More About Indirect Objects in Spanish

More About Indirect Objects in Spanish In Spanish, you may find indirect object pronouns where you least expect them, at least if your native language is English. That is because in Spanish, the indirect object pronouns have a much wider variety of uses than they do in English. As you may recall, in English the indirect object pronouns are used almost exclusively to indicate that someone has been the recipient of a verbs action although not directly acted upon. Thus, in English, the indirect object is often a shorter substitute for saying something is being done to or for someone. The same usage is common in Spanish (although the use of the indirect object is usually mandatory in such sentences, not so in English). A few examples should help explain this usage: English: I am giving him the books. Spanish: Le doy los libros. Explanation: Book (libro) is the direct object of the verb because it is the object that is given. The indirect object is him, because he is the recipient of the action. The English sentence is the equivalent of I am giving the book to him. English: He showed her the house. Spanish: Le enseà ±Ãƒ ³ la casa. Explanation: House (casa) is the direct object because it is what was shown. The indirect object is her, because she is the recipient of the action. The English sentence is the equivalent of He showed the house to her. English: They are serving us the dinner. Spanish: Nos sirven la cena. Explanation: Dinner (cena) is the direct object because it is what is being served. The indirect object is us, because we are the recipients of the action. The English sentence is the equivalent of They are serving the dinner to us. In Spanish, indirect object pronouns are used in similar sentences that would be awkward in English. For example, while it is possible to say, They are painting me a house, it would be more common to say, They are painting a house for me. In Spanish, there is no awkwardness; the normal sentence construction still would be Me pintan una casa. The main point of this lesson, however, is that Spanish uses the indirect objects in many cases where it would be impossible to do so in English. As noted above, English typically uses the indirect object for cases in which the object is the recipient of some object or action. In Spanish, however, the indirect object can be used in other types of instances where the object is merely affected by the action. The use of the pronoun indicates only that the person was affected by the verb; exactly how the person was affected is determined by the context. Also, in English it is almost always the case that a sentence with an indirect object also has a direct object (as in the above examples). However, in Spanish there are some verbs (the most common being gustar, to be pleasing) that take an indirect object without needing a direct object. Following are examples that should help clarify some common types of uses of indirect objects. The indirect object pronouns le and les (the third-person indirect objects) are used in the following examples to make it clear that an indirect object pronoun is being used. (In the first and second persons, the indirect and direct objects are the same; for example, me can function as either an indirect or direct object.) Indicating that a person received some emotion, sensation, result or impression: El trabajo le abruma. (The work is overwhelming to her.) Le gusta el programa. (The program is pleasing to him.) No voy a explicarle las teorà ­as. (I am not going to explain the theories to you.) Les obligà ³ que comer. (He forced them to eat.) La decisià ³n le perjudicà ³. (The decision harmed him.) Les es ventajoso. (It is advantageous to them.) Indicating a loss of something: Le robaron cincuenta euros. (They took 50 euros from her.) Le sacaron un rià ±on. (They took out one kidney from her.) Le comprà © el coche. (I bought the car from him or I bought the car for him.) Las inversiones le devaluaron. (The investments lost money for him.) With various phrases using hacer or tener: Les hacà ­a  feliz. (It made them happy.) Les tengo miedo. (Im afraid for them.) Le hizo daà ±o. (It hurt her.) When a verb affects a body part or an intimate possession, particularly clothing. In such cases, the pronoun is seldom translated to English: Se le cae el pelo. (His hair is falling out. Note that, as in this example, when a reflexive verb is used, the reflexive pronoun comes before the indirect-object pronoun.) Le rompieron los anteojos. (They broke his glasses.) With certain verbs to indicate sufficiency or insufficiency. The pronoun isnt always translated to English. Le faltan dos euros. (She is two euros short.) Les bastan 100 pesos. (A hundred pesos is enough for them.) When making requests or addressing someone: Le pidieron dos libros. (They asked her for two books.) Les exigià ³ mucho dinero. (It required much money from them.) Les dijo que es peligroso. (He told them it is dangerous.)

