Group Essays Develop 21st Century Skills

Teachers in any discipline should consider assigning a collaborative writing assignment, such as a group essay or paper. Here are three practical reasons to plan to use a collaborative writing assignment with students in grades 7-12.   Reason #1:  In preparing students to be college and career ready, it is important to provide exposure to a collaborative process.  The skill of collaboration and communication is one of the 21st Century Skills embedded in academic content standards.  Real world writing is often completed in the form of group writing—an undergraduate college group project, a report for a business, or a newsletter for a non-profit institution. Collaborative writing can result in more ideas or solutions for completing a task. Reason # 2: Collaborative writing results in fewer products for a teacher to assess. If there are 30 students in a class, and the teacher organizes collaborative writing groups of three students each, the end product will be 10 papers or projects to grade as opposed to 30 papers or projects to grade.   Reason #3: Research supports collaborative writing.  According to Vygostsky’s theory of ZPD (zone of proximal development),  when students work with others, there is an opportunity for all learners to work at a level slightly above their usual capacity, as co-operating with others who know a little more can boost achievement. The Collaborative Writing Process The most obvious difference between an individual writing assignment and a collaborative or group writing assignment is in the assigning of responsibilities:  who will write what? According to  P21s  Framework for 21st Century Learning, students engaging in collaborative writing are also  practicing  the  21st Century skills of  communicating clearly  if they are given the opportunity to: Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contextsListen effectively to decipher meaning, including knowledge, values, attitudes and intentionsUse communication for a range of purposes (e.g. to inform, instruct, motivate and persuade)Utilize multiple  media and technologies, and know how to judge their effectiveness a priori as well as assess their impactCommunicate effectively in diverse environments (including multi-lingual) The following outline will help teachers and then students address the logistics of running a collaborative assignment in which all members of the group have defined  responsibilities.  This outline can be adapted to be used in groups of various sizes (two to five writers) or to any content area. The Writing Process Any collaborative writing process must be taught to students and practiced several times a year with the goal for students to manage the group writing process themselves.   As in any writing assignment, individual or group, a teacher must clearly articulate the  purpose of the assignment  (to inform, to explain, to persuade...)  The purpose of writing will also mean identifying the target audience. Providing students a rubric for collaborative writing in advance will better help them understand the expectations for the task. Once purpose and audience have been established, then designing and implementing a collaborative writing paper or essay is not very different than following the five steps of the  writing process: PrewritingDraftingRevisionEditingPublishing Pre-writing process Students in the group review the  assignment and the requirements for the final product or paper;Students in the group  brainstorm and share ideas;Students in the group  formulate a draft or working thesis:This is a first attempt at developing a position or assertion;Because the  early stages of the writing process are where the groups writers are guided by questions they have (inquiry based learning), the working thesis is not the final thesis statement. Planning and Logistics Students in the group  decide together who will write which parts of the paper.  This will require that students collaborate, rather than merely cooperate. Here is the difference:When collaborating, students work together on a single shared goal;When cooperating, students perform together while working on selfish yet common goals.Students in the group  document the collaboration plan based on  the assignment requirements  (Ex: book review, pro/con persuasive paper) and agree upon the plan;Students in the group  determine a timeline that outlines deadlines for both individual and group responsibilities;Students in the group  determine when work can be done synchronously (in class/in person) or asynchronously (online). With the use of online writing platforms such as Google Docs, these group  determinations will help the group share updates and information more effectively. Management