Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Harassment Essay -- essays research papers
OUTLINE THESIS STATEMENT: In today’s society 40 percent of the nation’s 55 million working women have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. I.     Introduction II.     Types of sexual harassment      A.     Requirements of sexual harassment           1.     Concept of unwelcome conduct           2.     Sexual nature of conduct      B.     Claims of harassment           1.     Quid quo pro           2.     Hostile environment III.     Types of Recourse      A.     Face-to-face      B.     Employer intervention      C.     Legal action IV.     Prevention of sexual harassment      A.     Written document      B.     Proper and supervising      C.     Rumors and Innuendo V.     Conclusion      SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE OF WOMEN Bernesha Benson SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE OF WOMEN      What is sexual harassment? It is the conduct to unwelcome and affect the terms and conditions of employment. There are several different ways an individual can be sexual harassed . ∙     Derogatory or vulgar comments about someone’s gender, physical anatomy or characteristics. ∙     Sexually suggestive or vulgar language. ∙     Threats or physical harm. ∙     Sexually oriented or suggestive pictures, posters, magazines, or other materials. ∙     Touching someone in a sexually suggestive way, or in a way calculated ... ...bsp;   Anyone who supervisw needs to have some basic education in a number of employee relations areas, including sexual harassment . They also need to have an interpersonal of behavior awarness component in their training. All supervisors and managers should have a fundmental knowledge of equal opportunity and affirmiative action issues, the provisionsof TitleVII and its impact on the workplace. Basic information of human resources policies will also help managers. Supervsiors and managersshould understand what sexual harassment is and what it is not from both legal and practical point of view.      Human resources professionals and line managers are frequently in a position to hearthe latest corporate gossip. While we all know the exaggeration and elaboration are the gossipers stock in trade we also know that there is usually a kernel of truth inside the mass of rumor and innuendo when whispers have to do with possible sexual harassment, particularly when same players are featured again and again, the employer ignores these rumors at its peril. Discreet inquires may well uncover a situation that requires fast and professional intervention.
Monday, August 19, 2019
Ancient Egyptian Religion :: essays research papers
Ancient Egyptian Religion Religion guided every aspect of Egyptian life. Egyptian religion was based on polytheism, or the worship of many deities, except for during the reign of Akenaton. The Egyptians had as many as 2000 gods and goddesses. Some, such as Amun, were worshipped throughout the whole country, while others had only a local following. Often gods and goddesses were represented as part human and part animal. For example, Horus, the sky god, had the head of a hawk, and body of a human. They considered animals such as the bull, the cat, and the crocodile to be holy. Their two chief gods were Amon-Ra and Osiris. Amon-Ra was believed to be the sun god and the lord of the universe. Osiris was the god of the underworld. Stories about him revolved around the idea of immortality. Osiris was the god that made a peaceful afterlife possible. The Egyptian "Book of the Dead" contains the major ideas and beliefs in the ancient Egyptian religion. Because their religion stressed an afterlife, Egyptians devoted much time and wealth to preparing for survival in the next world. The Egyptians had many tales about how the world began. According to one legend, it started with an ocean in darkness. Then a mound of dry land rose up and the sun god Re appeared. He created light and all things. Another version has the sun God emerging from a sacred blue lotus that grew out of the mud, while a third version has him appearing as a scarab beetle on the eastern horizon. Temples were considered dwelling places for the gods. They were everywhere. Each city had a temple built for the god of that city. The purpose of the temple was to be a cosmic center by which men had communication with the gods. As the priests became more powerful, tombs became a part of great temples. Shown below is a typical temple flood plan with the purposes of each section given. The priests duty was to care for the gods and attend to their needs. The priests had many duties such as funeral rites, teaching school, supervising the artists and works, and advising people on problems. Death and Funerals The Egyptians saw death as a transitional stage in the progress to a better life in the next world. They believed they could only reach their full potential after death. Each person was thought to have three souls, the "ka," the "ba," and the "akh." For these to function properly, it was considered essential for the body to survive intact.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Panama History and Culture Essays -- Panama Historical Cultural Essays
