could impede your success. Coca Cola made a mistake in trying to get out of its promises. It had already made a mistake by entering the contract they did. By continuing to apply for extensions and attempting to deny voting rights for the Indian stake, Coca Cola India was only tarnishing its public image and destroying its relationship with the government. Finally, as Venkatesh Mysore, (Managing Director, MetLife India Insurance Company Pvt. Ltd. In Bangalore) said: It is extremely important for MNCs to follow the laws of the land, and not look for short-cuts (Ashok Rao et al. 2006).

Developing Positive Relationships for Child Wellbeing

Developing Positive Relationships for Child Wellbeing Recognise how positive relationships promote children’s well-being. Developing and maintaining positive relationships with parents and other professionals is imperative as children pick up on behaviours they have observed around them because are very impressionable and pick up on their surroundings. By professionals working together they can provide the best quality of service to children. Practitioners should build up a mutual trust and respect with all parties within an early year setting. Children observe the people around them behaving in various ways. This is in Individuals that are observed are called models. In society children are surrounded by many influential models, such as parents within the family, characters on children’s TV, friends within their peer group and teachers at school. These models provide examples of masculine and feminine behaviour to observe and imitate. (http://osclinks.com/624). There are many different relationships that need to be built within the early years setting. Children’s friendship- It’s important that children are encouraged to build friendships within an early years sitting this will allow them to feel more comfortable and enjoy learning and developing as individuals. Children are more confident when surrounded by other pupils as they are able to relate to them and build up a support system within their group of friends, this will help them develop into well rounded individuals and provide them vital skills for socialising which will help them later in life. Key worker relationship- Children should have a close relationship with their practitioners so they feel at ease knowing that they have someone they can trust and turn to, if a child feels comfortable with their key worker they will be able to go to them with any hardship they may feel, for example if a child is upset about anything within the setting they should be able to go to their key worker. Partnership with parents- The relationship between practitioners and parents is essential, communication is key between both parties and they will need to work closely in order to achieve the best possible outcome for all children. By practitioners and parents having a good relationship this makes it easier for the parents and children in being honest with each other. Parents will not feel at ease leaving their children unless they are completely satisfied and feel that the staff that their children are left with are honest and reliable. Vital information can be passed between parents and practitioners if there is a strong relationship and this will help with the development of the child should there be anything of concern that needs more attention, such as a child’s aversion to a certain toy due to fear. Colleague relationship- All the staff members within an early years setting need to have a good relationship in order to communicate and pass around information that is needed. For example when a key worker is not in for their shift, they will need to ensure that another staff member will need to be informed about the children’s needs that is in their care. All practitioners will need to trust each other in order to have an effective environment to work in. Multi-agency and integrated working- It’s essential that everyone working with the children and their families communicates well and understands their roles and responsibilities. A multi-agency is when professionals from different settings work together. A multi-agency approach is beneficial as professionals can share their information about the family’s needs with each other. It is fundamental that all professionals treat each other, parents and children with respect, make them feel welcomed and also comfort them if they are going through difficulties. A multi-agency is there to help parents and families through difficulties. An early years setting should cater for every parents needs as well as the children’s, for example if a parent has hearing impairments and can only communicate through sign language, it would be important to locate a key worker to their child who can use sign language if not have another member of staff that is able to sign. Also there may be parents to whom English will be their second language so to have someone interoperate will be necessary, this should be done both through verbal and written communication. Analyse the importance of the key worker system for children. A key person has the responsibility for working with a small number of children, giving them the reassurance to feel safe and cared for with the absence of their parents. At such an early age children are dependent on their parents, it is vital that the key worker develops a close relationship with their key children because they will be the first point of contact for the child and the family. Starting an early years setting can prove to be distressing for children, they are introduced to a new environment and new people this can be a lot to take in for children. Furthermore being left in the setting without their parents/guardians can result in the child experiencing separation anxiety, which can leave them feeling anxious, Erik Erikson, devised a theory of psychos social development. The first stage of his theory relates to children in their first years of life. Erikson believed that the quality of the care children in this age group receive depends on how well they develop trust in their carer. (Early Years Level 3-V1.0 page 32). In order for the practitioner to build trust with the child they will need to find out the child’s interest and know how to engage with them, make them feel comfortable, If a child is having difficulties settling in, they key worker should work alongside the child’s parents and have them in the classroom while the child can famili arise themselves with the setting and develop a bond with their key worker. If a child feels at ease with their key worker, it’ll help them become independent. Children’s independence is most obvious when they’re comfortable with their surroundings, such as when they are in their own home with family, or with friends and family and familiar carers such as a key person. (Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation stage) When the practitioner is first introduced to their key child they will usually lead the ‘settling in session’. This is the period where the parents get introduced