of Research Students in the group  draft how the assignment will be managed  (Ex: sections, chapters, paragraphs, appendices);Students in the group  determine how and where they will find trustworthy and timely source materials (books, articles, newspaper articles, videos, podcasts, websites, interviews or self-created surveys for research on topic);Students in the group  determine who will read and process the information;Pro/con evidence should be balanced;Evidence must be cited;Citations must be cataloged;Students in the group  analyze the evidence as to how well it supports position;Students in the group  determine the best way to include additional evidence (EX: pictures, graphs, tables, and charts.) Drafting and Writing Individual students keep in mind how the material and individual writing will fit into the paper or product.Students writing together synchronously  (in class/in person) or  asynchronously  (online):Writing as a group is  time-consuming; these opportunities should be left to making sure the document is organized to give the reader the impression of one cohesive voice.Student in the group should make sure that the paper or products content is clear and the writing communicates a single (or in the case of pro/con, a whole) message to the target audience before discussing stylistic changes. Revising, Editing, and Proofreading Students in the group review drafted parts of the document before merging into a single document;Students in the group  look for a logical flow of ideas. (Note:  Teaching students to use  transitions is critical to smoothing over individual drafts);Students in the group  revise content and structure of the paper;Students in the group  proofread paper and check for typos, spelling errors, punctuation problems, formatting issues, and grammatical mistakes. (Note: Reading the paper aloud  is an excellent strategy for editing). Additional Research on Collaborative Writing Regardless as to the size of the group or the content area classroom, students will manage their writing by following an organizational pattern. This finding is based on the  results of a  study  (1990) conducted by Lisa Ede and Andrea Lunsford that resulted in a book  Singular Texts /Plural Authors: Perspectives on Collaborative Writing,  According to their work, there are  seven noted organizational patterns for collaborative writing.  These seven patterns are: the team plans and outlines the task, then each writer prepares his/her part and the group compiles the individual parts, and revises the whole document as needed;the team plans and outlines the writing task, then one member prepares a draft, the team edits and revises the draft;one member of the team plans and writes a draft, the group revises the draft;one person plans and writes the draft, then one or more members revises the draft without consulting the original authors;the group plans and writes the draft, one or more members revise the draft without consulting the original authors;one person assigns the tasks, each member completes the individual task, one person compiles and revises the document;one dictates, another transcribes and edits. Tackling the Downsides to Collaborative Writing In order to  maximize the effectiveness of a collaborative writing assignment, all students in each group must be active participants. Therefore: Instructors need to monitor the progress of each group, provide feedback and assist when necessary.  Initially, this form of monitoring may be more time-consuming than traditional teaching formats, but a teacher can meet with groups more effectively over time than individual students. While the front-loading the collaborative writing assignment takes time, the number of final products is substantially reduced so the grading time is also reduced.A collaborative writing project must be designed in a way so that the final assessment is considered valid, fair and accurate. The final assessment must consider the knowledge and performance of all group members.  Grading complexities can make group assignments difficult for instructors. (See group grading article)Students may sometimes struggle with making decisions in a group setting.There can be  additional stress on students  because of multiple opinions and writing styles. These must be incorporated into one final product that pl eases everyone.   Conclusion Preparing students for real-world collaborative experiences is an important goal, and the collaborative writing process can better help teachers meet that goal. The research supports a collaborative approach. Even though the collaborative writing approach may require more time in the set-up and monitoring, the fewer number of papers for teachers to grade is an extra bonus.