First American Woman to Vote - Claimants

First American Woman to Vote - Claimants An often-asked question: who was the first woman to vote in the United States, the first female voter? First Woman to Vote in America If that includes in the area that later became the United States, there are some candidates. Some Native American women had rights to voice, and what we might now call a vote before European settlers arrive. The question usually refers to women voters in the new governments established by European settlers and their descendants. European settlers and their descendants? The evidence is sketchy. Women property-owners were sometimes given and sometimes exercised the right to vote during colonial times. In 1647, Margaret Brent of Maryland colony assumed her right to vote twice once for herself as a property owner and once for Cecil Calvert, Lord Baltimore, because he had given her a power of attorney. The governor denied her request.Deborah Moody, in 1655, cast a vote in New Netherlands (which later became New York). She had the right to vote because she had a land grant in her own name.Lydia Taft, in 1756, was credited with being the first woman to legally vote in the British colonies of the New World, in an 1864 address by Judge Henry Chapin.  Taft voted in town meetings in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. First Woman to Vote Because all unmarried women who owned property had the right to vote from 1776-1807  in New Jersey, and there were no records kept of what time each voted in the first election there, the name of the first woman in the United States to legally vote (after independence) is likely lost in the mists of history. Later, other jurisdictions granted women the vote, sometimes for a limited purpose (such as Kentucky allowing women to vote in school board elections beginning in 1838). Here are some candidates for the title of first woman to vote: Unknown. New Jersey gave all inhabitants (with property) and thus (unmarried) women the right to vote in its state constitution in 1776, then rescinded this right in 1807. The 1807 bill also rescinded the right of black men to vote. (Married women fell under the rule of coverture and could not vote.) First Woman to Vote Legally in the United States After 1807 September 6, 1870: Louisa Ann Swain of Laramie Wyoming voted. (Source: Women of Achievement and Herstory, Irene Stuber) Woman Voting and the 19th Amendment This is another title with a lot of uncertainty about who should be credited. First Woman to Vote in California 1868: Charley Parkie Parkhurst who voted as a man (Source: Highway 17: The Road to Santa Cruz by Richard Beal) First Woman to Vote in Illinois Ellen Annette Martin, 1869. (Source: Early Illinois Women timeline, Alliance Library System, Illinois.)In a municipal election in Illinois: Clara Colby. (Source: Illinois General Assembly resolution 90_HR0311) First Woman to Vote in Iowa Clarke County: Mary Osmond, October 25, 1920. (Source: Clarke County, Iowa, Genealogy, Osceola Sentinel, 28 October 1920)Union Township: Mrs. O.C. Coffman (Source: Fluxus Indian Museum) First Woman to Vote in Kansas General Election in Kansas: name not given (Source: Kansas State Historical Society timeline, from First Woman to Vote at a General Election in Kansas, November 4, 1880)Lincoln County: Mrs. Anna C. Ward (Source: A Souvenir History of Lincoln County, Kansas, by Elizabeth N. Barr, 1908) First Woman to Vote in Maine Roselle Huddilston ​voted. (Source: Maine Sunday Telegram, 1996) First Woman to Vote in Massachusetts Clinton: Jennie Mahan Hutchins (Source: The Mahan Family archives)Concord: In 1879, Louisa May Alcott registered as the first woman to vote in the Concord school committee election (Source: Library of Congress) First Woman to Vote in Michigan Nannette Brown Ellingwood Gardner voted. (Source: Michigan Historical Collections) - sources are unclear whether Gardner voted, or recorded that Sojourner Truth voted. First Woman to Vote in Missouri Mrs. Marie Ruoff Byrum  voted, August 31, 1920, 7 a.m.   First Woman to Vote in New Hampshire Marilla Ricker cast a vote in 1920, but it wasnt counted. First Woman to Vote in New York Larchmont, under the Suffrage Act: Emily Earle Lindsley voted. (Source: Larchmont Place-Names) First Woman to Vote in Oregon Abigail Duniway voted, date not given. First Woman to Vote in Texas Bexar County, 1918: Mary Eleanor Brackenridge registered to vote. (Source: Handbook of Texas Online)Dallas County, 1944: Juanita Jewel Shanks Craft became the first black woman to vote in the county. (Source: Handbook of Texas Online)Harris County, June 27, 1918: Hortense Sparks Ward registered to vote. (Source: Handbook of Texas Online)Panola County: Margie Elizabeth Neal registered to vote. (Source: Handbook of Texas Online)San Antonio: Elizabeth Austin Turner Fry. (Source: Handbook of Texas Online) First Woman to Vote in Utah Martha Hughes Cannon, date not given. (Source: State of Utah) First Woman to Vote in West Virginia Cabbell County: Irene Drukker Broh voted. (Source: West Virginia Archives and History) First Woman to Vote in Wyoming September 6, 1870: Louisa Ann Swain, Laramie, Wyoming. (Source: Women of Achievement and Herstory, Irene Stuber)1869, unnamed. A likely misunderstanding: women were given the vote in December 1869, but its unlikely an election was held that year after suffrage was granted. First American Woman to Vote for Her Husband as President Florence Harding, Mrs. Warren G. Harding voted. (Source: Florence Harding by Carl Sferrazza Anthony) Sacagawea - First Woman to Vote? She voted on decisions as a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition. This was not an official election, and in any case, was after 1776, when New Jersey (unmarried) women could vote on the same basis as men (Sacagawea, sometimes spelled Sacajawea, was born about 1784). Susan B. Anthony - First Woman to Vote? November 5, 1872: Susan B. Anthony and 14 or 15 other women voted in a Presidential election, having registered to vote in order to test the interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment. Anthony was tried in 1873 for illegally voting.

