Gleaning Rich Insights from Works of Literature Tackling Fatherhood Essay

Reading works of literature by different authors on a common topic broadens our understanding about human nature, cultures and history. Poetry that expresses angsts and pangs, or exalt the beauty or of things around us, in forceful language or elevated style like the lyric poem, can be an enriching experience. Watching or reading a play can likewise be an inspirational experience. Indeed, there is a variety of meanings, sentiments, and even moral lessons that unravel to readers exploring poetry and play focused on a central unifying theme. This paper presents six types of fatherhood types as gleaned from five poems and one play: (a) the grieving father, (b) the despised father, (c) the hardworking but detached father, (d) the itinerant far-off dad, (e) the involved father, and (e) the deadbeat dad. The selected works of literature all say something about the human experience, motivation, and condition, with special focus on the overwhelming father-child bond. While all of them are created in thought-provoking manner and are replete with figurative language, taking the reader on a journey and letting various insights linger in the memory, they differ in their approaches. In effect, the different perspectives on fatherhood are crystallized into an integrated idea with a richer context. â€Å"On My First Son† by Ben Jonson has an opening line that reflects a father’s deep melancholy and anguish as he mourns what most people may consider to be their greatest loss: the death of one’s own child. When Jonson writes, â€Å"Farewell, thou child of my right hand, and joy† (Ciuraru 191), there is heartfelt grief as he shares a painful loss. The use of the word thou, oftentimes used in formal religious context as prayers, adds impact because it conjures an image of a father paying his last respects to his young son. The last few lines which echo the poet’s relief that his son has escaped the trials and tribulations of this world (Ciuraru 191) point to how the author attempts to soothe his intense pain and reflects his acceptance of his son’s fate as well. On the other hand, â€Å"Daddy† by Sylvia Plath speaks from a daughter’s point of view for a father who has passed away. It has a somber and dark mood and the feelings of intense hatred and betrayal are shown in the very selection of words and imagery. â€Å"Perhaps no poem is as explicit and powerful as Sylvia Plath’s `Daddy,’ which describes an idealized yet oppressive father, one whom the speaker rejects with a resounding, forceful brutality† (Ciuraru 14). Parental relations, as most psychoanalysts may confirm, carries over into one’s adult relationships, and this was clearly the case with Sylvia Plath. During her childhood, she lost her father, Otto Plath, to complications from surgery following a leg amputation (Martin, para. 1) and this, along with her memories of feeling smothered and betrayed, appeared to have left an imprint on her. Plath uses metaphors, notably a shoe to describe her father, and herself as the foot that is in some way trapped in the shoe, to express just how suffocated and oppressed she felt. As many who are familiar with Sylvia Plath’s life would know, the talented writer had a tumultuous relationship with her poet-husband Ted Hughes, and â€Å"personal jealousies, differences in American and British views of gender roles, and a return of Sylvia’s depression complicated the Plath-Hughes marriage† (Martin, para. 8) and she makes references to how her very life was sucked out of her the way a vampire drinks the blood of its captive, in her poem. In the 15th stanza, she states: If I’ve killed one man, I’ve killed two— The vampire who said he was you And drank my blood for a year, (Barnet 703) There are many other figures of speech, including similes, rhyming and tone, that helpfully lend emphasis and effectively transport readers to a time when people felt quite shackled by parental authority and were powerless to do something about it. Plath’s poem ends with a sense of closure, nonetheless, reflecting her resolve to take matters into her own hands. As for â€Å"Those Winter Sundays† by Robert Hayden, the specific use of figurative language effectively highlights the hardworking but detached type of father that many of us may be familiar with. Upon reading the poem in its entirety, one senses a certain remoteness shown by the father, or as perceived by the son from his father. The first line in the second stanza, which says: â€Å"I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking† creates a mental picture in the reader’s mind, through poetic devices like rhyme and assonance or the use of long vowel sounds to slightly slow down the poem for emphasis. The reader also senses that cold refers not just to the weather but to the feeling that envelops the son as he rouses himself from slumber and faces his father. Hayden also places specific words at the beginning of his lines to give it focus and importance. The very last line in the poem which describes love as being austere is an indirect acknowledgment that love dwells even in a home where the patriarch rules in an authoritarian or a cold, forbidding way. The very first stanza also reveals that the father is very hardworking and sacrifices his own physical well-being for his family’s sake, but gets no appreciation for his efforts and dogged determination to carry out his parental duties. Another poem, â€Å"My Father in the Navy: A Childhood Memory† by Judith Ortiz Cofer speaks of a daughter’s longing for a father who is busy working in distant shores. The reader gleans how the poet’s career Navy father requires him to be apart from his family for considerable lengths of time. As such, the speaker in the poem aptly phrases the love, intense longing, as well as pride for the traveling father who looked â€Å"stiff and immaculate in the white cloth of his uniform and a round cap on his head like a halo† (Barnet 727) in such creative and vivid manner: His homecomings were the verses we composed over the years making up the siren’s song that kept him coming back from the bellies of iron whales and into our nights like the evening prayer. (Barnet 727) The author’s use of simile, personification and metaphor, among other literary devices, added to delivering a poem with grace and impact. The poem, in effect, strikes a resonant chord among readers who, at some point in their live, have had to be apart from a beloved father or father figure, and fully know what it is like to celebrate their return. The poem, â€Å"A Parental Ode to my Son, Aged Three Years and Five Months† by Thomas Hood conveys the vulnerability of the new and involved father. This special father-child bond is written about only on few occasions by a handful of writers seeking to dwell on such topic. The first few lines of the poem, which contains metaphors, mirrors the unrestrained happiness and amusement of the father for his toddler. His lines, like â€Å"Thou happy, happy elf!†¦ Thou tiny image of myself!†¦ Thou merry, laughing sprite! † (Klein 109) are punctuated by asides that let readers experience his joy. The poet also juxtaposes poetic verses with a very fatherly voice describing a much-loved child. Aside from the use of rhythm and rhyme, Thomas Hood likewise uses other figures of speech like similes and alliteration to express his terms of endearment for his young son. Another work of literature, the well-known â€Å"Death of a Salesman† by Arthur Miller, has a common thread that ties it to the five poems explored in this paper, in that it revolves around the life and dreams of a main character who happens to be a father. Willy Lohan, the salesman, represents the dog-tired father who has worked all his life to provide for his family’s needs (Williams 51), and nurtures big dreams for his sons, but the demands of fatherhood have drained him. Though his mental faculties appear to be failing him and one of his sons tends to belittle him and finds him off-track, his all-consuming fatherly concern is unassailable. Referring to his son Biff, whom he mistakenly hopes will follow in his footsteps, Willy says, â€Å"That boy’s going to be magnificent† (Williams 79) reflecting a father’s immense pride and rosy hopes for his son, even if he had been a bum for years. Readers of the play, with its timeless theme of reaching for one’s dreams, will attest to the great impact of this piece of literature. As one of them said, â€Å"Reading drama was far more enigmatic than reading prose fiction† (Oates, par. 4). All the works of literature studied here contain immense value, not just for their stylistic accomplishments and the succinct voicing of themes that are usually treated in traditional or melodramatic fashion without the rich context. Compared to the portrayal of fathers in other non-literary media like movies or television, poetry and plays rely heavily on figurative language that help elevate the experience for readers, and underscore life lessons, while bringing to readers’ minds their own poignant family experiences. The language and literary devices contribute much to a broader understanding of the subject matter. Analyzing a group of poems and a play bordering on the same subject showed that gathering different points of view or interpretations, reflecting various angles, leads to a clearer and more comprehensive study. Works Cited Barnet, Sylvan, et al. An Introduction to Literature. 14th ed. New York: Longman, 2005. Ciuraru, Carmela, ed. Poems About Fathers.. New York: Random House, Inc. , 2007. Klein, Patricia, ed. Treasury of Year-round Poems. New York: Random House, Inc. , 2006. Martin â€Å"Two Views of Plath’s Life and Career–by Linda Wagner-Martin and Anne Stevenson. † Modern American Poetry Home. 1994. 11 May 2008 < http://www. english. uiuc. edu/maps/poets/m_r/plath/twoviews. htm>. Oates, Joyce Carol. â€Å"Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman: A Celebration. † Weblog entry. Celestial Timepiece: A Joyce Carol Oates Home Page. 11 May 2008 . Williams, Liza M. , and Kent Paul. Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman Book Notes. New York: Barron’s Educational Series, 1984.