to the key worker, this will give them a chance to discuss their child and any important information. This can vary from what the child can and cannot have to due to religious or health reasons, any medical problems and what procedures may need to be carried out, if the parents of the child are not in a relationship the key worker will need to be informed of the routine on who will collect the child on what day and who to contact in case of eme rgency. Some children may not respond well to settling in, many different circumstances can result in a child being distressed during this period. This is where the practitioner will have the duty to comfort them and make them feel at ease ‘Family linked in the literature to unemployment, divorce, financial difficulties and other stressors in family life, any and all of which can interfere with sensitive and consistent parenting’. (Child Development-Theory and Practice 0-11 Jonathan Doherty and Malcolm Hughes). Explain the benefit of building positive partnership with parents for children’s learning and development. One the most important relationship within an early years setting is the relationship between the practitioner and the parents, it is essential that they work together to achieve the best possible outcome for the child. Practitioners should regularly be communicating with the parents of their key child, this can be done in many different ways such as Open days, Parents evening, workshops and activities that involve the parents. It is imperative that every parent attend at open day, this will allow the parents to explore the environment their child will be in, get familiar with the staff in the setting, especially the key worker for their child. This will also allow the practitioner to familiarise themselves with the parent or carer of the child. All families are different some children may live with both or one of their parents, some may live with a foster parent or a carer or relatives and some with the same sex parents. This will give the practitioner an insight of the childâ€℠¢s background as well. Practitioners should consistently be communicating with the parents of their key children to ensure an effective way of working. For example if the child is struggling on a certain aspect of their activities in the classroom, the practitioner should discuss this with the parents and advise them on how to motivate and guide the child at home. Both the practitioner and the parent should concentrate specifically on bettering the skills of the child when approaching the activity that they may lack confidence in. Parents and practitioners can interlink to achieve a more productive and enthusiastic attitude from the child. A practitioner should welcome parents and inform them about all the activity is going to take place. If there any leaflets the practitioner has to give them to parents so that the parents are then aware of what is going on in the nursery. It is also very important that the practitioner and parents work as a team and provide a quality service for children for example if the teacher is planning out an activity for the children they can involve the parent in with the activity, as the parents have a better understanding of their children. They can work together and combine their knowledge in order to receive the best possible outcome for the children. It also paramount that practitioners respects all parents decisions on how they want to raise their child, practitioners should have a relationship where they can be open and honest with the parents but need to understand that the parents have the final say even though practitioners may not agree. Describe how to develop positive relationships within the early years settings, making reference to principles of effective communication. A multi-agency approach is beneficial as professionals can share their information about the family’s needs with each other. It is fundamental that all professionals treat each other, parents and children with respect, make them feel welcomed and also comfort them if they are going through difficulties. A multi-agency is there to help parents and families through difficulties. Professionals must respect parent’s spiritual beliefs, religion and accept them for who they are. Also ensuring there are no judgemental comments specified. A multi-agency is obliged to keep all information confidential and must remain between the professionals and parents and must not be discussed to an outsider. It is also important for practitioners to work together with the multi-agency team so they can identify the child’s needs through common assessments and then work together and take action on what services need to be provided to meet the child’s identified learning needs and in some cases some of the children’s needs cannot be met then they will have to decide what action needs to taken from there and then set a review date. In an early years setting it should be the staff’s main priority to have a good relationship with other settings such as doctor surgeries, social services, health visitors. Forming a relationship with external settings will allow the practitioners to communicate in any issues to achieve the best possible result, for an example, if a practitioner becomes aware of bruising on a child consistently and the parent is not responding to the practitioner’s concerns then they should consider contacting social services. As professionals it is required skill to understand and communicate with another member and share information for example if another organisation is offering some information then as a professional you are allowed to share it with individual, families, carers, groups and communities, it is a professionals job to make the parents feel comfortable with leaving their child in a child’s centre. Confidentiality is essential within the multi-agency team because the professionals have to keep the parents word confidential and make sure that they do not break the confidentiality policy. The EY requires that, ’confidential information and records about staff and children must be held securely and only accessible and available to those who have a right or professional need to see them’ By remaining professional and having good communication with everyone that has a part in the child’s life or development is essential. Confidentiality policy has to be maintained by a ll care setting practitioners. If parents are to be spoken to about their child’s progress or needs, then this must take place in a separate room to maintain confidentiality. Personal information about the children should not be left in an area where others can have access to it. However if information is to be breached the practitioner must ask the parents if they can pass this information on. A practitioner should always strive for high standards of care by following policies and procedures. The EYFS states the positive relationships and parents as partners. The practitioner should respect and achieve the best of their ability to provide a safe and welcoming environment.