Hospitality Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hospitality Management - Essay Example Consumers who generally like to spend their memorable holidays in the countryside resorts experience more personalized travel experience in terms of lodging, special food dishes and many other benefits. Basically resorts are more expensive than hotels and these are preferred by the niche segment of people with higher disposable income. Therefore, these types of consumers generally prefer to get customized or personalized services especially for their recreation purpose. Taste and preference of customers is continuous changing factor and it is one of the most important areas where the businesses need to focus. In the hospitality industry, the businesses have been identifying gradual change of service expectation from the customers. There are three major drivers behind this change. These three drivers are educated demanding customers, adoption of new technology in hospitality industry and globalization. These drivers stimulate the demand of hospitality service by the customers and also are the main reasons for their new personalized service demand from mainly the hotels and resorts. Resort vacation has becoming more demanding tourism service. It has been identified by many researches in tourism industry that resorts are becoming more preferable by the potential consumers with high disposable income. Therefore, it can be forecasted that in the coming decade, the consumers will prefer resorts vacation more than hotels. This is because resorts vacation is a complete tourism package which including travelling, foods, logging and other entertainment services. Resorts provide more customized and personalized services than hotels. Consumers with comparatively high income level prefer to spent vacation with their families at least two to three times in a year. Therefore, they generally select locations far from the crowded cities like country sides, sea and heal areas. Resorts are generally developed in those areas with natural beauty

Arab Springs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Arab Springs - Essay Example These revolts began as protests in the streets by the citizens of each country after which the government would retaliate by using force to break them. This sparked more calls for these demonstrations, mainly using the popular social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook (Huang 1). Social media sites reported an increase in the usage of their sites by protesters to mobilize the masses across the major cities in the countries. The governments in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia limited Internet access and blocked the use of social media sites, but it was too late to change anything (Huang 1). In addition, citizens of these Middle East nations are continually frustrated by some of the following issues that are ignored, and feel that they need to be addressed. The first issue is to end aristocratic governance that most of them endure for decades, and need for more participation in the government by pushing for democratic participation, which the current regimes had been unwilling to provide. There is the need for a better life and more freedoms by the citizen in the countries. Countries such as Tunisia, Yemen, Jordan and Egypt experience high levels of unemployment and the rise in cost of living which the citizens find difficult. Their governments do little to address these issues forcing the population to devise other means of voicing their needs, which is through demonstrations. Because of the rule by a single party, these governments are faced with high levels of corruption and violation of the civil and human rights of the citizens. Therefore, there are many cases of police brutality towards the citizens and also denial of service by these governments to their citizens. Moreover, this was the case in Tunisia, where a man was harassed by the police while selling his goods. He later lit himself up in front of a municipal building after being frustrated by the officials sparking a series of protests across the country and later the Middle East region (Jones 1). The re sultant effect of the Arab Spring was felt in the whole region exceptionally fast; governments began to follow the Tunisian regime followed by the Egyptian government which gave power to the military. Additionally, the other governments, on realizing the reality of the situation in the region, began radically to change their policies and constitutions. The Saudi Arabian government, after a series of protests, decided to allow more freedom to their citizens in fear that the situation might escalate (Middle East Voices 1). Jordan, Bahrain, Libya and Syria’s governments faced mass protests that made them allow police to use force and weapons to break these protests. This brought about larger scale rebellions leading to deaths of citizens that made the United Nations and the European Union impose sanctions on them. Furthermore, this made the monarchs dissolve their parliaments and cabinets, and allowed the citizens more rights to participate in their governments and formulate pol icies that are meant to address their living conditions. Libya was the only nation that continued to use the force and refused to dissolve the government leading to the formation of rebel groups that attacked the pro-government army. This later escalated and forced United States and NATO to carry out air strikes on Libya government strongholds aiding in the ousting of the government (Middle East Voices 1). Yemen, being a strong ally of the United States administration, had agreed to work with the