Thought and Man

According to Holbach, humans have no control whatsoever, no matter how much said humans believe they do. He explains that free will is a construct of the human mind and that all of our choices are determined by desire and necessity. Even when a mad man sticks his hand in a fire, he is acting on some sort of greater desire to impress upon his counterparts or for his own self-betterment. In his opening deposition he states that man is connected to universal nature and submitted to the necessary and immutable laws she imposes on all beings. This is interesting because many arguments that are connected to the idea of determinism and free will are linked to the existence of God or another omniscient power. This is one of the only well explained arguments against the belief of free will that doesn’t lend itself to imposing personal religion onto the reader/scholar studying the work. The examples provided by Holbach are wide and well prepared to lend significance to his argument. He starts off talking of a man tormented by a violent thirst, if said man is shown water he will automatically want to drink it, as it is an inherent need for that water to live. He will however falter and think about not drinking the water if someone were to tell him it were poisoned. Holbach covers any conflicting thoughts to this situation by saying that a mad man may very well still drink of the poisoned water. He is not acting of his own free will as the actions of fools are as necessary as those of the most prudent individual almost set to be counteractions that hold the world in balance. Holbach continues on saying that the actions of man are never free. Man acts selfishly in every action he partakes in, he does make fairly educated decisions over what he must do though as he bases all his decisions on opinions, received ideas, consequences of his temperament that point to his own happiness. As we said in class about the door holding situation, you may not want to hold a door open for someone that is following behind you about three steps. It only takes a second out of your day, but the initial thought of any person opening the door first, is what will this person do for me if I hold the door for them? Even if the person didn’t think what will I get now, there’s the inherent belief of karma and the repercussions that will befall either the opener or the person the door is being opened for. Even as we are given apparent choices in our every day lives, such as whether or not to hold open a door for someone or to drink poisoned water or not, but even these observed choices don’t mean e have freedom. We are constantly in pursuit of our own happiness and success over anyone else’s. We strive to make ourselves appear better than those around us. A hero rushing into a burning building is acting on the same choices the coward does, he takes the foolhardy choice however because his desire to be viewed as a hero outweighs, in his mind, his personal safety. Holbach continues on his discussion to say th ere is no difference between a man who jumps from a building and the man who is pushed from a building. Both men are acting on the same choices, whether to fall or not, although the second man’s ability to act on the choice not to fall is directly correlated to how hard he is pushed or thrown from the building. The first man may be leaping of his own volition and may not scramble to grab on to anything that will slow or stop his apparent demise. The second man will probably be making his own choices once he’s air born by doing just that, grabbing onto anything in his path as he falls and screaming his lungs out. The man who holds his hand in a fire as a symbol of bravery and strength of his people has his choices over whether or not to be in the fire. He however does it to make his people look stronger, striking fear or adoration into the hearts of his enemies. Once you recognize he’s doing this for the betterment of his people or of himself we can begin to realize just what Holbach is trying to say, that no matter what choices we are faced with, we will almost always, without regard for the other choice, do what’s best for us and us alone. A choice that is apparent in this present time is the out striking of suicide bombers. These people have a choice of either blowing themselves up or not. The problem is that when these people are Middle Eastern they are usually promised 72 virgins when they reach their promised land. That’s a pretty weighty option and most guys would kill for that, quite literally in the sense of this discussion. Once you give rewards to outlandish behavior you’re setting up the world for destruction. It changes the morality issue most people argue with on if something is good or evil by replacing it with hey, it may be not good, but I get all this cool stuff if I do it! The preceding argument only works with male suicide bombers however as I know a lot of girls who wouldn’t enjoy having 72 virgins in the afterlife. The men definitely get the better end of the deal. It makes one wonder what the mentality of the female bombers is, do they get something better in the afterlife too for going along with this ‘decision’? r is the act of the suicide bomber in the female’s eyes actually a choice and not something done for the betterment of herself except for the fact that it makes her apparently an equal to the men in her country. That answers my own disbelief over their choices. Most women in the Middle East are not allowed to show any skin, let alone do much for themselves while in their own homelands. If they are given an opportunity to become seen as an ind ividual in her countrymen’s eyes, of course she will take it. Even when it calls for giving one’s life for the apparent greater good. Even when trying to come up with an objection to Holbach’s view, I couldn’t come up with anything substantial to hold against it, the more I tried to fight against his discussion, the more I saw he is correct. Humans are inherently selfish and will always do what’s best for themselves over anything for the greater good. Man has no control over his decisions, he may like to think he does, but when you look back on every decision we’ve ever made in our lives we see that our choices were more often than not, done out of selfish reasons. Few people can go out into the world giving themselves selflessly and without thought. Even if we try to make the conscious effort to do something good for someone every day, that’s only one out of a million choices we make every day. I’m guilty of holding the door for someone following a few steps behind me but I get irritated when they don’t say thank you to me as they pass by, and I do think that Karma will treat me well later in my day and life for every time I do take the time to hold a door for someone, or pick up a pencil someone has dropped, or any other source of everyday happenings.

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EXAM QUESTION - Essay Example The Hagia Sofia construction dates to the Byzantine period while the empire was under Justinian’s rule. Historically, the Hagia Sofia’s construction was targeted to honor the Byzantine art practitioners (Saoud, 2003). The building betroths the Byzantine artistic practices during the civilization period as the aspects present that period were incorporated in the construction of the ruins. The building’s height was unchallenged by many of the period’s architectural designs with many other artistic revelations from the Byzantine and Roman empires of the period including the use of circular domes on square buildings. Historically, the findings denote that the infamous empires embraced monumental artistic buildings through the established researches (Ashkan & Ahmad, 2012). The intensified research about the Hagia Sofia and the Pantheon indicate that the two buildings shared similar architectural designs, and the meanings. Therefore, the use of circular domes was a sign of power in the buildings’ constituent empires. The study’s findings imply that the use of unreinforced domes in the Pantheon building make it the tallest ancient structure at over 2,000 years (Ashkan & Ahmad, 2010). The opening of the Pantheon dome named â€Å"Oculus† appears at the height of 143ft above the square building (Ashkan & Ahmad, 2012). The several imperial palaces in the Roman and Byzantine empires and commemorative Roman columns along the ancient buildings are a significance of the artistic correlation between the Pantheon and Hagia Sofia architectures (Saoud, 2003). The evidence of water reservoirs and cisterns built in the two buildings comprise of expensive red and rare square tiles. The reportedly exotic materials depict the devotion that the two different empires adapted in order to construct the two monumental structures. Therefore, the two buildings’ architectures concentrated on the

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An Analysis of Christianity Through the Lens of Toulmins Method of Argumentation - Essay Example In regards to the claim, it is the stance of this brief essay that at its very core, Christianity places a high emphasis on that stewardship should necessarily define the way in which the Christian interacts with the world around him. Although Christianity in and of itself places the primary motivators upon the need to live as Christ, the writings of Paul and others indicate that a primal focus with respect to resources and their utilization must be adhered to in order to better exhibit a Christ-centered relationship. As will be expanded upon in greater depth within this analysis, this fundamental concept of stewardship with regards to the way the Christian should interact with the material world traces its understanding not only to the life and example of Christ or the writings of Paul but back to the very beginnings of humanity with the creation and instruction given to Adam and Eve (Bookless 39). In keeping with Toulmin’s model, the ground is the second part of the argument which must be developed upon and considered. As such, the ground supports that stewardship, although a New Testament Doctrine is also exhibited elsewhere under different names throughout the Bible. One of these is of course indicated during the creation story as God charges Adam to look over the creation and tend to it (Grizzle 233). Obviously, man and woman were created above the animals and were given dominion over them; however, this dominion, as exhibited in the Old Testament book of Genesis, did not indicate that humanity could exploit the resources given to him for no other benefit than his own self gratification. Rather, man was given dominion over the animal kingdom (and by extension the environment) as a means to use his God-given talent and superior intellect to seek to further the needs of these animals. By extension, the animal kingdom was given to man originally as a special charge; one in which mirrored the charge that God had with mankind – a unique relationsh ip whereby the creator uniquely loved and cared for his creation. In this way, the ground for the argument is made even stronger that God attempted to engage mankind with the seriousness of stewardship through giving him charge of the lesser creatures that God had created. Similarly, Toulmin’s argumentative logic continues on to the issue of the warrant. In this stage of argumentation, Toulmin would have the reader link the preceding claim and ground to a verifiable connection that leads to a verifiable end. In this way, the author of this analysis has thus far laid out the fact that stewardship in the New Testament lays a fundamental framework through which the Christian is charged with integrating with and watching over the material resources he/she is responsible for in this life. Accordingly, the ground went on to give

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Romeo and Juliet, analytical essay Essay Romeo and Juliet is an extremely well-known play written by William Shakespeare in the late 1590s. It is a story about an ancient rivalry between two wealthy families which is defied by two teenage star-crossed lovers who tragically die. The play was set in the Elizabethan era in Verona Italy. Despite that the play was written four hundred years ago it continues to capture the imaginations of teenagers in the 21st century, and the themes within the play are still seen in modern culture. These themes include infatuation, emotional extremity and rebellion. Romeo and Juliet is the most famous love story in English literature history, infatuation is naturally the play’s foremost and most significant theme as Romeo and Juliet become infatuated with each other in an impossible situation. Romeo and his friends have crashed the Capulet’s party and Romeo has just laid eyes on Juliet, Romeo says â€Å"O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night like a rich jewel in an Ethiopia’s ear; Shakespeare’s use of metaphor â€Å"O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! † (1. 5. 2) reflects Romeo’s extreme infatuation with Juliet as he idolises her, Romeo is saying how beautiful and glowing Juliet is by comparing her to the stars. The love between Romeo and Juliet can come across as immature and impulsive which is why it is also known as infatuation. Teenagers in the 21st century still have these impulsive emotions which cause them to make immature decisions which aren’t thought through clearly with all the outcomes considered; examples of these impulsive actions are sexting, and having an un-committed sexual relationship. Romeo’s wild emotions majorly impact those directly around him, especially Juliet. Romeo’s emotions are always very intense and usually change quite quickly without much thought to the previous matter which caused his emotions to go wild in the first place. Juliet is impacted by these extreme emotions as seen later in the play that Juliet’s level headedness is thrown out the window and quickly replaced with similar intense emotions just like Romeo. These emotions are seen commonly among teenagers now days, due to raging hormones and increasing pressure from other substantial causes, irrational mood swings and impulsive decisions