7 Great Virtues - 2031 Words

Summer Peterson 12-13-06 Hour 3 7 Great Virtues - Ben Franklin - The first virtue Ben Franklin wanted was â€Å"An Aversion to Tyranny†. The main idea of this to Ben is that he doesn’t like tyranny, which is power or control of one person. He didn’t like to be told what to do to and he also liked some control and therefore, have a limited government. Ben didn’t want any dictatorship either, which meant no kings or queens. Franklin realized that he didn’t like the idea of tyranny when he was 12 years old. He became an apprentice at the print shop of his older brother, James, who tended to be a tougher boss. I think that Aversion to Tyranny definitely still exists in America today. We still do not have any dictatorship in today’s†¦show more content†¦The fifth virtue Ben Franklin put on the list of America’s virtues was â€Å"Idealism in Foreign Policy†. Franklin once wrote, â€Å"The influence of every power is measured by the opinion one has of its intrinsic force.† W hen he went to Paris as an envoy during the Revolution, Franklin proved himself a master of the diplomatic doctrine of realism by playing an adroit balance-of-power game between France, Spain, the Netherlands, and later on, Britain. The main idea of this virtue, as I see it, is that Franklin basically tried to portray each country’s position as desirable to him. In a way, this virtue still exists in America today. The only thing I can think of for this virtue in today’s world is Iraq. Even though it isn’t ideal to be at war with a country, we do our best to fight against them and eventually hopefully end the war and win it. The sixth virtue Ben Franklin wanted was â€Å"Compromise†. Franklin used the phrase, â€Å"Both sides must part with some of their demands,† many times. He used it the most when the Constitutional Convention was deciding on the issue of whether the new Congress should be proportioned by population or have equal votes for e ach state. For Franklin, who personally believed in proportional representation, compromise was not only a practical approach but also a moral one. He believed thatShow MoreRelatedAn Unethical Deprivation Of The Highest Good985 Words   |  4 Pageshave found that happiness is an â€Å"activity of the soul in accord with virtue,† namely the â€Å"best and most complete virtue† (I.7, p.9). Virtue is excellence of a function. Since the ability to reason sets human beings apart from all other living creatures on Earth, whatever constitutes happiness must relate to reasoning. It is clear to see that theoretical study is the fullest human happiness, being the best and most complete virtue (X.7, p.163). 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Defining virtue and choice with the â€Å"doctrine of the mean† will guide our choices and build up moralRead MoreSocrates as Philosopher King Essay1709 Words   |  7 Pages      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   History is ripe with stories of great men.   Hundreds of politicians, philosophers, performers, and writers have left a unique stamp on humanity.   But only a select few can be said to have changed history.   The legendary Athenian, Socrates, was one such figure.   Socrates ushered in an era of philosophical inquiry that still lingers to this day.   In Book Seven of Platos The Republic, Socrates outlines his perfect regime.   According to Socrates, an enlightened Philosopher-King mustRead MoreAristotle Of Aristotle : Nicomachean Ethics1487 Words   |  6 Pagesfind yourself at this very moment, there is one ultimately satisfying hope that brings us all together as human-kind, and that is to be happy; to be truly, blissfully happy. 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Reflective Learning Journal and Active Learning †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Reflective Learning Journal and Active Learning. Answer: Introduction: The primary purpose of the tutorial was to prepare students for active learning, internalization of information, interpretation, and application of data. The preparation stage of the learning process entailed the viewing of videos aimed at enhancing learners understanding and appreciation of the study content. The videos I viewed included SMS SOS by Garry Stevens and Tinder Tourism by Jenna Condie and Garth Lean. The SOS SMS video tackled the aspect of using SMS text messages to prevent self-harm. The scope of the required preparation entailed reading of the literary material, watching audiovisual content and practical work. One of the passages I selected is titled, Using Texts to Prevent Deliberate Self Harm and Suicide. The study is one of Western Sydneys SMS SOS project. I chose to focus on applications used for travel and tours because they are the new forms of applications in vogue. They assist travelers with real-time maps for easy trip. Various learning exercises were covered in the tutorial. Many of the activities entailed effective communication and an affinity for multimedia communication. The use of social media communication is essential in the modern era. The group came up with