One to one communication interaction Essay Example for Free

One to one communication interaction Essay In this activity, I will be carrying out two interactions, one with an individual and one with a group of service users. For my individual interaction I have chosen to work with a service user from my workplace. I am a social tutor working with deaf and blind adults. I will take an activity with a group of young children in a local school for my group interaction. After these interactions have taken place, I will look at and discuss the types of communication skills shown, and I will also describe the interpersonal interaction that occurred. Communication with other people involves a process that most of us take for granted. We need to pass information using a form of code from one individual to another. A code is a communication system, which contains elements, which all individuals will understand. This could be verbal, non-verbal i.e. body language, Braille, sign language, writing, pictures or even music to convey a message (CCMS, 2006). We need to express our thoughts to another person using methods of communication. The other person thinks about our communication and responds. We then check the response, whether the communication has been correctly interpreted, and if not we need to clarify our communication. Gerard Egan (1986) states that the goal of listening is understanding. (Moonie, 2005) see more:describe the impact the behaviours of carers and others may have on an individual with dementia I had chosen to work with a male service user, a resident at my workplace. I will refer to this service user as Mr A throughout this report, to protect his identity. This is important, as confidentiality is a basic human right. Law protects confidentiality through the Data Protection Act 1988, and the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Maintaining confidentiality also forms part of the Care Standards Act 2000, and staff in health and social care are expected to work within the boundaries of confidentiality. Before I undertook my individual interaction, I gave some thought to how I could get as much conversation as possible. Mr A has very limited sight and good hearing. He has a pair of glasses but does not like to wear them. He also has learning disabilities, which makes his ability to respond verbally quite difficult. As I know Mr A well, I will use informal conversation, also a formal interview would not be appropriate due to Mr As conversational skills. Informal is defined as without ceremony or formality; relaxed and friendly. (Chambers, 2007) Taking this into account I thought of a few questions, which would be easy for him to respond to. I had open questions in my head, such as what are you doing today what would you like for breakfast and how was your evening. Using open questions, I hoped to encourage conversation and interaction between us. Closed questions, which only require a yes or no answer, would not be productive to this activity, however due to Mr As disabilities I may have to use closed questions at times. As I have worked with Mr A for two years, I already have a good relationship with him. Mr A requires a lot of support with his personal needs, but likes to be as independent as possible. Talking to other staff, reading Mr As care plan and observations I have made during the time I have worked with Mr A has allowed me to build up a good relationship with him, and knowledge of how he likes to communicate. I know when to offer support, and Mr A appears to like me. Mr A makes it quite clear when he is unhappy by shouting. On Tuesday 19th December 2006 at 9am I went to my workplace. The weather was dull and cold outside. Mr A was sat in his usual chair in the living room. He had his arms relaxed by his side, and one knee across the other. There was one other service user in the room, and the radio was on low. The radio is always on for Mr A; he likes to listen to either the radio or the television at all times. Another member of staff was also in the living room writing up paper work. The temperature was warm, the room was well lit but not too bright and the atmosphere was calm. Mr A appeared relaxed. My body language was relaxed, and I smiled and said good morning to Mr A, and he said yeah in response. He shuffled around in his chair at little as he spoke to me. I sat in a chair in close proximity to Mr A so that he would be able to hear me clearly above any background noise, and know where I was location to him as he has very limited sight. Mr A needs a lot of help with his needs, and he is comfortable with carers in his personal space. I sat relaxed, with my body turned towards Mr A, my arms leaning across my knees. I made sure I looked at Mr A so when I spoke to him he would know I was making as much eye contact as possible. Mr A does not make eye contact with anybody, he tends to look down towards his knees and occasionally look up towards the centre of the room. Although Mr A was not making eye contact with me, I felt it important to maintain contact, as I may be able to guess his thoughts and feelings by looking at his eyes. Mr A settled back into his chair and his body posture was relaxed. With my voice at a calm slow pitch I said who is it Mr A, Mr A said Sarah been on days too long. This is an affectionate term for Mr A. I responded with yes I think it is time I had a holiday and Mr A laughed and said its time you did. I laughed with Mr A to show I found his remark amusing. He shuffled around a little in his chair again. I continued to talk to Mr A in a varying tone to ensure my voice sent a friendly message. I asked Mr A how he was feeling today and he said yeah. I asked him if he was feeling poorly and he said didnt say that, so I asked him if he was feeling well. Mr A responded yeah. By maintaining eye contact and looking interested, I assured Mr A that I was actively listening. Mr As receptive language is very good however his expressive language is very limited. In order to find out something from Mr A I have to clarify what it is I want to know. By asking if he felt poorly or well first I knew from experience that Mr A would respond didnt say that to the wrong one. I paraphrased what I had asked, reflecting back on the question to ensure I had understood what Mr A was telling me. I touched Mr A on the arm and told him that I was pleased he felt well. I felt touch was appropriate in this instance, however I recognise that this is not always the case. I asked Mr A if he would like some breakfast, and he responded yeah. He got up from the chair and made his way to the dining table. Mr A is very good at finding his way around the house and does not like being guided. By not intervening until Mr A asks for help, I am empowering him. This gives Mr A a feeling of confidence and higher self esteem. He sat down in his usual place. I asked him if it was ok to put an apron on him, he responded yeah and lifted his arms up so I could tie the apron. It is important to offer choice to Mr A as this empowers him further. Mr A has muscle wastage in his right arm and has very little use of it. He eats well out of a specially designed bowl and a special spoon using his left hand. Mr A is unable to put cereal or milk into the bowl himself, or to spread toast or make drinks. He requires someone to do this for him. I asked Mr A what he would like for