Panama History and Culture The culture and political structures of Panama as we know it today has evolved from an incredibly diverse and interesting history. Geographically, Panama lies on an isthmus, a strip of land that essentially connects the greater landmasses of North and South America. It is believed that volcanic activity in the late Pliocene era closed the former Central American Seaway that had separated the two continents. The climatic implications of this landform are incredible, allowing for the redistribution of oceanic currents and the formation of the Gulf Stream of the Atlantic of today. The native populations of Panama include the Chibchan, Chocoan, and Cueva communities, and like the fates of many indigenous populations in a period of European colonization, they were dealt a poor hand. In the early 1500s, Rodrigo de Bastidas from Spain became the first European to officially explore the Isthmus. Alonso de Ojeda and Diego de Nicuesa were granted permission to begin colonization shortly after, in 1509. Thus the first European colonies in Panama emerged, and the Spanish-influenced culture of Panama began to unfold. Many of the native populations chose to relocate to the surrounding islands, away from Spanish influence. Panama remained under Spanish control until the 1800s. In 1801, the Panamanian communities began the move toward independence. In November of 1821, General Josà © de Fà ¡brega met with the separatists in the Capitol, and the group called for a national assembly, in which representatives from every region in Panama came to convene on November 10th. At this assembly it was officially declared that Panama was severing its ties to the Spanish, and ... ... Health Perspectives, Vol. 109, Supplement 2. (May, 2001), pp. 191-198. Mà ©ndez, J. Ignacio. â€Å"Azul y Rojo: Panama's Independence in 1840.†The Hispanic American Historical Review, Vol. 60, No. 2. (May, 1980), pp. 269-293. Moreno, Stanley Heckadon. â€Å"Impact of Development on the Panama Canal Environment.†Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs, Vol. 35, No. 3, Special Issue: The Future of Panama and the Canal. (Autumn, 1993), pp. 129-149. Russell, Graham. â€Å"Hurricane Mitch and Human Rights†. Development and Practice, Vol. 9, No. 3. (May, 1999), pp.322-325. Weeks, John; Zimbalist, Andrew. â€Å"The Failure of Intervention in Panama: Humiliation in the Backyard.†Third World Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 1. (Jan., 1989), pp. 1-27. www.cnn.com (CNN Website) www.history.com (History Channel)
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Applied Social Psychology and Causes: The Case of Control Arms Campaign
During the course of discussions on topics on Social Psychology, I had a realization on the importance of Social Psychology as a school of thought. It dawned on me that the social-psychological school of thought has its relevance on how individuals perceive, create and recreate relationships within and among groups.One of the most practical applications of the range of topics within this course is in asking what makes the individual tick in a particular group. Personally, social psychology’s relevance lies in asking: what drives the individual to act in such a way within a group?In class, we have been bombarded by a mà ©lange of ideas and concepts that range from complex interpretations of social actions, to trivial and too obvious actions of the individual within the context of his social interactions.With that said, this paper focuses on the relevance of applying social psychology in social activism especially in the areas of advocacy and campaigns. Specifically, I would li ke to focus on the individual’s support for a particular cause which in this case is an international treaty.The assumption that I am making in this paper is that the different theories discussed in class are not fragmented concepts to deal with but are all helpful in making social psychology relevant in reality. With that said, the discussion here attempts to integrate the concepts to make a coherent framework with which to approach campaigning for an international treaty.Advocacy and Campaigns: The Arms Trade TreatyControl Arms (2007) stated that, â€Å"There are at least 639 million small arms and light weapons in the world.