suggestions such as the need to connect tinder-touring applications with advanced forms of social media communication to reach out to more people(Thompson, 2017). I contributed to the group the idea of connecting social media platforms like Facebook to find their way. In addition to spending many hours in the alternative media platform, there are those who said that they had been practicing what they learned from alternative media. There is a tendency of the alternative media authors to sells products by appealing to the audience, this then has direct effect when the consumers of these messages do not sieve what they get and apply it as the gospel truth in their day-to-day life(Darrus, 2018). There are times however, the audience benefi t from practical lessons learned here; they might not always be accurate though. In a bid to try to accommodate different kinds of people, those who give their feedback on the message, there is a tendency to compromise standards. In Facebook people who claim to have the ability to bless people attracted much readership and comments(Hsiao, 2014). More people are found liking content that they do not even believe in since it is what is trending. Alternative media has far-reaching effects and unfortunately, the visible ones are the least. I now know the rate of people who commit suicide in the country is alarming. I learned that the social media applications like SMS could be used to prevent people from committing suicide. There are more effects that alternative media has than are visible to everyone(Joseph, 2017). The results are both negative and negative, but when care is not taken in a society, the adverse effects outweigh the positive ones. The youth on campus are mostly affected by the innovation of new technology; they are bound to not only taking in whatever they are given but also want to make discoveries for themselves. They, therefore, tend to take in most of what is developed technologically irrespective of the results(CBS News, 2015). The time that one spends there also needs some sense of responsibility. It is so unfortunate that people would find it so easy to compromise their hard-learned standard sand lessons through a virtual form of media. There tends to be some constructed realities and in the end, these affect the way people respond to issues(Valente, 2017). It has promoted postmodernism attitude where there is nothing like the absolute truth. They should be empowered to use alternative media for their socio-economic development. They should be encouraged to use these tools such as blogs to earn and not just to make a name for themselves. They should use it to keep themselves knowledgeable of what is around them. Journalism students should be empowered and given opportunity and funds to verify information(Longbottom, 2016). Awareness should be created to ensure that as they use alternative media, the youth have a specific goal. This will make them not to rely on only one source of information, as it is the case now. This has consequently led to the erosion of moral codes since they cannot be agreed as absolutely(Hsiao, 2014). I am surprised that even those who still have a sense of moral code still let those who have compromised go scot-free since this is the language used i n alternative media and not one on one conversation. It has become extremely hard to start and hold a conversation for long. This is because the minds of people are affected by what they are regularly using. The social media, for example, has stolen family time, sleeping time and even euphemism. References CBS News, 2015. SOS via SMS: Help for suicidal teens is a text message away. [Online] (webpage) Available at: www.cbsnews.com/news/sos-via-sms-help-for-suicidal-teens-is-a-text-message-away/ [Accessed 12 October 2015]. Darrus, N., 2018. Tinder Tourism. [Online] (Webpage) Available at: www.medium.com/@nick.darrus/tinder-tourism-21136bd69bb6 [Accessed 3 April 2018]. Hsiao, T., 2014. 36 Hours in Tinder. [Online] (Webpage) Available at: www.huffingtonpost.com/teresa-hsiao/36-hours-in-tinder_b_4990630.html [Accessed 3 April 2018]. Joseph, C.-L., 2017. The Friend who got away: Twenty womens true-life tales of friendships that blew up, burned out, or faded away. [Online] (webpage) Available at: www.huffingtonpost.co.za/candice-lee-joseph/tinder-and-sex-in-the-city_a_21885055/ [Accessed 3 April 2018]. Longbottom, J., 2016. Suicide rates for young Australians highest in 10 years, researchers call for new prevention strategies. [Online] (Website) Available at: www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-30/system-for-suicide-prevention-rates-highest-10-years/8076780 [Accessed 3 April 2018]. Thompson, R., 2017. Confessions of a Tinder Tourist: The rules of right-swiping abroad. [Online] (webpage) Available at: www.mashable.com/2017/02/03/tinder-tourist-acceptable-worst/#UYFQV4nUKqq4 [Accessed 3 April 2018]. Valente, J., 2017. How You Can Prevent Teen Suicide With a Text Message. [Online] (webpage) Available at: www.kveller.com/how-you-can-prevent-suicide-with-a-text-message/ [Accessed 3 April 2018].

