General Mills Case Essay Example for Free

General Mills Case Essay General Mills is a major manufacturer and marketer of consumer foods in partnership with Pepsi Co. and Nestle. General Mills’ revenue is about 7.5 dollars with a market capitalization numbering to about 11 billion dollars. Its products are cereals, snacks, yogurt and many more and with this, they have to decide about an acquisition of another business which complements their products for them to be able to create more shares of stocks for the personal growth of the company. The company which they want to acquire is Pillsbury which is owned by Diageo PLC. Diageo PLC is considered as one of the leading consumer goods companies in the world. Owned by Diageo, Pillsbury operates as an independent company which produces refrigerated dough and baked goods which is related with the business of General Mills. Pillsbury‘s earning on year 2000 is $6.1 billion with reasonable debt structure. This transaction requires General Mill to issue 141million shares of its common stock to Diageo, making him own 33% of General Mill’s outstanding stocks. It also included an assumption of $5.142 billion of Pillsbury debt by Diageo. The first two statements when added would total to the asking price of Diageo which is $10.5 billion that is $500 million larger than the proposed payment of Gen. Mills totaling to $10 billion. Another is a contingent payment by Diageo of up to $642 million to General Mills upon the first anniversary of the transaction depending on General Mill’s 20days share price at that time. If the transaction would be completed, General Mills would then own 100% of the Pillsbury’s stock as it would already be owned by General Mills. In relation with the terms set in the transaction, General Mills didn’t like to issue one third of its shares to Diageo that is actually equal to 33%, which is what Diageo wanted. Another is that General Mills didn’t want to lose value it its investment grade bond rating. Positive results if transaction is approved: 1. General Mills will achieve growth because sales that will be made by Pillsbury will now be added to the sales made by General Mills and that goes with an increase in revenue for General Mills. This result will then benefit GM’s share-holders. 2. The two companies’ products are related and thus there would be easier management and operation since they could combine materials and resources and be able to choose which are the better suppliers bases on what the two companies currently have. Upon acquisition, they joint companies could now remove and retain what is better for them to have for better production. In relation to this, they would then be able to save costs maybe from production or others like taxes. 3. Merger of brand names could increase the value of the company with regards to their popularity. 4. According to Porter, there is rivalry in industries and as a Hotel and Restaurant Management graduate, I could say that the competition within the food industry is very intense because of low barriers to entry. So, the joining of two big companies is essential for them to be able to create stronger barriers to diminish competitors and therefore earn more than usual. EXHIBIT 3 Price of stocks on transaction date, July 14, 2000 is $36.31 Total stocks: 141million * 3 = 423million Total price of stocks as of Nov. 27, 2000 423million * $36.31 = $15.359 billion The latest price of stocks of General Mills is equal to $40.49 as of Nov. 27, 2000 Remaining stocks after transaction: 423-141 = 282million Total price of remaining stocks after transaction: 282million * $40.49 = $11.418 billion *This would show that General Mills did not lose so much since there was increase in the price of their stock that means that it would be receive payment from Diageo amounting to $642 million which it could use to buy back some of its stocks. Possible negative Effects of Acquisition: 1. Possible increase in their debt since according to exhibit 5, General Mills have a total debt to equity ratio of 12.048 with a long term debt to equity ratio of 6.179. 2. Possible loss of employment because of cost saving and duplication in the position of employees for the joint company. In conclusion, I think that they should agree with the transaction because of the more positive result it will bring compared to the negative effects that it could give. The losses they will have will surely have a great return after they have polished everything in their marketing, production, management operations and in regards with whole new company.

Tragedy In Drama Essay -- essays research papers

Tragedy and Drama In a range of dramatic works from Agamemnon to Hamlet, one sees the range of development of the tragic form, from the earliest Greek to the later Shakespearean tragedies. There are two basic concepts of tragedy: the concept introduced by Aristotle in his Poetics, and the concept developed by Frederick Nietzsche in his "The Birth of Tragedy." Many dramas can be reviewed to reveal the contrast between these two concepts of tragedy, and demonstrate the development of the tragic form over time. The idea of Greek tragedy stems from Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero. In Aristotle’s definition, the tragic hero must be a person of high standing so their fall from glory will be all the more horrible. The hero’s story must evoke pity for the hero and fear of his fall, so the hero cannot be completely evil. Also, the hero must have a tragic flaw, a characteristic that, in excess, causes him to bring some disaster upon himself, and because of this, he cannot be completely good either. It is important to note that the root of the term tragic flaw is the Greek word â€Å"hamartia†, which is actually better translated as an error in judgement. Often this flaw or error has to do with fate  ­ a character tempts fate, thinks he can change fate or doesn't realize what fate has in store for him. In Agamemnon, the classic Greek drama, Aeschylus demonstrates the concept of the tragic flaw in the character of Agamemnon. While on his journey to the battle at Troy, Agamemnon has to make the choice to sacrifice his daughter for the sake of his fleet. It is this choice that begins the cycle of tragedy. Agamemnon’s wife, Clytemnestra, sees her husband’s act as unforgivable, and upon his return from battle, she murders him in an act of vengeance. However, this is not the only revenge taking place. Clytemnestra’s lover, whose father Thyestes was tricked by Agamemnon into devouring his own children, also justifies Agamemnon’s murder as revenge for the acts committed against his family. So while Agamemnon is heralded as a hero in the battle of Troy, his less admirable side is also revealed. In keeping with the Aristotelian concept of tragedy, Agamemnon is seen as neither entirely good nor entirely bad, thus invoking pity. But his decision to sacrifice his daughter for the good of his fleet and his acts against Thyestes demonstrates the fatal error in judgem... ... influence over the events of the tragedy. Similarly, in Hamlet, the other characters are much more complex than in Greek tragedies, and the interactions of the characters, which may represent their communities as a whole, greatly impact the eventual outcome. From Agamemnon to Hamlet, we have discovered the progression of the form of dramatic tragedy. We can see the evolution from the earlier Greek tragedies, that focus on divine intervention and vindication for acts that displeased the gods, to the very humanly emotional Hamlet, whose eventual realization of his own responsibilities introduce an entirely new concept to the tragic form. This dramatic range demonstrates the differences between the concepts of tragedy as defined by Aristotle, who believed all tragedy stemmed from some fatal flaw in the character of the hero and that of Nietzsche, who believed the concept of tragedy focused more on the community than on the character of the hero alone. These dramas also represent the evolution of the art of dramatic writing from the earliest Greek authors through Shakespeare, who virtually reinvented tragedy and elevated the art of dramatic writing to the form we know it as today.