†The leading group campaigning for global measure on arms explains that around two-thirds of these firearms are in the hands of civilians. This implies that if we want peace, addressing the issue of arms proliferation is a very huge leap towards lessening gun-related deaths and in achieving world peace. However, the campaign is not without its s etbacks.Until now, no global agreement on international arms transfers exist, although the relationship is clear vis-à -vis the high number of guns available for civilians and deaths. (Control Arms, 2003). Small arms and light weapons are considered as the new â€Å"weapons of mass destruction,†because guns kill peopleâ€â€innocent civilians, women and children. Guns fuel greater violence and it creates fear and trauma on communities.Americans are better off than our African and Asian counterparts because we are at peace. Ironically, we are one of the biggest producers of weapons for warfare and the biggest of which is guns.Applying Social Psychology Concepts on Advocacy and CampaignsOne of the initial weaknesses of this campaign is in the lack of public support for it. In the United States, the reactions on an international treaty that regulates arms transfers from one country to another differ greatly. It is bipolar: the pro-guns versus the anti-guns. It is also a cri sis of public perception: between what is popular and what people typically approve.A.   On NormsCialdini (2003) presents what I call a ‘social form of schizophrenia’ when there is a discrepancy between what people do and what they typically approve ofâ€â€which are two entirely different characteristics. Furthermore, Cialdini proposed that norms determine actions, and thus, the prevailing norms on gun culture determine people’s behavior towards it.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Orthodontics Essay
I am currently a 4th year dental student and I would like to apply for a postgraduate residency in Orthodontics. I have assessed the advantages and disadvantages of pursuing this career and I feel that being of service to a lot of people and raising their self-esteem by beautifying them is what drives me towards this direction. I have always focused on both the physical as well as the mental enhancement of my capabilities. I have learned to focus on achievement not only as flat numbers on a page, but as an indicator that I am getting better, making progress toward being the best I can be. I believe I can be of help to the community where I belong in both the short term and long term. I know that I do not have the luxury of mediocrity or pessimism or apathyâ€â€that peak performance is demanded in this profession, We have all been in situations where the best of ourselves emerged at levels we previously thought impossible, and have seen such moments in our families, in projects that worked. I had been in projects and cultural and social activities in school that I feel would help me contribute in my efforts in pursuing Orthodontics. I believe in team productivity that would help serve self-development and personal fulfillment, and by extension, the vitality and prosperity of the school where I plan to pursue further studies. I know I can contribute to the school in my own small way because I feel most alive when engaged full-throttle. Call it positive addiction, a contributory obsession, a passion to create one’s self through one’s work, yet I thrive in that and I can’t wait to channel my energies towards these worthy efforts. I have made further explorations of what this university stands for and what it has to offer, and I have to say that my appreciation of this university has grown. I have learned that it stands not only for academic excellence that prepares students for the challenges of career and real life, but also for a value-ladened education that emphasizes values education and a concern and commitment for a more humane and just world. This university aroused my interest in particular, because it fits in with my earlier notions that education should include immersion in real life problems and challenges. I am excited and eager to find out how I can fulfill my potential by subjecting myself to the discipline and immersing myself in the daily life of this University and the many issues tied to being an educated and compassionate person in a complex world. After much reflection, I have come to regard this University as one of the best options for a young person like me. I am excited at the prospect of being considered for admission here. I hereby present myself with a strong grasp of fundamentals in dentistry, an insatiable thirst for knowledge and an array of teaching, leadership and team member skills. I sincerely hope that my background and undergraduate qualifications are deemed appropriate for higher studies in your university. I feel my best work is still in the future. I believe I can contribute and make a difference, and successfully complete the requirements, if given a chance. I am full of enthusiasm and am eager to bring to bear my personal strengths and interests, and my zeal to excel in my chosen field to the pursuit of excellence in my areas of interest.