Analysis of Soft Drink Industry

Question: Discuss about the Analysis of Soft Drink Industry. Answer: Introduction: Coca cola and PepsiCo are the major players of soft drink industry in South Africa. Coca cola dominates the market with a market capitalization of around 30 percent higher than PepsiCos (DAFF, 2014). Coca cola dominates the market by investing heavily into the advertising and campaigns to increase its social visibility (Statista, 2010). Coca colas share a coke campaign spurted the sales and market growth of the company in a diversified country like South Africa (CCRED, 2015). The company has connected with the consumer through its relationship marketing (CNB Africa, 2014). Further, there are small players who have also witnessed growth in their volume sales through their low price strategy. Further, the industry has also witnessed introduction of new flavors in the market with the increasing demand of the consumer. The soft drink companies have introduced innovative flavors to offer a wider range of products to the consumer to differentiate themselves. Other important players of the industry are red bull, mountain dew, pepsi, 7up, fanta, dr. pepper and vitamin water. Coke is the leader in terms of market share followed by red bull leads, mountain dew and pepsi. Porters National Diamond Model Porters Diamond Model provides a method to explain national competitive advantage of a country. Porter developed this model to analyze the international competitiveness of countries and evaluate how a country becomes successful in a specific industry (Porter, 2011). The model aims to evaluate the characteristics of the country in order to assess the firms achievements and success across the globe. The model suggests that the characteristics and attributes of the country affect the success and growth of the firm internationally. There are six elements of Porters National Diamond Model which assesses the national competitiveness which includes factor (input) conditions, demand conditions, government, related and supporting industries, chance and firm strategy, structure and rivalry (Porter, 2011). The home country which is taken for analysis affects the companys strategies and provides a direction to build its structure. Factor Conditions Factor conditions account for the availability of the resources within South Africa which includes human resources, physical infrastructure, administrative infrastructure, capital resources, information infrastructure, scientific and technological infrastructure and natural resources. Human Resources: Human resource contributes towards the cost of production of soft drinks in the manufacturing process. Therefore, the factors to be considered are cost, quality and availability of unskilled labor, cost, quality and availability of skilled labor, administration cost for management of skilled labors and merchandising cost. South Africa has abundance of unskilled labor but the production cost is constraining the competitiveness because of unavailability of quality skilled labor and high cost of labor in South Africa (The Economist, 2014). Physical infrastructure: South Africa lacks the quality and availability of proper physical infrastructure facilities which are required by the industry (Deloitte, 2013). Physical infrastructure is very essential for the set up of production process and operational process, thus, lack of a physical infrastructure would be a hindrance for the entrance of the company. Administrative infrastructure: The cost of administrative infrastructure is very high in South Africa which would adversely affect the company (Rooyen, Esterhuizen Stroebel, 2011). Administrative set up is again an importance parameter for the long term sustainability of the firm. Capital resources: Capital resources such as loans and finance are very essential to set up the company operations in a foreign market. South Africa lacks sufficient capital resources which would hinder the establishment of the company (Rooyen, Esterhuizen Stroebel, 2011). Information infrastructure: Information regarding the markets and suppliers are required to enter any new market so as to analyze the market favorable conditions and cost of production. The cost of information infrastructure is very high in South Africa (Rooyen, Esterhuizen Stroebel, 2011). Scientific and technological infrastructure: The cost of technology is very high and constrains the growth of soft drinks industry. The quality of the scientific infrastructure does not have a great impact on the industry but it is not easily available in the country (Rooyen, Esterhuizen Stroebel, 2011). Natural resources: The natural resources are present in South Africa, though not in abundant quantity, but support the production of the soft drinks (Rooyen, Esterhuizen Stroebel, 2011). Thus, the overall factor conditions do not provide a great support to the soft drink industry in South Africa. Demand Conditions The demand conditions indicate the need and requirement of the companys product or service in the country which include market demand and size, potential market and overall market growth and sophistication. Market size of South Africa does not support the industry and constraints the industry. The market growth would help to analyze the future perspective of the industry. The market growth has been estimated to grow at a CAGR of 3.8 percent during 2016-2021 which would support the company. The market information is easily available for South African market with low cost and great quality. The quality of products also supports the soft drink industry in