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Issues Related To Migration Migration influences the social, political, economic life of the people of a country which has higher immigrants. In India, migration either domestic or international, has a major effect on countrys economy. International migration has become an important feature in globalized markets influencing the economic growth. The impact of the migration is complex for both the immigrants and the countries involved. This paper includes the push and pull factors that can lead to migration of people. It also includes the social and economic impacts of migration on different communities in a country. Also, it includes various reasons that leads to domestic and international migration of people. There has been concern about international migration in different services for some years now, but recently the situation has become more acute for a number of reasons, mostly reflected in severe staff and skill shortages in the different systems of many countries. While industrialized countries, in addressing the problem of staff shortages, become recipient countries and actively recruit migrants abroad, the emigration of qualified workers in a number of donor countries may undermine the functioning of their activities. INTRODUCTION:- Migration basically means the movement of people from one place to another. Migration is generally categorized as internal known as immigration or it can be external emigration. Voluntary migration is when people choose to move for a new job or a better education and forced migration is when they feel they have no choice but to move because their life is threatened or in danger or it may be due to famine, war or persecution. There have been various issues that are linked to migration that have come to limelight through series of workshops, conferences, panels, film screenings, cultural and artistic activities like human right aspects, living conditions, migrant workers rights, human trafficking, etc. All these issues have a great impact on migrant people as well as the locals. Rachel Sabates-Wheeler and Ian MacAuslan- the two socialists, argue that it is in the interests of migrants and both host and source country governments to investigate and fully understand the implications of l egal, physical and political access structures to social protection. ISSUES RELATED TO MIGRATION:- Policy debates about immigration generally focus on two broad themes: the impact of immigration upon the economy, and its soaial and cultural impact. The immigrants are seen taking the various resources, making it more difficult to unite the societies and undermining a sense of national identity. So, there is a need for these policy makers or the governing bodies to balance the economic need for migrants against the social problems they create. 1) Human Rights vs Migrants Rights:- It is imperative to focus on the respect of human rights and right of access to justice. Migrants rights are also as important as human rights. There should be a legislation that should refer to the economic, social and cultural contribution of migrants and Diaspora. 2) Trafficking of Persons mainly Children:- There have been many problems like difficult living conditions of minor migrant children between 9 and 18 years of age. In search of jobs in order to support their families, they often fall into the trap of adults who bring them in other countries and exploiting them mentally and sexually. There is an African Organization that is working with various organizations in ECOWAS region that aims at helping these children. 3) Forced Migration due to Physical Factors:- Climatic changes, temperature, lack of water supply, droughts, floods, etc. are also a major reason for emigration. So, there is a need for respective countries to revisit this phenomenon. The emigration of these people often exposes them to the risks of being trafficked, slavery or prostitution of women. 4) Migration to Access Descent Living Conditions:- Migration from rural areas to urban cities that can provide better living opportunities. There are many problems that are encountered like unemployment, hunger, disease and economic conditions that prevails in the rural areas. For this government has to take up some steps to help the people facing these hardships. 5) Diaspora to Local Development:- It can play a number of important roles in helping development of the home company. The primary route is no doubt by remitting to the home country. In addition, however, technology transfer and encouragement to trade and capital flows can be important in some settings, with highly skilled migrants playing a more visible role. ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF MIGRATION:- The effects of migration on sending countries depend critically on the magnitudes, composition and nature of the migration streams, as well as upon the specific context from which migrants are drawn. The departure of migrants involves a decline in the supply of labour and usually implies a fall in output unless there is a large pool of unemployed or underutilized labour. In the case of skilled emigration, productivity declines as well. Because of the departure of labour, changes in the composition of output are likely to occur depending on the sectoral employment of emigrants. Moreover, intra-household inequality may increase and family roles may also change as a result. As emigration continues and more people leave the country, output continues to fall. On the other hand, however, continuing migration improves the information flow and thus reduces the information and transaction costs related to migration. This reduced cost of migration encourages family members to accompany initial migrants; households start using migration as a livelihood strategy. Furthermore, the possibility of migration might also encourage those left behind to start investing in skills required to leave the country and seek improved prospects abroad. At this stage, the home countrys economy starts adjusting to migration. This may take the form of increased labour force participation by certain groups of the There are certain key aspects in relation to this:- Unskilled Labour Supply Flows:- Situations in which labour markets in the country of origin are tight, so that unemployment spells are brief and infrequent and underemployment rare. In such context, emigration of workers requires employers to raise wage offers to fill the resultant vacancies. The other one is in which the migrant workers are replaced at little or no wages to the employers where surplus labour exists. Costs imposed on employers are minimal and overall output is hardly be affected. Much of the emigration of low skilled labour occurs from poorly performing economies. Surplus labour conditions can be expected to prevail in among high emigration countries. Brain Drain:- The process of brain drain is considered as one of the negative impacts of international migration. The trained officials like engineers, doctors, scientists and others who are the future of their country, contribute to innovation, technological advancement and development of a country, migrate to other countries for jobs and other facilities. They cause a negative impact from the perspective of home countrys development. SOCIAL EFFECTS OF MIGRATION:- Although the economic effects of migration have been extensively studied, the social effects have received less attention. However, they are very important and often closely linked with the much more studied economic effects of migration. Migration may impact on social life in several ways and the impact will be different for different types of migration. The social effects of migration consist of changes in family composition, in gender roles, child outcomes in terms of labour, health and education, cultural effects and issues related to crime. Moreover migration may cause a shift in adolescents orientation, in the sense that children may consider migration as their ultimate goal and decide to pursue further education in order to increase their migration prospects. Apart from education, migration may impact on childrens health. Migration may have an important impact on migrants household lives in terms of family roles and gender roles within the family. In particular the selection of migrants within the household (whether it is the father, the mother or older children who migrate) will have an impact on the family members who stay behind and their roles within the household after migration has started. Most importantly the role of women in the household and subsequently in the society may change. The women whose husbands migrate, the outcome of migration depend on existing cultural practices and the flexibility of gender roles and family organization. Further the people who leave their birth place and flee to other countries are deprived of their cultures, languages, traditions, and other social activities that are also considered as a part of ones identity. As of now-a-days we are seeing in India, there have been many threats to the migrants from Assam who have settled in Bangalore are facing threats due to impending attack related to the communal violence in home state due to which students and workers flee back. The violence has spilled over to other states where Bodos and other ethnic tribal members from the impoverished north-east have migrated in search of jobs. Violence has also been reported in Hyderabad, western cities of Pune and Nashik affecting the migrants. MIGRATION IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES:- India as a nation has seen high migration rate in recent years. In 90s around 98 million people migrated from one place to another. Apart from women, migrating due to marriage, employment is the biggest factor for migration. The number of job seekers have increased by 45% over the previous decade. Nearly 14 million people migrated in search for jobs out of which 12 million was men. Migrants have created pressure on others who are in same job market. Most people migrate because of a combination of push and pull factors. Lack of rural employment, fragmentation of land holdings and declining public investment in agriculture create a crisis for rural Indians. Urban areas and some rural areas with industrial development or high agricultural production offer better prospects for jobs or self-employment. No of Migrants (in million) 1951-61 66 1961-71 68.2 1971-81 81 1981-91 80.9 1991-2001 98.3 The onset of mass immigration from India, Pakistan and the Caribbean in the late 1940s and the 1950s coincided with the dismantling of the British Empire, and the decline of Britains global status. Immigration became the focus for the debate about these broader shifts. The perception that immigrants were alien to the British way of life ensured that the relationship between immigrants and the British state was defined largely by hostility, racism and confrontation. Not only was immigration policy driven by the desire specifically to keep out non-whites, but the state also viewed non-white immigrants settled in Britain as undesirables. Immigrants were the problem, and that problem had to be policed. This led both to discrimination against blacks and Asians in every sphere of social life, including housing, education and employment, and to confrontations with the police, confrontations that came to an explosive climax in a series of major riots in Britains inner cities in the late 1970 s and the early 1980s. Nearly eight million immigrants entered the United States from 2000 to 2005, more than in any other five-year period in the nations history, 3.7 million of them entered illegally. Since 1986 Congress has passed seven amnesties for illegal immigrants. In 1986 president Ronald Reagan signed immigration reform that gave amnesty to 3 million illegal immigrants in the country. Hispanic immigrants were among the first victims of the late-2000s recession, but since the recessions end in June 2009, immigrants posted a net gain of 656,000 jobs. Over 1 million immigrants were granted legal residence in 2011.