Li&Fung
Summary Li & Fung, which is a long-standing Hong Kong based company, has evolved from an export trading company to a coordinator of value-added services across the whole supply chain in a global, open manufacturing circumstance. Its corporate culture has enabled it to keep pace with the current trend of global business. The successful acquisitions and the venture capital make the company grows stably and rapidly. However, the company now faces some challenges coming from Asian financial environment and related policies.High sensitive of the change in macro environment is essential for the company to success. At the same time, keeping Asia in an important position could take long time competitive advantages. Finally, the update of information and technology may bring more efficiency and effective within the organization. Introduction Li & Fung was the first export company that solely funded by Chinese capital in Chinese trade history. Fung Yiu-hing and Li To-ming founded it in 1906 in Guangzhou, China. The firm grew to be a limited company in Hong Kong on December 28, 1937.The company expanded quickly to globalize by the leading of the second generation from the Fung family. The high-speed growth of Li & Fung Limited started when the third generation of Fung’s family took over the organization. The core parts of the company’s business are foreign trade, logistic, distribution and retail. Victor and William tried to restructure the company, use the modem human resource management, and utilized professional management skills to control the company without eliminating the Chinese style management.Li & Fung Limited made use of acquisition to take over the competitors and expanded their suppliers and clients all over the world. The most famous and successful one is the acquisition of Inchcape Buying Services (IBS), which helped Li & Fung Limited to open the European market. At the same time, the brothers establish a venture capital corporation to accomp any the suppliers and stable its supply chain. According to one anonymous (1999), Li & Fung is the world’s largest trade sourcing company and it pioneers a new model for multinationals.By now, William and Victor want to expand the company from Asia based company into a region closer to their target market. With the new trend of the global economy, Li & Fung Limited will encounter more challenges and find a way out of a difficulty. Since its foundation, the company has establishes a culture that incorporates pragmatism and innovation. According to Msmith (2008), the progressive corporate culture, which blends traditional pragmatic reasoning with entrepreneurial innovation, has enabled adaptability and growth in a dynamic market.Additionally, it combines the Chinese business culture (â€Å"Chineseness†) with the foreign operations. Not only is it expects loyalty and reward diligent, but it also has a reasonable and transparent bonus system, where bonuses were based solel y on profit performance. Generally, the company is employee-concerned, where the workers and managers are treated as family. As is the vision of the corporation, they strive to use resources efficiently; to add business value for our customers and their suppliers; to focus on the health and wellbeing of our colleagues; and to positively impact our communities and societies (2013).Analysis of Li & Fung Li & Fung’s outsourcing matrix suits particularly well to its global position and activity: To begin with, outsourcing teams are firstly divided into two main product categories: soft and hard goods. Since they â€Å"specialized†in a certain kind of good, they develop a certain expertise, which is an asset in their discussions with external agents. Besides, inside each category, the teams are divided depending on their geographical market. This organization displays an advantage in satisfying specific local needs.Furthermore, connection and communication is established a nd fostered between the divisions, which know exactly whom to contact for each particular issue. Finally, Li & Fung is able to efficiently master the â€Å"4Cs†(connections, communications, control of quality, and consolidation of shipments), and obtain a competitive advantage because of their organizational chart. In terms of Li & Fung’s business model, it is â€Å"a virtual factory†or â€Å"private label manufacturing program†. This means that it specializes in providing product itself, not brand or promotion.Although there is big scale merit in production of textile industry, it is difficult that each company has a big factory as there are lots of competitors and fashion of the clothes are always changing, as is thought by Swan (2008). As to company which has a talent of designing or marketing, it is better not to have its manufacturing and outsourcing. Maybe this is why Li & Fung is always required from many customers. Also, Li & Fung has developed the relationship through its network so that it can get such soft goods as textiles at high speed and excellent quality with the lowest cost.Successful acquisition Li & Fung’s mergers have been the main way of expending their business. Among all the mergers, the biggest merger during 1994 to 1997, which is acquiring IBS, is the most successful and famous one even in the global range. The main reason why Li & Fung can get so many benefits from merger is based on the following reasons. The first reason is that, Li & Fung knows which company to merge. When Li & Fung choose companies, they will look for what the company is having at that time, the sourcing, the customers and the employees.In this way, Li & Fung can complement the blank its current business. For example, although the margin of IBS was only 0. 