the country with the increasing average income of the people in the country (Toit, 2006). Also, South Africa is one the most sophisticated market in the African continent which positively affects the industry. The demand conditions favor the company to enter the market of South Africa because of estimated market growth for the next few years and availability of the market information. Related and Supporting industries Related and supporting industries provide the existence to the industry through cost-effective processes, innovation and internationalization. Soft drinks industry requires suppliers and partners for packaging and bottling of the soft drinks. Financial institutions presence provides capital sources to the industry, which is present in the country. The presence of financial institutions supports the ongoing operations in the soft drinks industry. The research institutions support the development of new products as per the customer demand. The presence of research institutions in South Africa supports for research and development activity within the industry. South Africa also has abundance of transport companies to ensure proper logistics and transportation of the soft drinks and carry out the supply chain activities effectively. The other basic necessities such as electricity are also available in South Africa to support the day to day operations of the industry. The suppliers for soft drink industry are also present in the country to support the bottling and other related processes of manufacturing and production. Thus, related and supporting industries support the soft drink industry in South Africa. Context for firm strategy, structure and rivalry This factor assesses the parameters of company which includes their goals and objectives, management and structure, policies and regulations. The presence of competitive firms also affects the industry because it triggers product innovation for the sustainability of the firm. The soft drink industry has many players in South Africa such as Coca cola, pepsi, mountain dew, red bull, fanta and others. This creates tough competition within the industry which has led to the invention of innovative products such as flavored soft drinks. South Africas sound legal system and strong investor and property protection supports the existence of soft drinks industry in the country by providing them the land and infrastructure for the manufacturing and production of the soft drinks. Further, South Africa has a great connectivity with the international markets which is again a positive influence on the industry (South African Consulate General, 2017). Restriction on capital flow and strong labor union is also a positive influence on the strategy of the firm. Though, there is a threat of substitutes and new entrants because of emerging small players in the soft drink industry who have introduced flavor drinks to provide a substitute of the soft drinks. Thus, overall factors have a positive influence on the strategy, structure and rivalry of the companies in the country. Government Support The government support has a strong influence on the sustainability of the firms of soft drinks because a government can either promote or hinder the activities of the firms. The government decisions and policies affect the consumer demand of the country which affects the overall industrial growth. PESTEL analysis would clarify the impact of government on soft drink industry. South Africa is going through political crisis because of corruption allegations charged on the countrys President Jacob Zuma. Further, the Finance Minister has filed an affidavit regarding some suspicious transactions (Gaffey, 2016). These events have destabilized the country which affects the businesses very adversely. Further, the soft drink industry is affected by the countrys demography because consumption of soft drink is high for children and youngsters. South Africa has 30 percent younger population below the age of 15 which influences the soft drink business positively (Statistics South Africa, 2014). South Africa is facing an economic crisis with decreasing currency rates. The Reserve Bank is intentionally keeping the currency low which is affecting the environment for businesses. The economic scenario of the country is effecting the business decision of the companies such as expansion of the business has become a costly affair with a high exchange rate (The World Bank, 2017). Thus economic instability of the country adversely affects the business operations of the companies of soft drink industry. The decreasing currency of the country has an impact on the buying capacity of the people of South Africa. Further, increasing unemployment has also lowered the demand in the country. Though, the country has become more sophisticated with the social upliftment of society and people are moving towards living high standards of life. This is a positive factor for the soft drink industry, but there is also a tension of rising obesity and overweight in the country. Obesity and overweight leads to diseases such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The cause of these diseases has been found to be sugared drinks which lead to obesity and excess weight. Therefore, the socio-cultural factors give us a mixed opinion about the soft drink industry. The soft drinks contain added sugar and preservatives which affects the health of the consumers and leads to obesity and other health issues. The rising obesity in the country has forced the government to take some preventive action to reduce the consumption of carbonated