breakfast. Mr A responded not much. This is a typical response so I asked whether he would like Weetabix or Shreddies. This again ensured Mr A had a choice. Mr A answered Weetabix. Mr A will most often copy the last thing a person says, so I encourage his responses by saying the cereal he has every morning first. After Mr A had finished his Weetabix I asked him if he would like any toast and he said yeah. I then asked Mr A if he would like marmite on his toast. Mr A responded didnt say that and shuffled around in his chair, indicating to me that he was not very happy. His body language became defensive as he turned away from me. With my voice at a calm slow pitch I asked Mr A if he would like jam on his toast (which he always has) and Mr A said yeah. I used this tone of voice to calm the situation. Mr A then relaxed and turned back towards the sound of my voice. The questions used at this point were closed because I know that Mr A has little expressive language so at times this is unavoidable. I thought I would offer Mr A a drink at this point so I asked him what he would like to drink. Mr A answered tea, so I went and made him a cup of tea. After he had finished the tea he stood up and made his way to the kitchen with his cup. He removed his apron and held it out to me. I asked Mr A what he wanted me to do with the apron and he responded rubbish so I took the apron and threw it in the bin. Mr A then made his way back to his chair in the lounge. He sat down and crossed his legs, tapping his foot to the song on the radio. I sat back down in the chair close to Mr A, again with my body posture relaxed. I asked Mr A if I could turn off the radio and talk. Mr As muscle tone became rigid and he started shouting thats stupid over and over again. I waited a moment until he calmed down and stopped shouting, and then, using a calm, quiet tone of voice, I said we can talk with the radio on low and Mr A responded yeah. I asked Mr A what he had done yesterday evening. Mr A did not respond, so I waited a few moments before I asked if he had been busy yesterday after tea. Mr A said not much. I asked him I if he had been out and he said no. I asked him if he had listened to the TV or the radio, Mr A answered TV times which means he listened to the TV. Mr A was shuffling gently in his chair as he spoke to me and he seemed very relaxed. He uncrossed his legs and crossed them the other way so he was facing towards me even more. I was still sat in the same relaxed position, with my arms resting on my knees, turned towards Mr A as much as possible. I asked Mr A what he would be doing today, again Mr A responded not much. I asked him if he was going out and he said dont know about it, I said to Mr A that he would have to think about it and see how he felt later. I told Mr A that I was going to put my feet up for the rest of the day and do no work. Mr A laughed at me and said she does that sometimes! I asked Mr A if he had enjoyed talking to me this morning and he answered yeah. I touched Mr A on the arm again and said goodbye. Mr A responded Yeah and continued to tap his foot. I felt the interaction went very well. Mr A responded very well in conversation, and I feel that was due to the factors involved. The location was quiet, warm and calm. Mr A was seated in an environment he is very comfortable with. Mr A appeared comfortable with the proximity, that is, the fact I have to be very close to him, in his personal space. This is due to his personal difficulties, and his need for support with a lot of his personal needs. As he is quite an elderly gentleman, he has relied on carers being very close to him and helping him do things his whole life and seems very comfortable with this. If the support offered to Mr A is more than he wishes for, he quickly becomes very angry. At no time did Mr A appear to be unhappy with the support I gave him. During the interaction, Mr A was not able to see my body language due to his visual disability, however I sat close to him and faced him at all times so he would be aware that I was listening fully. Mr As body language was good throughout most of the interaction, he leant towards me and his muscle tone was relaxed. My body language was relaxed throughout the interaction, both when seated and when assisting Mr A with his breakfast. Mr A does not use hand gestures when he speaks, mostly due to his muscle wastage in his right arm. At one point when I asked him if he would like marmite on his toast, he exhibited a little negative body language by turning away from me. When I suggested turning off the radio Mr As muscle tone became very rigid and he shouted at me. This was an indicator that Mr A was very unhappy with the suggestion and wanted the radio left on. The radio was turned down low and did not hamper the conversation in any way as we could clearly hear each other. My conversation with Mr A was informal. This is because I know Mr A very well so do not need to speak to him in a formal manner. I gave Mr A appropriate lengths of time to respond to my questions, and I listened carefully to his answers. By giving Mr A time to respond to my questions, I ensured that he had time to think about what I was asking, and formulate the correct response. I followed up by responding to his answers with appropriate further conversation. At one point I had to clarify a question by changing it from asking what he had done yesterday evening to if he had been busy yesterday after tea. By asking the question in a different way I was checking that Mr A had fully understand what information I required from him. This in turn encouraged Mr A to respond when maybe he did not wish to, or maybe did not understand the question. Mr A is a person who likes to be as independent as possible. He appreciates when I understand his needs and what he is trying to tell me. Throughout my interaction with Mr A I used empathy at all times. Empathy is a persons awareness of the emotional state of another person and their ability to share an experience with them (Richards, 2003, p.121). I was aware of Mr As emotional state and my ability to build an understanding. On two occasions I touched Mr As arm briefly to show friendliness and compassion. I feel Mr A was very responsive to our interaction and I was very happy with how it went. I think that given Mr As verbal disabilities I engaged him in a good conversation, listened well and used correct techniques to aid this. I also provided him with the correct amount of support during his breakfast. The other staff member present in the room was my deputy manager. I asked her to complete a witness statement for my to say I had completed an interaction with Mr A. She agreed to this. I also asked her for feedback on the techniques I had used, and how she felt the interaction went. She told me that I had engaged Mr A well. When Mr A is listening to the radio he doesnt always want to talk. He responded that he was happy to talk to me with the radio turned down low. She said Mr A appeared very relaxed and seemed to enjoy talking to me. He was also happy to go to the dining table and let me assist him in getting some breakfast. When asked, Mr A said he had enjoyed talking to me. He also appeared to be happy with the support I offered him when getting his breakfast. As he can become angry quite easily when offered too much support, I also felt this was good feedback.