8% and the combined average was 2. 2%, the sourcing supplement brought by IBS has make up the blank of Li & Fung’s South Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean and Latin Amer ica. The second reason is that Li & Fung knows how to merge. At that time Li & Fung is the largest world’s supplier of retailers and IBS was the second largest. So the merge was very difficult and was treat as an elephant eat elephant merger.Especially for the huge difference between the two companies, Li & Fung was a U. S. – style Chinese-family business, While IBS was a British company. There would be a lot of unaccustomed and conflicts as expected. So Li & Fung created a transition team to review organizational processes and implement a unit-by-unit transition. Instead of doing the transition after the merger, Li & Fung did it ahead of the merger, in order of saving accustoming time. When the scale of the company increases, the operational mode of the company has to keep changing as well.After the merger, Li & Fung’s scale is twice as big. Li & Fung changed its mode into a more efficient and suitable one. It assigned managers to customer groups and not countr ies. This has made the management to be more professional and make the production more efficient. The merger has made the sourcing matrix of Li & Fung more mature. The margin of Li & Fung was higher than those of other companies due to their regionally coordinated sourcing services. Small Venture Capital Arm In 1986, Li & Fung established a small venture capital group in order to improve and perfect the whole supply chain.LFI invested in companies, which could assist the Li & Fung’s sourcing services. Magretta (1998) indicates that Victor said â€Å"A big piece of our corporate development is plugging those holes-the phrase we use is â€Å"filling in the mosaic†– and we use venture capital to do it. †LFI pay the same attention on the companies’ management system as the product when they were choosing the company to invest. Biers (2000) said, â€Å"Its venture activity has remained modest by industry standards, with just two or three new investme nts a year, each typically of just a few million dollars or less. The CEO of LFI mentioned that they only invested in companies that had at least $3 million profit, lack of resource and kept the control of the company. At the same time, they were looking for the young and creative companies that owned by people with design and marketing talent. The most successful capital injection is the investment to a promotional company; Cyrk Inc. LFI spent $200,000 in order to take 30% shares in Cyrk Inc. during 1990. At the very start, Cyrk Inc. provided service of T-shirt print.Three year after the capital injection, the sales volume raised 20 times more than before through capitalized on its logo and promotional design capabilities. In this case, they made contract with Philip Morris to produce a full line of promotional clothing. Five years later, LFI sold their shares of Cyrk Inc. for about $65 million. After spending a great deal of investment in America, LFI transferred their sight to th e European market. As a result of diverse culture and language, it was more difficult to invest in several companies to cover the whole European market.The complex situation required the managers in European have more experience and different strategies for different countries. During the process of helping these companies, they gain experience about the selection of the collaborate companies and create more opportunities to broaden their business fields. At the same time, Li & Fung can gain high reputations among the growing companies, because the goal of the LFI is not acquire these companies. In this case, these companies could unconstrained develop themselves. And Li & Fung could not only maintain the good relationship with both potential partners and current partners.Challenges & Recommendations For Li & Fung, although it is already the largest export company in the world, it is still facing a lot of challenges. According to the trend of international Economics, Asian Financial Crisis will be gone. By then, the labor cost of Li & Fung will not be as low as now. So margin will be lower in the coming future. But even if the Asian market has recovered, its labor cost is still lower than other countries; also the gap between the wealthy and poor is huge. Most of people are living under average level, which will bring a low cost of labor.Also Asian has a large population, which will involve a large number of rich people, whose price sensitivity is low and needs are high. They can purchase the products, which have been produced in Asian. So Li & Fung could give more attention to Asian Market, instead of giving it up. Policies of trade