drinks (Business Tech, 2015). The government has imposed sugar tax on the sugared products which adversely affects the soft drinks industry (Rensburg, 2016). Further, the government is also taking measures such as food advertising regulations and enhanced food labeling to reduce the consumption of soft drinks. Chance Chance is the risk factor for an industry which is beyond the control of the firm. This includes economic and political stability, aids, price stability and crimes. The economy of the South Africa has seen ups and downs in the recent years. The countrys political stability has a positive influence on the sustainability of the company. The country has a record of high crime rate which affects the overall growth of the company. Further, there is no aid and support in case of any war or conflict in the country. Thus, there is a great amount of risk involved for the soft drink industry in South Africa because of unstable economy and rising crimes. Foreign Direct Investment A company can enter a market through non-equity mode or equity mode. Non-equity mode is through licensing, exporting and contracting. Equity mode is also called foreign direct investment (FDI) method which involves merging and acquisition with the established businesses in the market (Dunning Gugler, 2008). The company makes investment by acquiring the assets of the company to establish its control or substantial influence over the business. As per the guidelines of the OECD acquiring a minimum of 10 percent ownership stake is required by the company (Dunning Gugler, 2008. Joint venture and wholly owned subsidiary are the two different methods for a company for foreign direct investment. Joint venture is the collaboration of two business parties by pooling their resources to pursue a common objective. JV formation is the common strategy used by the companies to enter a foreign established market to expand their business operations internationally. Joint venture gives access to the existing sales and distribution network of the country (Prescott Swartz, 2010). SoftBev is a local soft drink of South Africa and has established a strong hold over the market through market penetration. The companys capital is approximately R650m after merging with a local player (Drink Stuff, 2014). The company has its own production plant in South Africa and is manufactured and packaged locally. Further, it provides quality products and services to its customers (Softbev, 2016). The company could form a joint venture by partnering with the local manufacturer Softbev brand to establish its strong hold over the market. The company would benefit by partnering with the local company in terms of accessibility of market. The company would gain an access to the domestic market from the distribution network of the SoftBev. The company would be able to establish a trust factor among the consumers by partnering with a local firm because SoftBev has already established its own trust in the market. Further, the company would also gain access to the domestic suppliers which would assist the company to set up its own production operations in the country to maintain its sustainability. The company could gradually start its own production house once it has gained access to the market suppliers and distributors. Thus, the company would benefit from the partnership with the domestic firm. Green field investment is another mode of foreign direct investment through which a company builds up its entire operations from the ground in the foreign company. The company has the complete control over the business from plant construction to employee policy and regulations the specifications are laid out by the company (Shenkar, Luo, Chi, 2014). Acquisition is another FDI strategy in which company acquires certain shares of the company to establish substantial control over the company (Bruner, 2016). Advantages of Foreign Direct Investment It is better to understand the advantages of FDI for the company and the country before taking any step to make a major investment. The benefits of FDI are enjoyed after a long period by capturing the new market and accessing cheaper production facilities. The company and country both enjoy the benefits mutually wherein the country benefits from the transfer of technology and expertise from an advanced country. Joint venture formation with SoftBev would give access to the local market resources of South Africa (Brand South Africa, 2011). The company would gain through market penetration and establish its own market. Further, through a joint venture with SoftBev, the company would enjoy the existing distribution network of SoftBev in South Africa. The companies forming a JV would complement each other by offsetting each others weaknesses and forming a stronger company by maintaining their individual identities (Trost, 2013). The Green field investment strategy would help the company to reduce its transportation cost by setting up its own production plant in South Africa (CFO Africa, 2016). The tariff barriers would also be eliminated from the cost of product which would increase the firms profitability (Lee Rugman, 2012). Through mergers and acquisition with SoftBev, the company would get an opportunity to gather the information on the domestic markets of South Africa. The company would now be able to develop strategies to tap the local market by gaining better insight of the existing market (Finkelstein, 2010). Disadvantages of FDI It becomes difficult for a firm to roll back its process and projects after deploying Green field investment in the country and