Princess Diana Essay example -- essays research papers fc

Princess Diana was born The Honorable Diana Frances Spencer on July 1, 1961. She was the third female child to Viscount and Viscountess Althorp. Diana had two older sisters, Sarah and Jane and one younger brother, Charles. Her family was well off and Diana had a privileged childhood. The Spencer’s made their money as successful sheep traders in the 15th century. With their fortune they built Althorp House in Northamptonshire and acquired a family crest and motto – "God defend the right" (Morton 10). The Spencer’s occupied various offices of State and Court. When Diana’s was born her father was disappointed she was a girl. He was hoping for his third children to finally be a male heir to carry on the Spencer name. Diana’s father and the rest of the family wanted to know why her mother was only producing girls. Because of this, her mother was sent to a clinic for tests (Morton 10). She was only 23 at the time. This is ironic because today we now know the sex of the baby is determined by the father. Even though she was too young to understand, Diana believed she was to blame for her father’s disappointment. Finally, a few years later her mother delivered a boy to carry on the Spencer name. Although Diana had a beautiful christening at Sandringham Church with well-to-do Godparents, her brother Charles’s christening was a major event at Westminster Abbey. The Queen was the principal Godparent. The Spencer children were privileged but not snobbish. They were taught to accept people for what they are and not their position in life. The children never understood their titles until they went to school. Occasionally one of the royals would make a visit to the Spencer home and once in a while they would play with Princess Margaret’s sons, Princes Andrew and Edward. Diana remembers not liking to go to the Royal home, because it was big and spooky. Diana’s mother’s family, the Fermoy’s, w ere responsible for acquisition of Park House, Diana’s childhood home. King George V granted Diana’s grandfather Park House which was originally built for overflow guests from the Royal Sandringham House. It was a spacious property with an outdoor pool and a tennis court. (Morton 11). Diana loved to swim and play tennis at a child. The Spencer’s were linked by blood to King Charles II. They are also said to be linked by blood to seven American Presidents including Fra... ...eral on television. Her brother, Earl Spencer gave a tearful eulogy for Diana. His closed the eulogy by saying "Above all we give thanks for the life of a woman I am so proud to be able to call my sister, the unique, the complex, the extraordinary and irreplaceable Diana whose beauty, both internal and external, will never be extinguished from our minds" (Davies 304). The Princess was buried in sanctified ground on an island in the center of an ornamental lake in the Spencer home at Althorp. Her grave faces east, towards the rising sun (British Royal Government website). Princess Diana will be missed not only by her two sons but also by many around the world. Perhaps the best lesson she taught was all people, even those in high positions such as hers are able to help make a difference in the world. She will be missed. Bibliography Works Cited British Royal Government Website. . Davies, Nicholas. Diana, The People’s Princess. New Jersey: Carol Publishing Group, 1997. Morton, Andrew. Diana, Her True Story. New York and Great Britain: Simon & Schuster, 1992. Morton, Andrew. Diana, Her True Story, In Her Own Words. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997.