Wal Marts Entry Strategy Into China Management Essay

Wal Marts Entry Strategy Into China Management Essay With reference to Porters PEST theory, the paper aims to examine Wal-Mart entry strategy into China, and show whether or not pursuing a joint venture strategy was key to Wal-Marts external growth within the Far East. The paper is situated relative to previous academic research articles and sets out to contribute to the literature, aiming to expand on previous work while giving an insight into business decisions and intent that need to be considered when entering new markets. The paper will aim to answer two questions in relation to Wal-Mart business strategy as seen in the analytical theory section, offering an in depth understanding and critique in regards to Wal-Marts Far Eastern ventures: Did the Political, Economic, Social and Technological incentives favour Wal-Marts strategy into China, and; Based on the findings from the PEST analysis, was Wal-Marts decision to adopt a joint venture entry strategy feasible? Chapter 1 1.1 Introduction Wal-Mart Inc. is ranked on a global scale as one of the largest retail companies worldwide, with a market capitalisation of 192.38billion (www.uk.finance.yahoo.com) and sales in excess of $108 billion and earnings per share of 96 cents (Smith, 2009). This combined with its position within the Top 5 of the Fortune 500 Index and the impacts of the ongoing credit crunch make it a very engaging topic to investigate. In this paper I aim to build on the concepts within the topic of international business strategy, addressing Wal-Marts own strategy in their decision to enter the Chinese Market. Business strategy within many global organisations plays an essential role in attaining a desired level of strategic leadership (intent) and Wal-Mart is no exception. Wal-Mart like many firms is very specific in its business agenda, which Pereira (2002) summarily acknowledged, as establishing dominance in the home retail markets (US), global expansion/leadership and a constructive brand creation (Pereira et al, 2002). Based on Pereiras perception of Wal-Marts strategy, by undertaking Porters PEST analysis looking at Political, Economical, Social and Technological, the findings will be aligned with regards to Wal-Marts policy on joint ventures. It will build on previous academic research articles and theories, listed in the literature review with the aim of understanding the strategic decisions Wal-Mart has undertaken in regards to its global expansion. These decisions underpin the entry strategy Wal-Mart has adopted to enter into the Chinese market, Wal-Mart is exporting its retail savvy east to Asia with stores opening in China (Halverson, 1994, p1). The paper having outlined the general concept of PEST when considering market entry, will then conclude with an overview of the entry strategy taken by Wal-Mart in China based on this PEST analysis. 1.2 PEST Analysis PEST is a business tool that was developed by Michael Porter (1980s). It is used by firms to understand changes within the macro environment focusing on 4 main factors, Political, Economic, Social and Technological. Gathering information based on these four components PEST is used by firms to address their strategic positioning, planning and marketing decisions. The importance of a PEST analysis according to articles written by Glaister and Falshaw, is that PEST considers the integral components of the external appraisal of the company, leading to considered view of the opportunities and threats facing the firm (Glaister and Falshaw, 1999, p112). By contrast other types of analysis, for instance the TECOP model, bring into the commercial and organisational risk aspects into the analysis. (www. siteresources.worldbank.org, p25) However for the purpose of this report a PEST analysis is the most appropriate. The views on PEST, combined with Porters own theories on firm behaviour in relation to the environment, the pressure to change is more often environmental than internal (Porter, 1998, p52) exemplifies why aligning an entry strategy to a PEST analysis is, for many firms, crucial. Wal-Mart is a typical example of this, highlighting the importance of considering all four aspects before making a decision. Wal-Marts development and decisions based on its entry strategy are strongly aligned to the fundamentals of PEST. The template below illustrates this: Chapter 2 2.1 Literature Review There are many previous studies and literature, which use Porters PEST analysis as a tool to understanding entry decisions. This review will aim to expand on these and use the concepts to offer a diverse understanding of Wal-Marts global expansion strategy within China. From a global perspective, the retail sector is one of the biggest and most competitive markets, the amount and variety of forms of international retail operations have increased in recent decades (Dawson, 1994, p39). Having established in 1962, Wal-Mart has been no exception to this pattern, Wal-Mart is both the worlds largest retailer and corporation measured by its revenue (Dobson, 2004, P89). As Wal-Mart has strategically developed, the necessity to adapt and evolve a global strategy and align it to the external environment has been vital. Wal-Marts global expansion and positioning within new markets with the strategic intent of acquiring a competitive advantage against other retail giants such as Tesco and Carrefour in terms of market share, epitomizes this, since 1994, Wal-Mart, the biggest retailer in the world, has been one of a range of American `new format retailers causing havoc in foreign retail markets (Hallsworth and Evers, 2004, p1). The literature gives an insight into why firms exist where they do. PEST is a tool used to gain an understanding of market growth and decline (external to the firm) and as a result helps to determine the ideal strategic positioning for an organisation. As Langlois and Robertson stated, a company when dealing with any business strategy must establish the boundaries of control in relation to their organisations scale and scope (Langlois et al, 1995, p7). If this is not established upfront, any plan around firm positioning becomes problematic and as Lamont has stated in his work, and in particular with reference to Wal-Marts global-regional strategy, this has been the case in some areas. Wal-Mart, Lamont argues has made some mistakes in judging the importance of economic, cultural, and business risks within local countries (Lamont, 2002), which as a result has prevented them from positioning themselves in some countries as a successful retail firm. Many European cities like Germany for instance have stuck with the smaller retailers like Spar and Lidl as their needs and choice are not as diverse as the Chinese demands. Further literature expands on the problems of a lack of understanding of the external environment. For instance, Lamont, Kottoli and Schaefer critique Wal-Marts European entry strategy in relation to the fundamentals of PEST. Lamont picks up on the economic analysis and argues that higher prices and increased competition was a source of Wal-Marts failure in countries like Germany (Lamont, 2002). Kottoli also joins the debate and argues cultural insensitivities became the barrier to Wal-Marts success, which in turn backs up Schaefers theories relating to why Wal-Mart had the problems it did. Wal-Marts inability to adapt its home ideologies to its global goals due to management problems, language barriers (social), market knowledge and political regulation all added to its decision to re-structure and sell off its losses (Schaefer, 2006). This said carrying out a PEST analysis on Wal-Marts Chinese venture becomes an interesting exercise, because, while Kottoli, Schaefer and Lamonts arguments are all credible for Europe, others believe China offers a unique angle. A PEST analysis will give a more in depth understanding of why Wal-Mart chose a certain entry strategy for China. Goldstein in his writing showed how Wal Marts approach to China differed from previous entry strategies and that it has actually experienced an element of success (Goldstein, 2003). It is at least still present expanding and respected in China and Asia, which cannot be said for its development in some European countries like Germany. Kierney compounds this further when stating with regards to China, Wal-Mart is firmly entrenched (Kearney, 2006, p6) within China. Other literature agrees with such a viewpoint and Naughton for instance states that for Wal-Mart, China represents the biggest frontier since it conquered America (Naughton 2006). Having utilised PEST to understand the external environment Wal-Mart had to develop a suitable entry strategy for China. Previously Wal-Mart in Canada, as stated by Govindarajan and Gupta, used an acquisition strategy. The reasons behind such a development were that Wal-Mart faced relatively little need for new learning, and thus, entering through a strategic alliance was unnecessary (Govindarajan and Gupta, 1999). China on the other hand presents a very different emerging market, which at the time of the Wal-Mart venture had remained much untapped. Taking this into account, an alliance or joint venture is the best entry strategy to utilise, as a joint venture allows firms to assess the competitive landscape with more accuracy (Hamel and Prahalad, 1989). Realising this, Wal-Mart entered China on the basis of a joint venture, which capitalised on their previous acquisition experience. Chapter 3 3.1 Analytical Theory From a detailed PEST perspective this section will look at the individual P-E-S-T aspects. It questions whether the underlying concepts of a PEST analysis, the political, economic, social and technological concepts favour Wal-Mart in pursuing an entry strategy based on joint ventures. It will do this by considering two aspects of the entry strategy: 1) Did the Political, Economic, Social and Technological incentives favour Wal-Marts strategy into China, and; 2) Based on the findings from the PEST analysis, was Wal-Marts decision to adopt a joint venture entry strategy feasible? 3.2 Political When considering any business strategy it is important for an organisation to analyse the political environment in which decisions must be made. It should consider regulation, government positioning, trade agreements and policy. Politically, Hallsworth and Evers have examined the barriers that internationalisation of firms like Wal-Mart have frequently encountered, responses from indigenous rivals, the regulatory mechanisms of the governments of host or target nations have often hindered strategies for global development (Hallsworth and Evers, 2004, p1). In China, the political agenda exposed Wal-Mart to such potential barriers in the shape of highly regulated systems favouring domestic firms and preventing a so-called foreign takeover. However, timely changes in government policies meant that Wal-Mart was able to gain a foothold, as China was opened up to investment, and the government eased restrictions on foreign businesses, and encouraged Chinese entrepreneurs to enter joint vent ures with Westerners (Hornblower, 2004). Wal-marts entry strategy at the time clearly benefited from this. Wal-Mart undertook a joint venture with Citic Pacific Ltd (www.articles.latimes.com) with the sole purpose of gaining an established brand in the highly competitive Chinese domestic retail sector. As China continued to develop a more open commercial philosophy, economic growth opportunities started to emerge particularly as the economic climate (growth and investment) was right (the commercial side of the TECOP model not addressed by PEST). Wal-Mart was faced with greater prospects in terms of positioning itself in the market and enhancing its market share. Wal-Mart as a result adapted its strategy around such political incentives. Having established its brand, Wal-Marts strategy evolved to embrace acquisitions and pull out of its original joint venture. Political restructuring and incentives, which included greater leniency of jurisdiction in relation to competition enhanced t he Wal-Mart entry strategy. Wal-Mart expanded as a single entity, increasing its capacity to 89 stores in different cities, beginning to slowly erode the domestic retail sectors market share (www.wal-martchina.com). Chinas goal to achieve political stability and its opening up of policies also acted as an incentive for investment to take place (www.euromonitor.com). The political environment contributing to a new emerging Chinese market, allowed opportunistic businesses such as Wal-Mart to develop joint venture strategies, which gave them easier access and control over distribution channels and supply chains. 3.3 Economic In relation to any retailer considering global expansion, the strategy it bases its actions upon has to be aligned to market conditions. Based on market conditions certain strategy decisions will be developed and in Wal-Marts case, its development of a joint venture strategy in economic terms is understandable. Wal-Marts entry strategies were very much in line with Chinas 5-year plan of economic growth. (www.bw.china-embassy.org). The International Monetary fund (IMF) Statistics are proof of this. Wal-Mart by utilising the economic concept within PEST has strategically positioned itself in correlation to data seen in Table 1. China with a population greater than1,334,296 million and an increasing annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which highlights its economic performance, presented Wal-Mart with a massive opportunity for growth, customer base and profit maximisation (www.imf.org). By aligning its entry strategy to work with those already in the market, Wal-Mart was then able to bu ild foundations to expand its network. Table 1 Country Subject Descriptor Scale 2009 2010 2011 China GDP Billions 12,076,672 12,983,630 14,314,365 China Population Millions 1,334,296 1,354,310 1,374,625 (www.imf.org, Accessed 11th June2009) Economically the US-China Business Council also shows a pattern of growth, which explains why Wal-Mart wanted to expand into China, with political support back in the USA. In relation to retail sales (Table 2) these have increased dramatically over the last 10 years. For instance from 2003 to 2008 the percentage of growth in retail has been 12.5% (www.uschina.org). Such statistics would appeal to any foreign firm looking to strategically position itself within Asian Markets. At the same time the joining of China into the World Trade Organisation in 2001 (www.wto.org: 2001 Press Releases) also presents companies like Wal-Mart with an opportunity to enter a market that is categorically a Free Trade Zone, increasing export led growth (USCBC, 2009). Such economic incentives, established through the Political and Economic (part of PEST) analysis are the reason why the Wal-Mart scale and scope now extends into the Far East. Table 2 Main indicators 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Retail sales 5,251.6 5,950.1 6,717.7 7,641.0 8,921.0 10,848.8 % growth 9.1 13.3 12.9 13.7 16.8 21.6 (General Economic and Financial Indicators, 1999-2008, http://www.uschina.org/statistics/economy.html) By carrying out a joint venture entry strategy, Wal-Mart was able to utilise labour pools already present in the retail field without incurring start up costs. Similarly, the size of Chinas workforce meant that Wal-Mart was able to significantly reduce the cost of capital investment, Chinas abundant labour supply means that companies can choose to use manual processes instead of automated processes and still save money (Huffman 2009). Hornblower also expressed a fundamental aspect of the importance of understanding the economic environment. He stated that Wal-Mart entry strategy was timed to allow others to enter the market first. This allowed Wal-Mart to have a second mover advantage or fastest follower and in so doing minimise its fixed costs. This clearly worked as Wal-Mart was able to cash in on low-wage Chinese labour already present due to previous investors (Hornblower, 2004). 3.4 Social When using PEST to develop a strategy, the social dimension of a country is also very important. Cultural attitudes, country specific product development and language barriers are a few of the issues that have to be considered external to the firm. Wal-Mart, when entering China, has had to develop a strategy around understanding such issues and how to address them. It is therefore not surprising that joint-ventures seemed to be a logical entry strategy for Wal-Mart into China. Through adapting such a strategy Wal-Mart has prevented some of the problems it faced in Europe, namely that of language barriers (Schaefer argument). Through gaining an alliance with domestic firms, Wal-Mart has gained an understanding of the cultural demands of the Chinese people. Using the cultural experience gained from its initial entry, Wal-Mart has started to diversify its strategy to reach out into areas not supplied by the typical hypermarkets, Wal-Mart is now operating 3 convenient stores (Wei and Kwok, 2009). This along with Wal-Marts adaptation of their strategy based around going green and addressing environmental problems (Hennock, 2008), has enabled Wal-Mart to develop a strategy based around longevity and socio-cultural awareness. Such a strategy is considered for a USA firm exceeding rare, but in this particular case was built upon US-China trade agreemen ts. At the same time, Wal-Mart has tried to learn from the problems it experienced when entering Europe. Wal-Marts entry strategy into China takes into consideration the needs of the community. Kottolis argument of cultural insensitivities found in previous ventures, as mentioned within the literature review, have been addressed and Wal-Mart actively participates in community service and charity events and has donated funds and in kind support worth more than RMB 58millon (US$8million) (www.walmartstores.com/factsheets).Wal-Mart has capitalised on the positive effects of being seen within the community as a sympathetic and generous enterprise. In addition, Wal-Mart has developed a strategy, which focuses on upstream measures with the aim of meeting customer demands. Using a strategy of working in partnership with suppliers, Wal-Mart has managed to reduce prices of goods by an average of 20 percent, generating increased customer traffic and turnover (www.walmartstores.com/factsheets). 3.5 Technological Technological innovation is also a factor, which needs to be taken into consideration when developing an entry strategy into an unknown external environment. Wal-Mart on entering the Chinese market sought to gain a competitive advantage over other retailers by introducing innovative measures around marketing and implementing cost reduction methods. For instance taking control of the supply chain and outsourcing. Such a strategy is key to explaining Wal-Mart global expansion, as Technological innovations account for approximately 60% of Wal-Marts growth (Basker and Pham, 2008). At the same time Wal-Mart has also introduced advanced retail technology and experience to China and advanced Chinas retail industry standards and development (www.tradeinservices.com), which has helped it to produce cheaper products, offering innovation, controlling supply chains and meeting the requirements of consumers. An example of this is the Wal-Mart introduction of electronic stock taking and till to back office re-ordering which consequently led to other firms imitating such technological advances supplying the needs of the Chinese customer both efficiently and at the lowest cost possible. Through adapting both internal and external strategies Wal-Mart has been able to gain control over and add value to certain areas that focus on customer communications/awareness as its core competence within China. Chapter 4 4.1 Policy implications Having established the reasons why Wal-Mart chose to enter China through Porters PEST analysis it is important to look at the policy implications Wal-Mart has needed to address and understand. A joint venture strategy, for instance requires Wal-Mart to take into account the risk of exploitation, and bootlegging from other competing firms. At the same time Wal-Mart has to consider its internal policy implication for entering China and whether Chinas policy for foreign direct investment (FDI) supports Wal-Marts entry strategy choice. Policies based around exports and imports (Tax), foreign policy and anti dumping legislation encouraging fair competition must be considered. The Chinese government itself must impose anti dumping legislation making sure price competition is even-handed. Such policy implications are important as without understanding these, retail firms strategies incorporate unnecessary risk and the decisions to enter into certain markets becomes problematic. The theoretical findings within the paper highlight the importance of making sure the correct entry strategy is chosen. The paper shows that Wal-Mart has had to evolve its core competencies to incorporate Chinas demands. The labour force, varying tastes and changing demands exemplify why Wal-Mart entry included a joint venture strategy aligning itself to market requirement. Using a PEST analysis has illustrated how Wal-Mart has evolved its US strategy to meet the needs of Far Eastern Markets. If Wal-Mart had undertaken other entry strategy decisions such as franchising, or even an acquisition strategy, they may have been unable to adapt their home market policy to foreign market policy. As seen in some of Wal-Marts European ventures (i.e. Germany) this would have resulted in a lack understanding and consequently market failure. If one wanted to pursue this paper further, incorporating other tools to assess the theoretical reasoning of Wal-Mart entry into the Far East and in particular China, a SWOT analysis as a business tool could be used. This tool allows firms to understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, both internally and externally, allowing decisions to be based on whether or not certain entry strategies are supported by the policies that exist and whether there is a need for the development of new policies. Combining the use of a PEST analysis with other businesses tools like the SWOT into entry strategies will give a much more informed decision and remains fundamental to business development. Similarly other more in depth models could be used to analyse Wal-Mart entry strategy. For instance as mentioned the TECOP model would add another dimension from both a commercial and organisation aspect, perhaps addressing the marketing perception in greater detail. 4.2 Conclusion It is clear that from analysing and using the data from the World Trade Organisation and US Chinese councils that Porters PEST analysis is a useful tool in understanding Wal-Mart strategic motives for developments within China. Europe, on the other hand, in regards to PEST has pressures that were not suited to Wal-Mart entry strategies. Its ideology around discount low prices for instance did not appeal, and politically and economically the competition meant Wal-Mart was unable to gain any market control. Through making mistakes in Europe, Wal-Mart has gathered experience in entering markets significantly different from the American market and as a firm it has been able to establish clear boundaries of control within China. This, combined with a learning strategy based around joint ventures has also been beneficial to Wal-Mart entry strategy within China, particularly when dealing with an emerging market and the domestic competition that existed. At the same time with Wal-Mart acting as a second mover within the Chinese retail market, following a strategy of joint ventures has allowed it to establish itself within the market. Taking into account the policy implications for entry into China as part of its entry decision has allowed Wal-Mart to establish a brand that incorporates the Economic, Political, Social and Cultural factors that is was unable to do in Europe. Having said this however it is imprudent to focus on the external environment as the only factor facing Wal-Mart in decisions to enter new markets. Managerial decisions and core competencies along with other internal aspects also need to be aligned to suit Wal-Marts strategic intent. Keeping success going requires constant attention to the competitive environment. Continuous work on the supply chain, responsiveness to political decisions and influence over these decisions and, last but not least, continued customer and employee focus are all aspects Wal-Mart needs to continue to address.