can also be financially devastating. Green field investment also demands huge amount of money and time for the research and development process to evaluate the feasibility of entering the foreign market (Shenkar, Luo, Chi, 2014). Acquisition process requires borrowing of money which increases the company debts. Culture clash is another disadvantage of acquiring a company (Finkelstein, 2010). Formation of a joint venture is time consuming because it takes time to build a relationship with another business entity such. The goals and objectives in a JV are also not clearly communicated which affects the productivity of work (Trost, 2013). JV formation with SoftBev would disturb the balancing the level of expertise within the company by partnering with another business unit. Integrating two different business units is a challenging job because of different management and leadership styles incorporated within the company (Trost, 2013). A successful joint venture would require deep research and analysis of the goals and objectives of the company. Recommendations After, thoroughly analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of FDI, following can be concluded: Green field investment would require huge amount of money and time for research and development to evaluate the feasibility. Further, setting up operations in a foreign country from the ground level becomes very challenging. Acquisition would also not be a wise choice because it would increase the liability of the company and checking the financial security and credibility of a firm would again waste huge amount of time. The company needs a strategy which does not require investment of money, manpower and time and also has an exit strategy to refrain from future risks. Though Joint Venture also has some disadvantages but is the most preferred option for the company to expand its business internationally. The company could go for a joint venture with one of the local firm which has been analyzed as SoftBev. SoftBev is one of the largest firms of South Africa and has a huge consumer base. Joint venture formation with SoftBev would give access to the local market resources of South Africa (Brand South Africa, 2011). The company would gain through market penetration and establish its own market. Further, through a joint venture with SoftBev, the company would enjoy the existing distribution network of SoftBev in South Africa. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that the company chooses Joint Venture with the local firm of South Africa which has been identified as SoftBev. Contemporary Management Issues After a thorough analysis of the soft drink industry in South Africa, there are two contemporary management issues which have been derived. Unfavorable factor conditions: Factor conditions would support the growth of the company by providing human resources, infrastructure, technology, information and natural resources. South Africa has abundance of unskilled labor, but does not have sufficient skilled labor, which is essential for production process. Further, the cost of administrative labor is too high. Unavailability of the human resources would increase the overall cost of production. South Africa also lacks physical infrastructure facilities which would not support the establishment of production and operational processes in the country. The high cost of administration, information and technology would hinder the development of the company in the country. The unfavorable factor conditions would not support the establishment of the companys production and operational processes. If the company plans to set up its operations in the country then the high cost of production and administration would hinder the overall growth of the company. Foreign Direct Investment: A Costly Affair FDI may seem to be a lucrative choice for the company but there are many risks involved in foreign direct investment. First of all, selection of a FDI methodology is a costly affair because it would involve research and analysis of all the methodologies. Once the methodology has been selected, then selecting the appropriate local partner would be very challenging. The company needs to choose the right partner who has the required resources that would complement the companys resources. The resources for a soft drink industry are distribution network and market accessibility, production facilities and manpower (Yan Luo, 2016). The next thing that company needs to access is the performance of JV partner and their perception about collaboration. Further, the company needs to check the financial security of the partner to analyze the credit issues of the JV partner. The management practices also need to be reviewed by the company. Reviewing the production and marketing performance would help to analyze the market credibility of the joint venture partner (Yan Luo, 2016). The company also needs to consider an exit strategy in order to protect company once the mission is achieved. The terms and conditions need to be considered by each firm to avoid any misunderstanding in the future. Greenfield investment would again be a costly affair because setting up operations in a new country requires research and analysis to create suppliers and distributing partners. References Brand South Africa. (2011). South Africa has investment advantage. Brand South Africa: Official Custodian of South Africas Nation Brand. Retrieved from: https://www.brandsouthafrica.com/investments-immigration/business/investing/sainnvestment-030611 Bruner, R.F. 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