Saturday, December 28, 2019

Case Study - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1252 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/09/23 Category Advertising Essay Type Argumentative essay Tags: Study Essay Did you like this example? BSB, INC. : The Pizza Wars Come to Campus —Source: This case was prepared by Dr. Brooke Saladin, Wake Forest University, as a basis for classroom discussion. Renee Kershaw, manager of food services at a medium-sized private university in the Southeast, has just had the wind taken out of her sails. She had decided that, owing to the success of her year-old pizza service, the time had come to expand pizza-making operations on campus. However, yesterday the university president announced plans to begin construction of a student center on campus that would house, among other facilities, a new food court. In a departure from past university policy, this new facility would permit and accommodate food-service operations from three private organizations: Dunkin’ Donuts, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. Until now, all food service on campus had been contracted out to BSB, Inc. CAMPUS FOOD SERVICE BSB, Inc. , is a large, nationally operated food-services company serving clien t organizations. The level of service provided varies, depending on the type of market being served and the particular contract specifications. The company is organized into three market-oriented divisions: corporate, airline, and university or college. Kershaw, of course, is employed in the university or college division. At this particular university, BSB, Inc. , is under contract to provide food services for the entire campus of 6,000 students and 3,000 faculty, staff, and support personnel. Located in a city of approximately 200,000 people, the campus was built on land donated by a wealthy industrialist. Because the campus is somewhat isolated from the rest of the town, students wanting to shop or dine off campus have to drive into town. The campus itself is a â€Å"walking† campus, with dormitories, classrooms, and supporting amenities such as a bookstore, sundry shop, barber shop, branch bank, and food-service facilities—all within close proximity. Access t o the campus by car is limited, with peripheral parking lots provided. The university also provides space, at a nominal rent, for three food-service facilities. The primary facility, a large cafeteria housed on the ground floor of the main administration building, is located in the center of campus. This cafeteria is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. A second location, called the Dogwood Room, on the second floor of the administration building, serves an upscale luncheon buffet on weekdays only. The third facility is a small grill located in the corner of a recreational building near the dormitories. The grill is open from 11 A. M. to 10 P. M. daily and until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights. Kershaw is responsible for all three operations. THE PIZZA DECISION BSB, Inc. , has been operating the campus food services for the past 10 years—ever since the university decided that its mission and core competencies should focus on education, not on food service. Kershaw has been at this university for 18 months. Previously, she had been assistant manager of food services at a small university in the Northeast. After 3 to 4 months of getting oriented to the new position, she had begun to conduct surveys to determine customer needs and market trends. An analysis of the survey data indicated that students were not as satisfied with the food service as Kershaw had hoped. A large amount of the food being consumed by students, broken down as follows, was not being purchased at the BSB facilities: Percent of food prepared in dorm rooms Percent of food delivered from off campus Percent of food consumed off campus 20 36 44 The reasons most commonly given by students were (1) lack of variety in food offerings and (2) tight, erratic schedules that didn’t always fit with cafeteria serving hours. Three other findings from the survey were of concern to Kershaw: (1) the large percentage of students with cars, (2) the large percentage of studen ts with refrigerators and microwave ovens in their rooms, and (3) the number of times students ordered food delivered from off campus. Percent of students with cars on campus Percent of students having refrigerators or microwaves in their rooms Percent of food that students consume outside BSB, Inc. , facilities 84 62 43 In response to the market survey, Kershaw decided to expand the menu at the grill to include pizza. Along with expanding the menu, she also started a delivery service that covered the entire campus. Now students would have not only greater variety but also the convenience of having food delivered quickly to their rooms. To accommodate these changes, a pizza oven was installed in the grill and space was allocated to store pizza ingredients, to make cut-and-box pizzas, and to stage pre-made pizzas that were ready to cook. Existing personnel were hired to deliver them by bicycle. In an attempt to keep costs down and provide fast delivery, Kershaw limited the comb inations of topping available. That way a limited number of â€Å"standard pizzas† could be preassembled and ready to cook as soon as an order was received. THE SUCCESS Kershaw believed that her decision to offer pizza service in the grill was the right one. Sales over the past 10 months have steadily increased, along with profits. Follow-up customer surveys indicated a high level of satisfaction with the reasonably priced and speedily delivered pizzas. However, Kershaw realized that success brought with it other challenges. The demand for pizzas had put a strain on the grill’s facilities. Initially, space was taken from other grill activities to accommodate the pizza oven, preparation, and staging areas. As the demand for pizzas grew, so did the need for space and equipment. The capacities of existing equipment and space allocated for making and cooking pizzas now were insufficient to meet demand, and deliveries were being delayed. To add to the problem, groups were beginning to order pizzas in volume for various on-campus functions. Finally, a closer look at the sales data showed that pizza sales were beginning to level off. Kershaw wondered whether the capacity problem and resulting increase in delivery times were the reasons. However, something else had been bothering her. In a recent conversation, Mack Kenzie, the grill’s supervisor, had told Kershaw that over the past couple of months requests for pizza toppings and combinations not on the menu had steadily increased. She wondered whether her on-campus market was being affected by the â€Å"pizza wars† off campus and the proliferation of specialty pizzas. THE NEW CHALLENGE As she sat in her office, Kershaw thought about yesterday’s announcement concerning the new food court. It would increase competition from other types of snack foods (Dunkin’ Donuts) and fast foods (Taco Bell). Of more concern, Pizza Hut was going to put in a facility offering a lim ited menu and providing a limited selection of pizzas on a â€Å"walk-up-and-order† basis. Phone orders would not be accepted nor would delivery service be available. Kershaw pondered several crucial questions: Why had demand for pizzas leveled off? What impact would the new food court have on her operations? Should she expand her pizza operations? If so, how? Questions 1. How would you describe the mission of BSB, Inc. , on this campus? Does BSB, Inc. , enjoy any competitive advantages or core competencies? . Initially, how did Renee Kershaw choose to use her pizza operations to compete with off-campus eateries? What were her competitive priorities? 3. What impact will the new food court have on Kershaw’s pizza operations? What competitive priorities might she choose to focus on now? 4. If she were to change the competitive priorities for the pizza operation, how might that affect her operating processes and capacity decisions? 5. What would be a good flow strategy fo r Kershaw’s operations on campus to meet the food court competition? Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Case Study" essay for you Create order