Ian Wilmut and Cloning :: Genetic Engineering Essays

Ian Wilmut and Cloning Before Dolly the cloned sheep made news headlines, the same researchers had only the year before raised seven other sheep from oocytes whose nuclei had been replaced with nuclei from either fetal or embryonic tissue.1 This created a minor stir as this is the "first report to [their] knowledge, of live mammalian offspring following nuclear transfer from an established cell line."1 The implications of this is that they have provided techniques to analyze and modify gene functions in sheep (By providing clones of the same sheep).1 The key to their success is the "serum starvation" that the donor cell undergoes, to force the donor cell into a 'quiescent' state, so that it is not replicating its DNA or dividing. This possibly makes the nucleus more susceptible to re-programming by the recipient egg cell. The researchers built on this knowledge, and carried out a nuclear transfer from cells from the mammary gland of a 6-year old ewe in the last trimester of pregnancy. (instead of fetal or embryonic stem cells). After 277 nuclear transfers, Dolly was born.2 Dolly shows morphological characteristics belonging to the breed (Finn Dorset)that donated the nucleus instead of the oocyte donor or the surrogate mother(Scottish Blackface). Thus erasing any possibility of the birth due to the mating of the surrogate mother with another sheep. In 1975 Gurdon, Laskey & Reeves showed that nuclei transfer from keratinised skin cells of adult frogs supported growth to the tadpole stage 3. Wilmut's experiment took one step further and managed for the organism(Dolly) to grow to adulthood, thereby confirming that adult cells do in fact contain workable versions of all the genes necessary to produce an entire organism. Previously there was widespread belief that cells from adult mammals cannot be persuaded to regenerate a whole organism. Now that Wilmut has proven once and for all that this is otherwise, many cloning experiments that were once fantasy could now be accomplished. For example, an organism of interest can be cloned from any living cells from it if it no longer can reproduce normally (perhaps due to defects in gametes formation) or if only cultured cells of the organism of interest remains (it has already died but complete cell death has not occurred). However, it will take some time before Wilmut's technique is used as an important aid in all manner of biological and biomedical investigations. As forementioned, having to do 277 nuclear transfer just to obtain one living sheep is impractical for most experiments.

Volunteering Changed My Life :: Contribution to My Community Service

Community Service is a great opportunity to make a difference in the area you live in. There are so many ways to volunteer. Some people are given chances to do community service when they need to pay off fines for tickets. Most people simply do because they love getting involved. It’s their way of making the community a cleaner, healthier place. Tutoring kids is one type of community service. I can say from experience teaching kids to learn is a great feeling. I know because I’ve been tutoring kids for almost seven months. You’ll be surprised how it makes you feel. To have one of your students’ parents thank you because there child has never been able to make an â€Å"A† in there reading or math class. Just hearing those words lets me know that I am already making a difference. The place that I volunteer at is Casa De Amigos and the children that go there really look up to you. Yes you’re helping them to be able to reach their goals but you’re also teaching them that helping the community can change so many lives. There are many activities that will help the community. Another way that I have experience is picking up trash. This one is very important because you are helping the environment and town that you live in. So why not help your environment to be able to apply for a scholarship. It’s also a fun way to meet people that enjoy making a difference. Picking up trash is one of the most common types of community service. There are so many volunteers a day picking up trash in their neighborhood and all around town. To be able to get involved all you do is call the Midland City Department and they will be glad to guide you where to go so you can help our community. Another service that I have done has been to volunteer at the West Campus Hospital gift shop. It was a great experience for me; if I had the time I would make the effort to volunteer again. For people that is good at socializing with others and love organizing I would recommend volunteering at the gift shop. Volunteering Changed My Life :: Contribution to My Community Service Community Service is a great opportunity to make a difference in the area you live in. There are so many ways to volunteer. Some people are given chances to do community service when they need to pay off fines for tickets. Most people simply do because they love getting involved. It’s their way of making the community a cleaner, healthier place. Tutoring kids is one type of community service. I can say from experience teaching kids to learn is a great feeling. I know because I’ve been tutoring kids for almost seven months. You’ll be surprised how it makes you feel. To have one of your students’ parents thank you because there child has never been able to make an â€Å"A† in there reading or math class. Just hearing those words lets me know that I am already making a difference. The place that I volunteer at is Casa De Amigos and the children that go there really look up to you. Yes you’re helping them to be able to reach their goals but you’re also teaching them that helping the community can change so many lives. There are many activities that will help the community. Another way that I have experience is picking up trash. This one is very important because you are helping the environment and town that you live in. So why not help your environment to be able to apply for a scholarship. It’s also a fun way to meet people that enjoy making a difference. Picking up trash is one of the most common types of community service. There are so many volunteers a day picking up trash in their neighborhood and all around town. To be able to get involved all you do is call the Midland City Department and they will be glad to guide you where to go so you can help our community. Another service that I have done has been to volunteer at the West Campus Hospital gift shop. It was a great experience for me; if I had the time I would make the effort to volunteer again. For people that is good at socializing with others and love organizing I would recommend volunteering at the gift shop.