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.

What Is Justic

What is Justice? Justice is defined in the dictionary as â€Å"the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness†. However it’s interpreted differently by different people what some people think is a just, others and disagree and believe otherwise. I believe justice is when some is held accountable for the atrocity they have committed. When it comes to the death penalty though many society believe it is just to murder someone for the crime they commit, it is my believe death penalty cannot be just.The purpose of punishment is to teach a lesson so that you can learn from your mistake. There are different forms of punishment for different crimes punishment is needed to discourage people from committing a crime. There is a positive and negative punishment. A positive punishment is when you try to help the person and help them understand and may sometimes include rehabilitation. The negative punishment is: killing the person and shaming the person. The Maori way is a positive way of punishment. And the Portion’s way is a negative punishment.In the â€Å"Maori Way† the punishment wasn’t bad like the puritan. In the â€Å"Maori way† instead of sending him to jail they gave him a second chance to change. In the Maori Way it more about in the justice side because they didn’t put him in jail or kill him they gave him a chance to pay back his grandmother by getting a job and cooking for her. in the Maori Way the kid learns from his mistake which is the whole point of punishment. The old puritan society the punishments dealt to those who committed crimes were harsh.The puritan’s punishment’s had shame in it as part of the punishment. In the novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote â€Å"The Scarlet Letter† as a story shame and guilt, and how they affect people in the town. Nathaniel Hawthorne intended Hester Prynne's punishment to have to personify her guilt towards herself. It also shows how she responds to the guilt when she faced it. It is also expresses how often guilt can rip people apart from the inside out. The main protagonist was given a shameful punishment for committing adultery.In her case she was given a scarlet letter â€Å"A†. Puritans practice is very strict religion they believe that god has chosen who will go to heaven and hell from before birth and that the only way to ascend to heaven is to be the best person you can be. The death penalty is the short way out and it also does not solve the problem. By killing the person he/ she doesn’t learn anything for suffer. By killing someone will not bring back the person or really get you closer. And who are we do decide who gets to like or not.

Holiday Truth essays

Holiday Truth essays Halloween should this holiday be celebrated or reconsidered? Halloween is a time to go out and have fun, collect and eat candy, and dress up to deliver or receive a great scare right? Wrong, this idea is what most Americans believe Halloween is all about. In reality the truth behind the reasons of why Halloween is celebrated are hardly ever discussed. According to William Schnoebeian, author of Lucifer Dethroned he states that when people take part in celebrating Halloween they are opening the door to Satanism. On the day of Halloween many satanic rituals and sacrifices are made to Satan. Many of these sacrifices include children and animals of all sizes. Americans are blinded by the great costume parties and the sugary mouths and they are not aware of what they are really participating in when they celebrate this horrific holiday. Although not popular until the 1800s, Halloween dates back to 200 B.C. A tribe called the Celts was the first to commence the original Halloween customs. The Celts were described as terrifying people who hung human heads. Halloween was called Samhain and was the holiday celebrated above all. Samhain was the Celtic lord of death, Halloween was the festival used to celebrate him. The celebration represented the beginning of the cold season when days grew darker sooner. The Celtics believed that this season represented death. They also believed that the souls of the dead returned to their homes on earth on October 31. The Druids, priests, and teachers ordered all the people to create bonfires on the evening of this celebration. Druids are the priests of the Celtic religion. The word bonfire also dates back to these days when the word originally was bone-fire. This word referred to the large bonfires that contained burned animals, crops, and human beings. The reason they crea ted these bonfires was to help the sun survive the winter, to frighten off evil spirits, a...