Discrimination and Extreme Prejudice Essay

RaStereotyping is a way of thinking about groups of people. It ignores the differences of the group, while emphasizing its similarity. One belief, that is a stereotype, is that red-haired people are hot tempered. Another belief is that Scottish people are stingy. Such thinking ignores many even-tempered redheads and generous Scottish people. Stereotyping emphasizes many differences between groups while ignoring their similarities to other people. It ignores that many blond and brown-haired people also lose their tempers. Stereotyping overlooks the fact that many American, Brazilians and French people are stingy. Stereotyping redheads or Scottish people usually does little harm. It typically leads to friendly kidding and good-natured jokes. Simple-minded stereotyping can be dangerous. The danger lies in exaggeration of differences in color, nationality, religion and language. We exaggerate the differences, ignoring what we share as human beings and become prejudiced. Prejudice is nourished by fear as it grows out of exaggeration. It is a profoundly negative emotion bearing the fruit of hatred. Racism is a form of extreme prejudice that leads to physical and psychological violence. Racists can be any color: white, black, brown, red or yellow. A white racist thinks all blacks are alike, while a black racist thinks all Hispanics are alike. In addition, a Hispanic racist may think all Native Americans are alike. The ethnic boundaries of racism â€Å"pigeon hole† another group, while having no boundaries of its own. It only requires a tangible object that can be pointed at, discriminated against, spat upon and attacked. The differences are not important because the attack comes from fear. Racism is expressed in labels including: â€Å"chink†, â€Å"nigger†, â€Å"honky†, â€Å"wop, â€Å"kike† and â€Å"Gook†. Such is the power of stereotypical, simple-minded thinking. My brother was a small child when my family moved from Oklahoma to California, at the end of â€Å"The Depression†. Farmers had advertised in newspapers and flyers that there was plenty of work and good pay, luring families (like mine) from the overworked â€Å"dust bowl† farms. Many native Californians were angry that the â€Å"Okies† were arriving in such large numbers. As my brother entered his new school, he experienced stereotyping, by teachers and classmates. They teased him because he had an accent and wore â€Å"Okie† overalls. He worked hard at trying to fit in, even changing his accent. Though my brother made good grades and was a great athlete, the name calling continued and he remained the subject of many â€Å"Okie† jokes. As he entered high school, the stereotyping became prejudice. The hatred felt for him and others from Oklahoma became evident in the game, â€Å"Get the Okie†, where captured victims were thrown into garbage cans (where they belonged). My brother, who is over 65 years old, suffers from the prejudice he experienced as a young man, remembering the names of those who tormented him. He never understood the hatred directed at him, just because he came from another state.

Trends And Patterns Of Asian North American - 1634 Words

Trends and Patterns in Asian-North American Representation in Hollywood Momo S. Tanaka University of Saskatchewan Trends and Patterns in Asian-North American Representation in Hollywood I saw the highly promoted movie adaptation of The Hunger Games in spring of 2012, and I left the theatre wondering one thing: where were all the Asians? This is not an uncommon occurrence: as a second generation Japanese-Canadian, I have grown up surrounded by American and Canadian media that lacks representation of Asians to the point that seeing an Asian on my television is an thrilling. This is the sad reality of the state of representation of Asians on television. I have learned and experienced first hand that the lack of†¦show more content†¦Stereotypes like these are often utilized in representation. All types of media — movies, television shows, advertising, and the like — use representations â€Å"to express reality† (Viruega, 2011, p. 3). To paraphrase Benshoff Griffin and Taylor Willis, representation is a the process of combining signs to present an image of complex abstract concepts to communicate a story. In other words, representati on is involved in the communication and the determination of meaning and interpretation. Media uses representation and becomes an extremely influential element of the creation, acceptance, and perpetuation of stereotypes around Asians (as well as all other ethnic groups). According to cognitive-transactional model of media priming â€Å"repeated exposure to media stereotypes makes the stereotypes highly automatic, requiring little cognitive effort† (Zhang, 2010, p. 22), and this influences media consumers’ judgments and actions in interactions with Asians (Zhang, 2010). Because American media is extremely prevalent in Canada, as a consequence of globalization, cognitive-transactional model of media priming dictates that the reinforcement of racial stereotypes and views through representation has become very similar