Starving For Perfection Essay -- essays research papers fc

Starving for Acceptance In today’s society, where physical characteristics are used to measure beauty and success, people are willing to push their bodies to extremes to achieve physical perfection. As an overweight woman, I may be considered a failure of society’s beauty test. However, my high self-esteem and acceptance of my body allows me to not be disturbed by what, to some, may seem as a sign of failure. Unfortunately, there are people whose desire to be accepted by society causes them to develop eating disorders. The two most common are called anorexia and bulimia (WebMD.Com Eating 1). The Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, association (ANRED), states â€Å"Anorexia and bulimia affect primarily people in their teens and twenties, but clinicians report both disorders in children as young as six and individuals as old as seventy-six† (ANRED Statistics 1). Anorexia and bulimia are both serious eating disorders with differences and similarities in their symptoms, diagnosis , causes, treatments and prognosis. Although anorexia and bulimia share many of the same symptoms, they also have many differences. â€Å"About half of people with anorexia also have symptoms of bulimia† (MayoClinic.Com 2). According to the American Anorexia Bulimia Association (AABA), some symptoms of anorexia are: excessive exercising, depression, weakness, exhaustion, constipation, and loss of menstrual period in women (AABA Anorexia 1). They also state that bulimics suffer from those symptoms as well. (AABA Bulimia 1). Although there are similarities, each disorder has its own unique characteristics. A major symptom of bulimia is binging and purging. Bulimics practice binging, eating large amounts of food at one time, and purging, causing themselves to vomit, or defecate, in an attempt to prevent weight gain (Reyes 1). Anorexics, however, restrict their diets and starve themselves in attempt to stay thin and if possible, lose more weight (â€Å"Anorexia Nervosa† 1) Like any other illness, eating disorders need to be diagnosed by a health care professional. People with eating disorders may also have psychological problems (WebMD.Com Eating 1). Because of this, medical and mental healthcare workers are able to diagnose both disorders (ANRED Treatment 3). The Mayo Clinic states that race, age, and social status of patients are also factors that affect the diagnosis of eating disorders: ... ...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Bulimia Nervosa.† The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Ed. D. Olendorf, C. Jeryan, and K. Boyden. 1999. 2 Jun. 2001. . Johnson, Michael MD. â€Å"Anorexia Nervosa.† DiscoveryHealth.Com. 4 Feb. 2000. 2 Jun. 2001. . MayoClinic.Com. Eating disorders: Widespread and difficult to treat. 17 Nov. 2000. 2 Jun. 2001. . Reyes, Ann Ph.D. â€Å"Bulimia.† DiscoveryHealth.Com. 12 Dec 1999. 2 Jun. 2001. . Rush, Colleen. â€Å"A Weighty Issue: Men with Eating Disorders.† Dr.Drew.com Healthbriefs. 2001. 2 Jun. 2001. . WebMd.Com. Eating Disorders. 2 Jun. 2001 . WebMd.Com. What Causes Eating Disorders? March 1999. 2 Jun. 2001. .

Price Fixing :: Business

Price fixing is defined as, â€Å"an arrangement in which two firms coordinate their pricing decisions.† (O’Sullivan & Sheffrin, 2003). The price fixing case I chose was regarding Brown and Toland Medical Group. The company is a multi-specialty, for-profit San Francisco-based independent physicians' association (Rauber, 2004). Brown and Toland Medical Group was charged by the FTC with violating federal antitrust laws by fixing prices and other terms under which it would contract with insurance companies for preferred provider organization (PPO) enrollees. The FTC contends that the company had physicians agree on prices and terms they would enter contracts with heath plans or third-party payers. The company also allegedly told doctors to terminate any pre-existing contracts. Then they asked others to join in their price-fixing agreement. This would raise prices for physician services in their home town San Francisco. The FTC proposed a consent agreement that bars Brown and Toland from: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Negotiating with any payer on behalf of any physician. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dealing or refusing to deal with any payer based on price or other terms †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jointly determining price or other terms upon which any physician deals with payers Another stipulation of the consent agreement is that Brown & Toland to notify the FTC at least 60 days before entering into any arrangement with physicians or contacting any payer, except for those arrangements under which Brown & Toland will be paid a capitated amount, and contains standard recordkeeping provisions to assist the FTC in monitoring the respondent’s compliance(www.