Turn Your Teacher Weaknesses Into Assets to Get the Job

Turn Your Teacher Weaknesses Into Assets to Get the Job One interview question that can stump even seasoned job-seeking educators is What is your greatest weakness as a teacher? This question may come at you disguised as What would you most like to change/improve about yourself? or What frustrations did you encounter in your last position? This weakness question really tags as an opportunity to Describe your strengths. Your response can tip the interview in your favor or send your resume to the bottom of the pile. Forget Conventional Wisdom In the past conventional wisdom recommended putting a spin on this question by describing an actual strength camouflaged  as a weakness. For example, you might have tried to be clever and offered perfectionism as your weakness, explaining that you refuse to quit until the job gets done right. But in responding to your weaknesses, you should should stay away from any personal qualities. Save your personal qualities such as perfectionism, enthusiasm, creativity, or patience for describing strengths. In responding to a question about a weakness, you should offer more professional traits. For example, you may recall how you noticed your attention to detail, organization, or problem-solving may have needed improvement. Once you have provided the trait, you should provide details on how you purposefully worked to address this weakness. Include any of the steps you have taken or are currently taking to mitigate this weakness. Here are two examples of how you might respond to a question about your greatest weakness. Corrected Weakness: Organization For example, you can state that you have been less excited about the amount of paperwork that comes along with a classroom of students. You may admit that in the past you tended to procrastinate on assessing classwork or homework. You can also admit to having found yourself on more than one occasion scrambling to catch up right before the grading period ended. You might feel like your honesty leaves you vulnerable. But, if you go on to explain that in order to combat this tendency, you set a schedule for yourself this past school year that dedicated time every day to paperwork, you will be viewed as a problem solver. You might include other strategies you used such as self-grading assignments whenever practical, which allowed students to assess their own work as you discussed the answers together in class. As a result, you can acknowledge that you learned to stay on top of your grading and needed a short time at the end of each period to compile the information. For new teachers, examples like this could come from student teaching experiences. Now an interviewer will see you as self-aware and reflective, both highly desirable attributes in a teacher. Corrected Weakness: Seeking advice Teachers are independent, but that can lead to isolation in problem solving, and some problems may necessitate advice from others.This is particularly true in dealing with confrontational situations such as dealing with an irate parent or a teachers aide who arrives late to your class every day. You might admit that you may have tried to solve some problems on your own, but upon reflection, felt it was necessary to seek the advice of others. You can explain how you found the teacher next door to you or an administrator was important in helping you address different kinds of uncomfortable confrontations. If you are an educator looking for first job, you may not have classroom experiences to use as examples. But dealing with confrontations is a life skill and not limited to the school building. In this case, you can provide examples of problem-solving confrontations you may have had at college or at another job. Seeking the advice of others shows that you can identify people or groups that can be resources instead of trying to tackle confrontational problems on your own. Self analysis Employers know job candidates have weaknesses, says Kent McAnally, director of career services at Washburn University. They want to know that we are doing the self-analysis to identify what ours are, he writes for the American Association for Employment in Education. Showing that you are taking steps to improve is essential to making a positive impression, but more importantly, it is essential for developing your personal and professional goals and development plans. And THAT is the real reason for the question. Tips to Master the Interview Be truthful.Do not try to guess what the interviewer wants to hear. Answer questions candidly and present your authentic self.Prepare for the question but do not let your answers sound coached.Remain positive as you explain how your weakness could be seen as a positive in the job.Avoid using negative words like â€Å"weak† and â€Å"failure.†Smile!

Team Conflict Case Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Team Conflict Case - Term Paper Example Two of our number – Tanu and Cyndy (me!) - also excelled at research, which meant that we had little trouble acquiring the information we needed. Writing was also another one of our collective strengths courtesy of John, and both Powerpoint and video presentations were equally achievable for our group due to the presence of Vishal and Venkat, our leader. Even Nader, the one among us who, at first glance, had no overt specialties, more than pulled his weight by assisting the rest of the group at whatever needed to be done. Overall, our group could be said to be very well-balanced, which meant that our objectives could be achieved with little to no difficulty, at least in theory. However, as we quickly found out, what is theoretical does not always match up with the actual results. Various difficulties did in fact get in our way, and will be elaborated upon in the following anecdotes. For instance, the very first obstacle our group had to get around was the calendar. Since ours was a virtual team, our members all hailed from different backgrounds and territories, and by extension, different time zones. This meant that, for instance, if it was daytime where I was, it may not necessarily follow for my teammates. And conversely, ‘daytime’ for my teammates could mean differently for me, ranging from ‘sunrise’ to ‘sundown’ and even to ‘midnight’. Needless to say, scheduling our work hours and online conferences proved to be quite a chore in the beginning. When it comes to groups, each member is usually given his or her own tasks and/or roles to perform. In this case, tasks and responsibilities can either be assigned 1) all at once, from the very beginning of the project; or 2) every step of the way. In a group such as ours, where each member had a different sleeping and waking schedule, the former would have been the intuitive and therefore most