protection, which have been published by governments in different countries, will also be a huge challenge to Li & Fung. Under this circumstance, all that Li & Fung can do is to prevent before it or actively adjust after the coming of policies.Li & Fung should do market research and macroeconomics analysis regularly in order to ch oose the very best sourcing places. Also, it ought to try to find outstanding suppliers in different economic regions and different fields, so that the risk will be shared. Thereby, Li & Fung should closely monitor the changes of economics and adjust it in time. With the development of technology, information system is playing an important role in supply chain management. In this case, Li & Fung could establish a proprietary information network that enabled clients to view the status of an order.This will improve their customer relationship management. At the same time, they could set up a powerful database to do data mining, which could collect the data of suppliers and consumers, in order to calculate the shortest time and distance and lowest cost in operation. Also they can collect the data of customers, so that they can know better of market needs and offer better service. Overall, for Li & Fung, challenges and chances are coexisting. If it could continue to reflect, to improve, it would keep up with the trend of world economics and update information and technology timely.References 1. Biers, D. (2000). Thinking small. Far Eastern Economic Review, 163(46), 48-48. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/208225120? accountid=9744 2. Li & fung pioneers a new model for multinationals. (1999). Strategic Direction, 15(6), 24-25. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/218626878? accountid=9744 3. Li & Fung: Beyond â€Å"Filling in the Mosaic†, 1998-1998(HBS Case 9-398-092). 4. Magretta, J. (1998), Fast, global, and entrepreneurial: Supply chain management, hong kong style: An interview with victor fung.Harvard Business Review, 76(5), 102-114. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/227758445? accountid=9744 5. Mismith068 (2008, 12). Li and Fung Case Analysis. StudyMode. com. Retrieved 12, 2008, from http://www. studymode. com/essays/Li-Fung-Case-Analysis-185365. html 6. Swan (2008, 9). Agri-Future; trendspotting & futu re thinking. Retrieved 9, 2008, from http://swan-futurethinking. blogspot. ca/2008_09_01_archive. html 7. Sustainability (2013, 3). Retrieved March 14, 2013 from http://www. lifung. com/eng/csr/csr1. php
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Panera Bread Company: Still Rising Fortunes? Essay
Panera Bread is a renowned restaurant that has come about from the merging of great companies and people. However, the beginning was actually with Au Bon Pain which was started in Boston’s Feneuil Hall as a demonstration bakery. Louis Kane was struck by this store’s growth potential and purchased the business in 1978. Between 1978 and 1981 the company opened 13 stores, but subsequently closed 10 of these stores, in the Boston area and had major debt. Ronald Shaich, a recent graduate from Harvard, opened the Cookie Jar in 1980 and befriended Louis Kane. In 1981, the friends merged the Au Bon Pain and the Cookie Jar to form one business known as Au Bon Pain Co. Inc. The co-CEO’s were able to lower debt, expand the business, and centralized facilities for dough production. In 1985, the company added fresh made sandwiches to their production when they noticed customer behavior of purchasing a baguette cut in half and using cold cuts brought from home to make sandwich es. This allowed for a new way to reach customers with fast service, all the while staying nutritious. Panera opened in three business segments: company owned bakery-cafà © operations, franchise operations, and fresh dough operations. The key initiatives of Panera’s growth was focused on growing store profit, increasing transaction and gross profit per transaction, use its capital smartly, and put in place drivers for concept differentiation and competitive advantage. During the recession, while other companies were lowering pricing and quality of goods, Panera was doing the opposite. The company instead targeted customer who could afford to spend an average of $8.50 on lunch. So during 2009, the company raised prices twice, on bagels and soups, which enabled the company to provide more for less. This attitude also allowed the company to maintain employees and customer satisfaction. By keeping labor consistent with sales and continuing to invest in its employees as a way to better serve its customers. In 2009, Panera had sales of nearly $2.8 billion and was ranked as the large st fast casual chain. Panera learned from its competitors, none of those competitors had yet to figure out the formula for Panera’s success. Panera has continued to add new and exciting products to its menu and strive to meet the expectations of its customers, and this included the new breakfast sandwiches introduced in 2008. The menu was redesigned and its menu boards with the hope of drawing the customer eye to the highest margin items. These new menus also included the calorie information for items in 2010, well before any other company did so. The