Crime Prevention Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"Kids Being Charged with Felonies†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A felony is a crime in which the convicted may receive more than a year in prison for their actions. The paper that you are about to read is going to explore some of the issues about kids being charged with felonies. We will also examine some of the issues of how this is portrayed in our news media today. Furthermore, I will offer my opinion, on how kids being charged with felonies could be a positive step in the right direction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is real that in America today we have asked our kids to grow up at an alarming rate. There has been no other time in history that children are asked to be mature enough to handle adult situations with regularity. Many of the past generations just did what their parents told them to do. Mow the lawn, clean their bedroom, and maybe some household chores and so on. In today’s society we’re asking our youth to watch their younger siblings. We also ask them to use potentially dangerous technology at a mature level. Keep in mind that some adults can’t even use technology responsibly! Since we want them to grow up quickly we have to expect that they are going to make adult mistakes especially with the actual maturity level. Is it safe to say that some kids do something that wasn’t meant to be so harmful, and as it would turn out be so detrimental to their lives? When they do make a mistake should we give them adult punishments?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I start in Atlanta, Georgia where two girls baked a cake with glue in the batter and fed it to their fellow classmates. The two thirteen yr. old girls could be charged with up to twelve counts of assault. (CNN 11-19-04) It is situations like this were two girls could be in jail for a long time just because they were trying to pull off a prank.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Santee, California Charles Andre Williams, a student that was made fun of on a frequent basis brings a gun to school and gets off thirty rounds. The result was a death of another student. Williams had told several people the weekend before including an adult that he was planning to kill someone at school, but no one took him seriously. (CNN 3-8-2001) Again we ask students to make mature decisions, but it isn’t what we had in mind. The number of stories goes on and on including the King brothers who killed... ... juveniles. Hopefully someday we will come up with a positive solution that works. Until that day we can only hope that the fast maturing children of the world will mature enough to understand that nobody can just do whatever they want. There will always be consequences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reference   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Legon, Jeordan â€Å"Student hacks school, erases class files†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CNN-6/11/2003   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Girls charged over sickening cake†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CNN-11/19/2004   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"An epidemic of violence†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CNN-3/8/2001   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"King Brothers get reduced jail sentences†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CNN-11/14/2002   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"School Shooting suspect to face attempted murder charge†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CNN-3/23/2001