Friday, December 20, 2019

Social Traditions in Medea, The Piano, and The Age of...

Social Traditions in Medea, The Piano, and The Age of Innocence Traditions demonstrate a set of social norms that have been followed and adapted to for an elongated amount of time. In each of the plots, Medea, The Piano, and The Age of Innocence, the standard set by society was broken and the consequences imposed took form in varying degrees and shapes of violence. Whether it was outright murder as in Medea, or a more subtle but intense struggle as in The Age of Innocence, these consequences serve as the communitys opinion of this breach of its expectations for its members. All societies have many traditions set up, and each of the characters in the books either plays the role of someone who helps to uphold these traditions by†¦show more content†¦If she does, she refuses to care what these collective people have established as expected behavior of members of society. The common assumption is that the people who primarily follow tradition are the elderly, those who are most comfortable in the social norms and wish to keep things as they always have been. However, that is not true, as younger generations such as Medea, Stewart, and even May Welland uphold tradition and societal standards. People such as these see the traditions that their parents have impressed on them as the â€Å"proper and right† way to do things. They feel it is their moral obligation to continue to judge others by these standards, and to expect nothing less from those they know and love. Medea performs her wifely duties as she feels is her obligation. She bears her husband two male children to carry on his lineage and loves him completely. However, he does not act with the same reverence for the traditions as she does. He feels no obligation to love her with the same passion, or to stay faithful to her. Jason disrespects Medea and dishonors her by marrying a yo unger bride without her consent, with which he plans to start a new life and a new family. Feeling betrayed, Medea feels that Jason should feel the consequences of his actions, that he should learn not to go against social standards. Also as a faithful, providing spouse, Stewart is in a similar situation where he feels like he has done everything heShow MoreRelatedEssay Prompts4057 Words   |  17 Pageslist below or another novel or play of comparable quality. Avoid mere plot summary. An American Tragedy Light in August Anna Karenina Long Day’s Journey into the Night Antigone Lord Jim Beloved Macbeth Crime and Punishment Medea Death of a Salesman Moby-Dick Ethan Frome Oedipus Rex Faust Phedre Fences Ragtime For Whom the Bell Tolls Sent for You Yesterday Frankenstein Tess of the D’Urbervilles Hedda Gabler Things Fall Apart King Lear 2003

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Flowers For Algernon Essay Example For Students