company has been able to anticipate and react to changes in food and supply costs, included fuel, proteins, dairy, wheat, tuna, and cream cheese in effort to drive gross profit per transaction. Resources: When dealing with resources there a few that jump out such as: Panera’s intellectual capital, its financial position, and the executives. Each of these resources enable the company to grow and provide service to customers while maintaining their current standards. Panera has been able to see their company continue to generate profits, keep employees working, and grow the company. Since the company is so good to their employees and franchisees, these employees are eager to maintain quality, which in turn leads to more loyal customers. Panera realized that the key ingredient was the kind of people behind the counter who provides the customer service. Because the company is maintaining quality, which includes freshness and nutrition this allows the customers to choose this casual fast food location for a much better meal. Since the company is doing well financially, they are able to continue expanding, which leads to more jobs and potential for the areas surrounding the store. Th is in turn enables the company to maintain their financial position and continue to invest in new ventures. Capabilities: Panera offers a great value on their products. This healthy option offers a number of varieties which enable customers to get anything from soup to pastries. Since trends are always changing, Panera does a good job in changing their menu to keep with customer demands. This ever changing menu has offerings to satisfy changing customer preferences, improve its products, and maintain customer interest. By maintaining the customer interest in its menu items Panera must continue to do research and develop new goods. As Panera doesn’t have a test kitchen, these items are instead tested these items out directly in the cafà ©s. The research and development team have twice yearly retreats that allow these team members to â€Å"out do†each other with their creations. Panera has also been able to negotiate the real estate locations so that be actually favors the company. This is also true with the ordering food products and other goods. Most of these companies will offer discoun ts on goods due to the name recognition and stability of the company when others are failing. Core Competencies: When looking into core competencies Panera has proven and developed many of these. The goal in the beginning was to sell high quality food with a mid-price level. Panera has since exceeded the goal and customer expectations in the casual fast food category. The company continues to maintain these expectations by having fresh dough distribution centers in regional areas. This provides the product quickly and allows for faster use which keeps the product fresher for customers. While Panera strives to maintain these standards, the company also reaches out to the surrounding community by giving away left over bread to homeless shelters and collects donations for other charities. Panera also believes in providing bakery-cafà © operators the chance to participate in the success of the location, which enable the company to attract and maintain experienced and highly qualified personnel. Findings of Fact: Franchising a Key to Success: Franchising is a key component in the growth that Panera has experienced. Since a franchisee is purchasing the use of the Panera name, this means that they are also purchasing the business model and trademark for their location. This allows the company to grow quickly and the franchisee contributes the resources and capabilities necessary to implement the Panera concepts and strategies. The franchise program began in 1996, and as of December 2009 there are 795 franchise-operated bakery-cafà ©s open throughout the US and Canada. There are also commitments to open another 240 additional locations. Panera sells locations via the Area Development Agreements (ADAs) and the franchisee must be able to meet financial requirements set forth by Panera. The strategic choice perspective, which proposes that not only does the company adapt to changing environments, but they also have the opportunity and power to reshape their own environment, means that Panera is able to draw customers who can a fford to spend a little more. By opening franchises across the country, the company is reaching for a functional strategy by achieving corporate and business unit objects. By implementing the strategy that each franchisee must open a set amount of locations within their development area can allow the company to expand and reach a greater amount of customers. In 2009, 57.6% of the company’s bakery-cafà ©s were owned by franchises comprised of 48 franchise groups. Panera does not facilitate the construction or development of the area where a location will be built. Franchising is a great way for Panera to enter new markets with little to no cost to the company. This can be seen with how Panera moved into the Canadian market. Panera entered into a credit facility with a Canadian franchisee and in March 2010, Panera had repurchased the locations in order to be more directly involved in the new Canadian