Panera Case Essay

Company is a chain of restaurants, both company owned and franchised, that provides food and beverages with more of a cafe experience as oppose to a traditional fast food restaurant. Panera NAICS code is 722310, which is classified as food service contractors. Food service contractors can be can be classified as cafeterias, fast food restaurants, or regular restaurants just to name a few. In 2007 there were approximately 23,250 establishments in this industry, which was up from 20,693 in 2002 and 18,991 in 1997, which shows that people are continuously opening more and more restaurants each year. Since 1997, the food industry under this NAICS code has seen significant increase in sales. The total number of sales in this industry has more then doubled since 1997, which can be attributed to two things. One of those is that they’re a just more establishments out there in 2007 then there were 10 years ago. The second, and probably most important reason why sales have more then doubled, is that people are just simply going out to eat more as oppose to cooking at home. Success in this industry is predicated on the ability to be able to not only appeal to consumer taste and preferences but continually changing product offerings to keep these customers happy and loyal to your restaurant. More often then not, companies in this industry fail and go out of business prematurely because they are not able to appeal to a wide enough customer base. Obviously you must have great food in this industry, but equally as important is the location, customer service, prices, and time of day that you choose to do business. If you don’t have a handle on these items then you will likely not make it past the first year without taking a significant loss. Due to the fact that there are different types of needs among customers, there is no way one establishment can serve the needs of everybody. Each restaurant must figure out the few things they do well and service those customers whose needs fit into what that restaurants do well. Driving Forces One of the key driving forces in this industry may seem obvious and simple but it is the most important thing in this industry. The restaurants must have good food to satisfy the ever-changing needs of customers. Since customers do have different preferences and these preferences could change at anytime, food companies must figure out a way to not only attract, but also maintain customer who love their food. However, to develop a sustainable advantage on taste alone is not likely when there are so many options when people eat away from home. Price is also a driving force as it is with any industry. A company must be able to provide their products cheaper then their competition or be able to convince their customer base that their products are worth the extra buck. In order to justify customers spending more money on your products, you have to somehow differentiate your product. Typically, companies either make their products healthier or find ingredients that make the products taste better then the competition if they are charging a premium price. If they are unable to convince consumers that their products are worth the premium price then they must figure out a way to drive down costs so they can charge as little as possible. With the economy struggling, this is a viable option for many companies in this industry. The last driving force is in this industry is location. A prime location can make or break a company. A company can have the best food in the world and even offer their products at great prices, but without the ability to get the foot traffic, because of a bad location, the company is doomed before it is even started. A restaurant must pick a location that will be able to service as many people that they have identified as potential customers. For instance, a healthy sub shop may be inclined to locate their business next to a health spa where people workout. The restaurants that are able to find an optimal location give themselves a far better chance to succeed for many years. A great location can be a sustainable competitive advantage and allow companies to outperform their rivals. Key Success Factors One of the key success factors is to be able to adapt to customer taste and needs in this rapidly changing market. To put it plain and simple, people get tired of eating the same thing so in order for a company to be successful, Companies must have a wide variety of product offerings. This is why you see many restaurants introducing new products for their customers to try. They have trail stages to see if these new products will be a hit and if they are then they keep them on the menu. If their customers do not accept them then they take them off the menu and try something else. So not only must you have a great core group of food options on your menu, but you must be able to change up your menu so that customers don’t get bored with the same options. Another key success factor in this industry is customer service. When people elect to eat out instead of eating at home, they expect to be treated well by the restaurant personnel. Obviously the level of customer service changes depending on the place that an individual is eating at. The more money someone is spending then it is likely that they will expect better customer service. Part of going out to eat is the experience and bad customer service can cause a company to lose customer even if their products are top of the line. Location is also a key success factor and a big one at that. Many companies that are unable to acquire a prime location are unable to stay in business. People don’t want to have to go out of their way to go to a restaurant in most cases so if a particular restaurant is not in a convenient place then they will not get much foot traffic. Foot traffic is the only way that companies in this industry can keep up with their financial obligations and turn a profit. I can say from personal experience that I have chosen to go to a restaurant based on convenience of the location and I feel that I am not the only one who has made a decision like this when choosing a place to eat. Porters Five Forces Threat of New Entrants The threat of new entrants in the food service contractor industry is extremely high. The restaurant industry is one of the most entered industries year in and year out. The barriers to open a restaurant are nowhere near as high as other industries and if a restaurant owner can find a niche group of customers in a good location then they can be profitable. However, this is a feat that is much easier said then done. Although it is very feasible for new entrants to enter into this industry, it is definitely not an industry that is easy to have longevity in. The threat of new entrants for Panera Bread is not as high as some of the other restaurants in the industry. They have many established cafes all across the country that have been successful for years and would be hard for new entrants to compete on their level. In local markets a new entrant may be able to undercut the business of one individual store but it would be much more difficult for a start up to undercut Panera in the national or even the regional scene. Also, the fact that Panera Bread has a very aggressive growth strategy makes it even more problematic for new entrants to be able to compete at the level the Panera is on because they are always playing catch up. Substitute Products Substitute products are very prevalent in this industry and it affects all restaurants that are in the food service contractor industry. If you ride down a main street in any decent size city in this country for five minutes you will pass at least one hundred places to eat. Each one of these places is a substitute for one another, which makes this industry one of the most competitive industries that we have. With the number of restaurants growing, there are going to continue to be a plethora of substitute products. Also, items that people purchase at grocery stores and cook themselves are substitutes for restaurants in this industry. Americans are becoming more cognizant of what they put in their body and the best way to be absolutely sure that what you are putting in your body is exactly what you want is to prepare the food yourself. Just like every other company in this industry, Panera Bread is not immune to substitute products and must always account for other companies that offer substitute products. There are many viable eating options for customers in close proximity with nearly every Panera Bread cafe. With this being the case, Panera must always look for ways to continue to bring customers into their cafes instead of those customers picking another option. Panera has been able to offer some unique products that are perceived as healthy which allow them to lessen the threat of some substitutes but it would be nearly impossible to get rid of the threat of substitute products because there are so many options. Perhaps the most difficult thing for competitors to be able to duplicate is the experience that is provided at Panera. Although there are other companies who are able to offer a pleasant dinning experience in the fast-casual restaurant industry, there is no substitute for this type of customer service. Either you have quality service for your customers or you don’t. Power of Suppliers The power of suppliers in this industry is relatively low. This is due to the fact that there are often many possible suppliers to supply the needs of the restaurants. When this is the case, suppliers have no negotiating power to charge extremely high prices and must come to terms with the restaurants that are purchasing the various ingredients that go into their products. If suppliers are able to develop an ingredient that is rare or somehow do a value chain activity better then other supplier then they may have more negotiating power. However, even with this fact, the majority of the power in this relationship lies with the restaurants that are making the purchases. Panera Bread has 17 regional facilities that make all of its dough and then it is shipped out to each individual store. These facilities are owned or franchised out by Panera Bread, which gives them a huge competitive advantage. They control every step of the making of their main ingredient and this obviously gives them all of the power when it comes to purchasing dough. As long as the people who work there are satisfied then they will have no problem with having there dough needs met. They do ensure that these facilities make a profit but obviously not at the expense of Panera Bread. However, with other products that they use such as paper goods, coffee, and sweet goods, they use independent distributors to meet these needs. These suppliers have a very low amount if power when negotiating with Panera. These suppliers likely depend heavily on the Panera account to survive so they must meet virtually all of Panera’s requests if they want to continue to do business with them. Some products that each individual store may have to order on a frequent basis may find that they have a little less negotiating power if a particular supplier is able to delivery these supplies on a timely basis. With this being said, the bulk of the power lies with Panera and not the suppliers. Power of Buyers The power of buyers in this industry is extremely high for various reasons. The main one is that there are low switching costs when an individual chooses to go from fast-casual restaurant to fast-casual restaurant. The only real cost may be one place may be further then the other which brings gas prices into play but typically these types of restaurants are located in similar areas so this is not that big of a factor. Anytime someone is spending money in a saturated market with several options, the consumer has all the power. The only way for restaurants to get some of the power back is to offer products that are perceived to be better then the competition. Panera Bread customers have an extremely high degree of power just like customers that buy food within this strategic group in the market. There are viable options for customers of Panera to choose from which always puts Panera in a position in which they have to convince customers that Panera is the best option to meet their needs. Panera must continue to evolve their menu and keep coming up with new items that keep their customers coming back for more. This is the only way that they can take some of the power back from their customers. Rivalry Among Competitive Sellers Everybody wants a piece of the American Dream in this country and the good thing about this country is that through hard work and dedication, anyone can be successful. With this being the case, there is fierce competition in virtually every industry in our country. The food service contractor industry is no exception to this fact and possibly is more competitive then most other industries. There are major players at every single level of this industry and each individual company is always looking for a slight advantage over their competitors. The fast-casual sector of this industry is rapidly growing and it is likely that we will continue to see more and more companies vying for market share in this industry. The fact that people are spending significant dollars in fast-casual restaurants gives companies in this industry a golden opportunity for continued growth. Panera Bread has been able to carve out a niche in the fact that their dough process is not easily duplicated and nobody has been able to create products quite like Panera Bread. So, in this respect there is not a competitor that is selling the exact same thing that they are selling. However, I feel that Starbucks is a close competitor and they may have some of the same customers. When you think about a place that you can go and hang out with friends or catch up on some work or read a good book, Starbucks definitely comes to mind. In this relationship, Starbucks is definitely big brother and has far more locations around the world then Panera does so they obviously bring in more revenues yearly. Panera is trying to duplicate the atmosphere of a casual place to hang out but they are still playing catch up at this point in time. I also think Chipotle is a competitive rival but for different reasons then Starbucks. Chipotle is a fast-casual restaurant that has been able to create a product that consumers consider different and really tasty. It is a place that you can order and get your food relatively quickly and sit down and enjoy your meal with friends on the inside of the restaurant or outside. Although Chipotle definitely doesn’t have the atmosphere that Panera Bread has, it is very believable that when people are sick of fast food and are looking for a fast-casual restaurant to eat at, these two places come up. I can speak from experience that this has definitely been the case for myself on numerous occasions. Internal Analysis: SWOT & VRIO Framework SWOT Analysis Strengths A. Strong Brand Name B. Atmosphere of Restaurants C. Own Subsidiary for there main ingredient Weaknesses A. Lack of international/domestic presence in comparison to competitors Opportunities A. Expand Domestically/Internationally B. Continue to expand catering activities Threats A. Recession B. New Restaurants Strengths Panera Bread has been able to continually grow and make significant dollars year in and year out because they have many things that they do well. One of these strengths is the brand name â€Å"Panera Bread. † When people think of Panera they automatically think of a fast-casual restaurant with good food. It is somewhere that people can go and not pay significant dollars and walk away being happy with the food that they ate. This is probably the biggest strength that you can have in this industry because if your restaurant name is not associated with quality food then you have no chance of succeeding in the restaurant business. After all, nobody wants to eat food that is not enjoyable going down. Another strength that Panera has is the atmosphere and dinning experience that they provide for their customers. When people think of Panera they think of someplace that can offer relaxation for themselves as well as friends. Its just a great hang out spot where people can catch up on homework, read a good book, and hang out with friends all while enjoying some of the great products that Panera Bread offers. Panera is also able to produce its own dough, which is strength in two ways. The first is the most obvious. They can cut out significant costs when buying from their subsidiary and don’t have to worry about not being satisfied with the end product because ultimately they are producing it. Also, since dough is their main ingredient and what they are famous for they would not want outside knowledge of this trade secret. By producing the dough themselves minimizes significantly the possibility of other companies being able to capitalize on Panera’s trade secret. Weaknesses The biggest weakness that I saw in doing this case study is the fact that they have a lack of an international presence. If they are trying to compete with Starbucks with there dinning experience then they need to be everyplace that Starbucks does business so that customers can choose. This type of expansion could mean more revenues as well as continuing to increase their strong brand name. Domestically they do have a strong presence in the market but they are not at the level that Starbucks is at. Opportunities Panera has several opportunities to improve their position in the market place. One of those opportunities is to continue to have an aggressive attitude about expanding domestically and also to turn some of that energy into international endeavors. Domestically they have a strong presence but if they are going to overtake Starbucks as â€Å"The† fast-casual restaurant then they need to continue to find new markets to put their stores in. Currently they do not have an international sector at all. This is limiting their growth potential significantly and not really giving them a chance to be at the top of the totem pole in their sector of the restaurant business. International expansion could help Panera take their brand name to new heights. Another opportunity they have is to continue to expand their catering sector of their company. In 2004 they started to make a hard push into catering for other locations outside of the stores. By the end of 2005 they saw about 80 million dollars in sales in new sales from this catering sector. The ability to generate these types of sales in this short period of time gives Panera’s management incentive to continue to explore this opportunity. Threats The recession is a huge threat to all businesses that do not provide something that is a basic need for survival. Although Panera does provide food, which is a necessity, they