Flowers For Algernon Essay Compare and Contrast Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes, Discuss the themes of alienation and isolation in both novels. In 1818 Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, the story of a man, so consumed by ambition and a thirst for knowledge that in the end his desire to live his dreams, became his death. Almost 150 years later Daniel Keyes wrote Flowers For Algernon, this too chronicled one mans ambition and looked at what happens when science and ethics cross. Today, in the year 2002 we are faced with endless dilemmas and questions of integrity- test tube babies, cloning, genetic coding and as time goes on and science improves more and more has to be taken into account, especially as attitudes change. Though these books were written at completely different times and initially seem very different both share similar ideas and both question the consequences when science loses its conscience. Frankenstein was written in a time of great decadence, Shelley was reasonably well off and her works reflects her own, upper middle class status in society. Frankenstein has now become classed as a gothic horror novel, with an air of romance to it. In the grand tradition of all novels in the gothic horror genre, Frankenstein is a tangled tragedy, in which surreal occurrences take place in real situations. The term romantic is placed on this novel, largely because of the time it was written rather than any particular part of the plot. During the 1800s, music art and literature acted as an outlet for the repressed society, through their work people managed to show passion and imagination, rather than order and form, novels of the time were remote from ordinary life. In the example of Frankenstein, although Shelley had led a rather colorful life, involving an affair and elopement, society at the time was not very interesting for women, through her work Shelley could take an absence from her own existence and could explore new and obscure ideas. The work of this time, particularly novels proved highly popular as the highly improbable occurrences provided entertainment, yet the realistic situations meant that they were easy to relate to. Flowers For Algernon was written in the 1950s when technology and science were beginning to branch out as the world recovered after WW2. In America consumer technology had been on the rise since the twenties, but after the depression and the subsequent war all had gone quiet on the side of high-tech home gadgets. But the new decade brought with it a new positivity and meant that science began to work for the good of the people, as it supplied them with easy alternatives and helped them in their daily routine. One of the major scientific developments of the 50s was the exploration of space travel, and in America everyone was excited about the prospect of future changes, especially after, in 1958 NASA was created. Keyes had a degree in psychology, for his 5th work he decided to explore the inner workings of a seriously retarded mans mind, in doing this Keyes managed to describe the emotions and ambitions of Charlie Gordon, beautifully and meant that this novel, was touching as well as scientific. Unlike Frankenstein, Flowers for Algernon is simple, its language is not self indulgent or overly lavish, this could be down to the different periods, or could be a more deliberate technique used by Keyes, the novel is made up of a series of progress reports written by Charlie, the language used, makes the story more believable and means that the reader is much more effected by the book. .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d , .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d .postImageUrl , .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d , .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d:hover , .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d:visited , .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d:active { border:0!important; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d:active , .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: From balcony to tomb. EssayKeyes other works included some short science fiction influenced stories, this obviously had an effect on Keyes writing, as Flowers for Algernon is centered around a somewhat far fetched idea of life changing brain surgery, yet the story is very believable. This technique of blurring the boundaries between the real and surreal is inherited from gothic literature, yet somehow Keyes work seems more mature and realistic than Shelleys story. This difference may be down to the gap of more than a century between the novels, although today Flowers for Algernon may seem slightly dated, it is still accepted as a piece of contemporary literature and still reflects some of the questions that still plague our society. Flowers for Algernon, is written in the first person, from the viewpoint of Charlie Gordon, a man in his 30s who is severely retarded. The book is a collection of progress reports written before, while and after Charlie receives medical intervention to help raise his intelligence levels. Ideally, the operation Charlie has, is meant to raise his intelligence and insure that that he remains smart, however as the first human to receive the treatment neither Charlie, nor the doctors have any idea how the story will end. Initially the treatment seems to be a success as Charlie reaches new heights of intelligence and even is termed a genius however it soon becomes clear that the treatment was not long lasting and Charlies mind begins to deteriorate as he implodes into his old self. As Charlies intelligence is increased he is forced to take into account a new set of issues that involve him, the book takes on a deeper stance as the reader learns of Charlies struggles and how isolation attacks his spirit. In Frankenstein much time is spent describing Victor Frankensteins life and his creation, however a small section of the novel is donated to the monster as the reader is able to view his life and struggles. The reader finds how the monster yearns for a history and wants to know more about his existence, to do this he tries to track his creator, Charlie reacts in a very similar way as once his intelligence rises he wants to now more about his past and wants to find his parents. Flowers for Algernon opens with a progress report written by the then seriously retarded Charlie, in the weeks that follow Charlie is counseled, taught and undergoes pioneering surgery that boosts his intelligence dramatically. However as his mind expands he underdeveloped emotional intelligence is put to the test, as he begins to notice things around him and is forced to face tough questions about his existence, Charlie learns the hard way that being smart does not bring happiness.