Rabbit Proof Fence Speech Essay

Assessment Task- ) Good morning class, today I will tell you why it is extremely important for students to study texts that represent a variety of cultures. The films I have deconstructed to convey my points are â€Å"Bend it like Beckham†, directed by Gurinder Chadha and â€Å"Rabbit Proof Fence†, directed by Phillip Noyce. The cultural concepts explained in these movies are the early 1900s British culture and how dominant and cruel they were, the aboriginal Australians and how they were treated badly, the Indian culture and how much their traditions matter to them and the modern British culture which is carefree. These texts are important to study as they give us a better rounded, less biased education as students can be taught to understand and accept people are different and learn how different cultures were treated throughout history. It is important that we study films from a variety of cultures because students nowadays need to understand and accept that people are different. This is shown in a scene in the Rabbit Proof Fence where Mise en scene, there is the aboriginal tracker on the horse approaching the English man in the car when they had attempted to flank the girls. Technology defines this world and the huge step up from animal to machine shows a great difference in culture and should be noted. The film technique of aerial helicopter views greatly shows how much the aboriginal spirit birds mean to them and their culture as this signalled the bird watching over them and protecting. This is in contrast to most shots of the â€Å"dominant white males† being angled up at them to show their power and how their desire is to be the dominant race. This is a terrible attitude and students must learn that all people are equal and studying films designed to give empathy to the victims is a good way to teach that. Another difference in culture that is shown in a film is in Bend it Like Beckham when all the soccer girls are in the change room and one of the girls questions jess on â€Å"how she can stand getting married to someone just cause you are told to by your parents†. Jess responds with â€Å"it’s just culture†. Students need to learn that people and their cultures are different and I believe that watching films with people with cultures that are ever so different, living side by side, will better students and give them a sounder less biased education. Films that show a variety of cultures, I believe should be taught to students because i t help  students to have a better historical understanding of how people have been treated. This is important as student must learn from the mistakes of our elders who in the past have treated some cultures with total disrespect. The movie rabbit proof gives us a good insight into the way the aboriginal culture was poorly treated in the early 1900s. The film technique of a shot angled up at the protector, as he is talking to Molly when the two first meet, portrays the emotions of fear, hatred and hopelessness as there isn’t much Molly can do to him. This film techniques shows the fear and helpless ness of the aboriginals who in the past were treated very horribly by the British. Students should study films like this because it helps open their eyes to how people were treated in the past, These two reasons is why I believe that students must be taught films that represent a variety of cultures. Using the films Bend it Like Beckham and Rabbit Proof Fence I have provided examples as to how they can be useful. These movies can teach students to be more accepting of other cultures and teach them how some cultures were treated in the past. Thank you everyone for listening and I hope you’ve considered what I’ve said.

AD scholarship essay

I had this mindset that I would never be able to survive off of my medicine, and I came to see them as a necessity to function properly in this world. I succeeded in community college by getting into the Honors Program, and was able to graduate as an Honors Scholar. It wasn't until I got into a university that my academic abilities and character as a pre-allied health major was tested. I made the ingenious decision to handle my ADD without any pharmaceutical help, whatsoever.Exercise and dietary choices are my main method f treatment, along with sheer willpower and self-discipline. Not only was I able to lose about twenty-five pounds of fat, I got physically, and mentally stronger as well. I developed a better mindset, which lead to a stronger body. I started to learn a lot about myself, and how the brain actually works on its own. I learned that Is It Indeed possible to channel my â€Å"hyper-focusing† abilities when I need to, and It Is especially easy to hyper-focus when I want to! As a Sinology major, my classes are science- heavy.I learned that when I'm In a class that I am passionate about, the ability to focus seems to get easier. I started reading a lot of books about ADD living, and I started to make my life more ADD friendly, which meant simplifying my life. Working with my ADD, rather than against It, seems to work out better In my favor. I started studying in ways that would make my ADD symptoms seem to go away. I utilized color, mnemonics, and videos to understand concepts that most students would understand through a lecture.Honestly, I wish It were easier living with ADD, and I sis I didn't have the difficulties that come with It, specifically the Inability to naturally filter out extrasensory Information. However, the gifts that come from a hyper-creative brain often outweigh the more annoying aspects of living with the disorder. People with ADD aren't stupid; we Just process things differently. In many careers, that can be a massive asse t! Eventually, I want to go to graduate school to pursue a career as a Physical Therapist. I figure that this would be a good career that utilizes the creative and hyperactive ADD brain.I decided I would never succeed In a monotonous desk Job, and as a physical therapist, my workplace would be a gym– which Is something that I would absolutely love! ADD scholarship essay By Shelby-Piper about myself, and how the brain actually works on its own. I learned that is it indeed possible to channel my â€Å"hyper-focusing† abilities when I need to, and it is especially heavy. I learned that when I'm in a class that I am passionate about, the ability to with my ADD, rather than against it, seems to work out better in my favor.I started understand through a lecture. Honestly, I wish it were easier living with ADD, and I wish I didn't have the difficulties that come with it, specifically the inability to naturally filter out extrasensory information. However, the gifts that come from a pursue a career as a Physical Therapist. I figure that this would be a good career that utilizes the creative and hyperactive ADD brain. I decided I would never succeed in a monotonous desk Job, and as a physical therapist, my workplace would be a gym— which is something that I would absolutely love!