still have to fight with the recession, as people do not eat out as much during tough economic times. Instead, people penny pinch and try to cut down on as many things as possible. Although they could discount their products and possibly generate more sales during this tough economic time, this strategy could make people start to associate their brand as being generic. This strategy would ultimately hurt them in the long run. Another threat would be new restaurants coming into territory that they do business in and undercutting some of their sales. People have ever-changing taste and are always looking for the new â€Å"hot† thing. Since this is the case, new restaurants that are able to get the attention of consumers in the areas that Panera has restaurants in could pose a huge threat. VRIO Framework Sustainable competitive advantage is the key to any company’s long-term success. Are any of Panera’s strengths sustainable? Strong Brand Name Valuable: Yes, a strong brand name in the business world is very valuable. It is especially valuable in the restaurant business because when people associate your brand name with having good food then people are automatically going to come in your place of business to get food. Also, this strong brand name gets people talking about your products and word of mouth advertising is amongst the top if not the top form of advertising. Rare: No, a strong brand name is not rare in the restaurant business. Many other restaurants in the fast-casual sector have a brand name that is associated with good food. This is the reason why there are so many of these types of restaurants out there that are able to perform well year in and year out. Although there are many restaurants that are able to build a strong brand name, there are many more that are not able to establish this strong brand name. Most restaurants fail within the first year because of this fact. Imitated Easily (Immutable): No developing a strong brand name is not easy. It takes years of creating quality products that people grow to love. Another way is to come up with something so innovative that people have no choice but to recognize that food product with your brand name. Both of these scenarios are extremely hard to pull off successfully. Organization: Yes, the Panera organization is very committed to continuing to build their brand name. This is especially evident in how they franchise their company out to other people. Their franchise owners have to adhere to certain rules and regulations in order to open up a Panera Bread restaurant. Atmosphere of Restaurants Valuable: Yes this is a very valuable aspect of their restaurants. The fast casual style gives Panera bread an edge over other restaurants and makes it more then just a place that you can get great food. The amenities that are offered at Panera bread makes it a friendly place to eat as well as do various other activities such as hang out with friends or catch up on work. They opened their doors with the idea that the overall atmosphere is what was going to set them apart from others and give them a competitive advantage and that is precisely what they have been able to do. Rare: Yes and No. This overall atmosphere is available in most coffee shops around the world so from that perspective it’s not that rare. However, it is rare in the fact that they have been able to expand into one of the top brands in this sector and are really only second to Starbucks as far as atmosphere goes. They compete on a level that most coffee shops can’t. Imitated Easily (Immutable): Yes and No. Anybody can set up wireless internet and make a space conducive to hanging out and reading books. So in regard to this it is easily imitated. The part that is not easily imitated that Panera has been able to accomplish is that they are recognized by a large number of consumers as a place to go and do the activities mentioned above. Organization: Yes, the Panera Organization is committed to making their restaurant a place where people can go be in a friendly atmosphere. That was the whole basis of what they thought would create their competitive advantage when they opened their doors. Own a Subsidiary for Their Main Ingredient Valuable: Yes, the fact that they own subsidiaries that make their main ingredient is a huge advantage that they have. They are able to cut down on cost as well as always knowing that their dough’s will be exactly what they are expecting. They don’t have to ever worry about negotiating with outside vendors about prices or any other terms for this key ingredient. Also, they can protect their trade secret that is the ingredients and process of creating their dough. Rare: No, they are most definitely not the first company to own a subsidiary that is apart of the value chain. Many companies vertically integrate to gain some of the benefits that I mentioned above. Imitated easily (Immutable): Yes, this is very easy to imitate. The company must have the capital investment to make this happen but gathering the money is not something that can’t be imitated. Typically what keeps companies from doing this is that they can simply buy the materials needed at a cheaper cost versus creating these materials themselves. Organization: Yes, Panera is obviously committed to making this subsidiary successful. They could have hired out someone else to make their dough’s but then they would risk exposure of their trade secrets and may have to pay more for the dough. The subsidiary not only cuts down on certain costs but also protects their process of making their dough’s. Strategic Cost Analysis: Value Chain Analysis Primary Activities Supply Chain Management Panera Bread uses a subsidiary to supports its supply chain management as well as other independent suppliers. They get their dough, which is their key ingredient, from their subsidiary. This dough is used to make their assortments of breads, which is obviously what they are known for. They deliver the dough to each individual restaurant and then the restaurant bakes the bread so that the bread is fresh when it reaches the consumer. However, they do receive some of its ingredients for its doughs from other suppliers. Also, sweet goods, paper goods, small ware, and coffee are bought from outside suppliers. Panera feels like it is cheaper to buy these products from various suppliers instead of producing them internally or through a subsidiary. Operations Panera prides itself on being different from the pack in the world of fast casual restaurants. They do this by providing a friendly atmosphere in their restaurants in which their customers can come and get more then just food. This operation technique gives them an advantage over your average fast food restaurant but it is still someplace that you could go to get a meal quickly. Another key aspect of their operation is the fact that they are always changing the menu to appeal to the current customers as well as attract new ones. This is something that is necessary for any restaurant and has proven to be something that Panera does well. Distribution In most major cities in the United States you can find a Panera Bread restaurant to eat at. This is the primary activity for Panera to get their products to the customer. In this regard, they compete just like every other restaurant in country. However, they are really starting to pick up their catering sector of their company and this could lead to new customers and more revenue. Not only does catering give them another way to sale their products, but it may also expose individuals to Panera for the first time if they are at the catered event. Support Activities Word of Mouth Word of mouth is a huge support activity for pretty much every successful restaurant in the country. This is especially true for Panera Bread since they really don’t do too much to market their restaurant. They rely heavily on current customer’s positive experiences at their restaurant to spark them to tell somebody else. Through this positive word of mouth they are able to gain loyal customers, which is why they are able to sustain their company. Franchises Panera’s Franchise operations are a huge supplement for their company owned stores and they are able to generate significant revenue from their franchises. There is a significant investment required from a potential franchise owner. The franchises give Panera an opportunity to capitalize on their strong brand name. However, they must keep a close eye on each franchise so that they can maintain the Panera reputation. If they let the franchise operate under the Panera name without any rules then they are exposed to the risk of tainting their brand. Strategic Cost Analysis: Competitive Strength Assessment Panera Bread Chipotle Starbucks Key Success Factors Importance Weights Strength Score Strength Score Strength Score Brand Image 0. 25 9 2. 5 10 2. 5 10 2. 5 Restaurant Atmosphere 0. 2 8 1. 6 5 1 9 1. 8 Word of Mouth Advertising 0. 25 8 2 9 2. 25 8 2 Adjusting Menu To Adapt to Consumers 0. 1 9 0. 9 5 0. 5 6 0. 6 Price 0. 2 8 1. 6 8 1. 6 6 1. 2 Total 1 42 8. 35 35 7. 85 39 8. 1 When performing the competitive strength assessment for restaurants that are in the same strategic group as Panera Bread there were several key success factors that were important. Panera, Chipotle, and Starbucks all performed well in this assessment but with the success factors that I felt were important, Panera did just barely edge out Starbucks. Brand Image was extremely high on the pedestal in the key success factors because in the restaurant business, how the public perceives you will either make or break your restaurant. All three companies performed well in this category but I felt that Starbucks International presence gave them a slight edge over Panera and Chipotle. I rated the restaurant atmosphere as a . 2 because I felt like it was a very important factor by not quite as important as brand image. Chipotle struggles with their restaurant atmosphere in comparison to the other two places however; they are still able to succeed in this industry. They have not put as much importance on their dining experience; where as Panera and Starbucks whole method for differentiating themselves from other fast-casual establishments are creating that warm dinning experience. However, Starbucks also wins this category by a small margin. Word of mouth advertising is a . 25 because this is how you grow as a company. When you are able to get your loyal customers to get prospective customers to try out their products then restaurants give themselves a great opportunity to retain new customers. I thought that all of these places do a good job with generating this type of advertising but based on my experiences, Chipotle gets a little more of this type of advertising then the other two, especially from college students. The only one of these three that really makes a true effort to change up their menu is Panera Bread. They are constantly introducing new things to appeal to their customers. However, I didn’t feel as if this was nearly as important as some of the other key success factors. Chipotle and Starbucks have been able to create a menu that their customers like and are not likely to grow bored of eating which is why they are still successful. Since they don’t put an emphasis on changing their menu much, Panera takes this category relatively easy. Price is important within the restaurant business especially during these rough economic times. People are much more cognizant of where their money is spent. Chipotle and Panera offer quality products at decent prices even in these tough times. On the contrary, Starbucks would be on the pricier side especially when it comes to their food selection. They don’t offer big portions and individuals would likely still be hungry shortly after leaving the restaurant. Panera and Chipotle tied in this category as both of them offer good prices for valuable menu items. Financial Analysis The following are some basic income statements for Panera Bread and Chipotle as well as some financial Ratios. I chose these 2 because they are similar in size and are both considered fast-casual restaurants although they do serve different menu items. I do feel that Starbucks is a competitor of Panera Bread as well but they are a much larger company and there statements would make for a very good comparison. Panera Bread Statement of Operations (% of revenue) 2007 2006 Revenue 100% 100% Total Cost and Expenses 92% 89% Operating Profit 8% 11% Income before taxes 8% 11% Net Income 5% 7% Panera Bread Statement of Operations ($ in thousands) 2007 2006 Revenue 1,066,691 828,971 Total Cost and Expenses 977,801 736,295 Operating Profit 88,890 92,676 Income before taxes 88,890 92,676 Net Income 57,456 58,849 Chipotle Statement of Operations (% of revenue) 2007 2006 Revenue 100% 100% Total Costs and Expenses 89. 5% 92% Operating Profit 10. 5% 8% Income before taxes 10. 5% 8% Net Income 6% 5% Chipotle Statement of Operations ($ in thousands) 2007 2006 Revenue 1,085,782 822,930 Total Cost and Expenses 971,780 754,675 Operating Profit 114,002 68,255 Income before taxes 114,002 68,255 Net Income 70,563 41,423 Ratio Gross Profit Margin Net Profit Margin Operating Profit Margin Panera 2007 .74 .05 .08 Panera 2006 .76 .07 .11 Chipotle 2007 .68 .06 .10 Chipotle 2006 .69 .05 .075 Return on Assets Current Ratio Return on S/E Equity Panera 2007 .08 1. 17 .13 Panera 2006 .11 1. 19 .15 Chipotle 2007 .105 2. 75 .126 Chipotle 2006 .08 2. 92 .087 As you can see both of these companies are doing well and have been able to turn a nice size profit for these past 2 years. However, Chipotle has been able to grow from 2006 to 2007 as their net profit margin went up by 1% whereas Panera Breads has dropped 2%. I think the newness of Chipotle has given them an advantage in these early years but I don’t think it will be sustainable once people get use to the menu. The recession has hurt Panera more then Chipotle but due to the low liabilities that Panera has, they are still able to make a profit in 2007 that is not much lower then the profit from 2006. I believe that the overall dinning experience and the variety of the Panera menu will prove to be a sustainable competitive advantage going forward over many of its rivals and will provide them financial well-being. Business Strategy Analysis: Porter’s Generic Strategy Panera Bread’s goal is to create the greatest amount of value for the customers when they walk into one of their restaurants. The generic strategy that most closely resembles what they are trying to accomplish is Best-Cost Provider Strategy. This is providing quality products at a cheaper price then what you can get elsewhere. Full meals at Panera can be bought for very reasonable prices and there various bread selections give them an advantage over other fast-casual establishments. So on the basis of taste their products can be considered a bang for your buck. Also, they provide an atmosphere known as â€Å"Panera Warmth† which is something that is not provided at many other places. Between the reasonable prices for the quality products and the customer friendly environment, they are able to provide more value for their customers then most other fast-casual restaurants. Corporate Strategies: Diversification Diversification in Panera Bread has been an important aspect since they have been open for business. Starting as a company called Au Bon Pain in the 80s, they would eventually change to the Panera name once it took off. This was a move that allowed them to really expand their brand in the 90s and into the 2000s. Another thing that they did to diversify their company was purchasing majority of Paradise Bakery and Cafe in 2007. Paradise had 70 locations, which gave Panera more restaurants as well as some other knowledge that came along with the purchase. Panera has a very aggressive growth strategy and plan to have 2000 stores open by the en of 2010 in the United States. This type of growth strategy has the potential allow Panera to continue to climb the ladder to being one of the top fast-casual restaurants. Issue 1 A big issue that I see with Panera bread at this point in time is their untapped markets not only domestically but also internationally. They have several major cities that do not have Panera Bread in the city at all which is not allowing them to maximize their earning potential. Also, they have no international presence at all. These cafe style restaurants would likely catch on well internationally considering the success that Starbucks has had with their international establishments. Recommendation Panera Bread should continue with their aggressive growth strategy. They must make sure that they tap into some of the major city markets that they have yet to such as New York City, Washington D. C. , and New Orleans. Panera needs to have several locations in these cities and should make it a goal to have at least 20 in these cities by 2012. Also, they should continue to add restaurants in places like Miami and Seattle where they only have 2 and 5 establishments respectively. In competitive markets in the United States, Starbucks has more then 8 times as many locations as Panera. This is a huge problem is if they ever want to be on the same level as Starbucks. Internationally, they should pick a few countries where cafes are popular and try to tap into those markets. However, internationally I think that they should take their time instead of implementing the fast growth strategy that they have in the United States. I think they should try to have 100 restaurants internationally by 2012. They have to tap into the international market if they ever want to truly compete with Starbucks and they are in a good position financially now to expand slowly in the international market. Issue 2 Another big issue that is lingering with not only Panera Bread but also every single restaurant is the recession. This recession has hit many Americans hard financially and they have not been eating out as much. This decreases the amount of possible business that fast-casual restaurants can get and this includes Panera Bread. They must figure out a way to continue to grow despite the tough economic times. Recommendation 2 There are a number of things that Panera Bread can do to offset this rough economic stretch that we are in. One of those things is to offer discounts on certain menu items but only make this discount good for a certain period of time. This makes people feel like they are getting a deal on Panera’s products and be more likely to pull in during lunch as oppose to packing their lunch. The limited time on the discounts ensures that your products don’t become generic which is also important for when the recession is over.  Another thing that they can do if offer free food to customers after they have purchased so many products from the menu. This gives customers incentive to eat out at Panera even in the midst of a recession.