market. By implementing ways for franchisees to continue to expand and generate more sales Panera would be able to lower some of the standards set to become a franchisee and this would allow for more opportunities for growth both inside and outsid e of the US and Canada. Quality and Concept Different from Competitors: Facing competition from numerous sources in its trade area means that Panera has to offer something unique. This means that Panera offers something different, such as fresh-baked artisan breads, fresh sandwiches, soups, and salads without worrying about whether it was nutritious. The unique dining experience to customers, combined with nutritious food and fast service keep customers coming back. The friendly atmosphere, which includes comfortable seating, warm tones, and convenient locations can offer customers a better option to be able to hang out and possibly spend more money. Panera handles this obstacle by offering specialty food, casual dining, and quick service cafà ©s. However, competitive factors include location, environment, customer service, price, and quality of products. This means that Panera competes for the best locations, hourly employees, and customers. The corporate culture within Panera has always been a collection of beliefs, expectations, and values learned an d shared by the company employees. This results in employees striving to be the best that they can be when offering quality service and products. There are competitors who have begun to test the concept of â€Å"upscale†dining, may also test the health and wellness or sustainability component that could be included. By being able to maintain their core beliefs such as no chemicals or preservatives, the company is able to bring customers back to simpler times and provide good, quality food. Since Panera is able to dedicate themselves to their concept the company has enjoyed brand loyalty, positive name recognition, and goodwill. Since Panera operated on three business segments such as company-owned bakery-cafà © operations, franchise operations, and fresh dough operations the company is able to keep a better feel for those segments and maintain standards. Panera was able to extend its strong values in unpretentious ways in a welcoming atmosphere. Locations were often donating bread and baked goods to community organizations in need which showed that they were involved in bettering their community. By ensuring that Panera sets the standards that competitors much strive to reach, the goal is to find a propitious niche, such as the casual fast food dining experience with specialty foods. Financial Growth Panera reported a 48% increase in net income of $25,845 million during the first quarter of 2010. Panera believed that its primary capital resource was cash generated by operations. The principle requirements for cash have resulted in the company’s capital expenditures for the development of new company owned bakery-cafà ©s. By putting this capital to work for the company, such as purchasing new equipment, remodeling locations, or other needs such as enhancements to information systems or infrastructure, will be able to maintain standards for products. The company has access to a $250 million credit facility, which as of December 2009, had to borrowings outstanding. Panera will be able to use its cash flow from operations and available borrowing under its existing credit facility will be sufficient to fund its capital requirements for the foreseeable future. Panera should continue to invest in training, labor, and quality products. Panera was able to increase costs, which resulted in better products while other competitors were cutting costs, and this resulted in a more loyal customer. The company should continue to increase performance and be able to increase stock prices. The franchise agreements also provide a source of income when fees are due. These royalties and fees in fiscal year 2009 were up and with the franchisee opening more locations that should continue to grow. Finding ways to provide quality products at a mid-level cost to the customer will continue to ensure that Panera will continue to see growth in the future. Panera should begin to spend some of the capital on marketing. Although most of the marketing has been done by word of mouth, there is no reason why the company couldn’t do some advertising. This would increase customer knowledge and traffic within the locations. Overall Panera Bread Co. Inc. is a stable company which has continued to grow as other competitors scaled back in the recent recession. Panera offers quality food, customer service, and a welcoming environment which some other competitors do not offer. By offering this type of arrangement for customers, it encourages more spending and allows customers to take their time while getting their meals faster. Being a national leader in business can allow the company to meet obligations and ensure that the capital will continue to grow. Panera will continue to set standards and strive to meet them every day. Works Cited Wheelen, Thomas L. and J. David Hunger. Strategic Management & Business Policy. 12th Edition. Boston: Pearson. 2012. Print
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