Analyzing The Pros And Cons Of The Following Options

3. Provide a detailed analysis of the pros and cons of the following options a. Monitor forms a company-owned research division in India Pros Develop knowledge center in fast-growing emerging economy. Opening a knowledge center in India allows Monitor to gain a foothold in what is sure to be a significant economic contributor to the world economy in the coming years. Although the economy has slowed down recently, and the on-going problems of political corruption and poor infrastructure make business in India challenging, the long-term pull of a country with over 1/7 of the world’s population is sure to remain. Developing this knowledge center gives Monitor the opportunity to continue to grow its presence in the region and participate†¦show more content†¦Acquire the leveraged economics of thought leadership. The unique model of thought leadership would allow Monitor to develop research papers or models that it could resell to multiple clients. This dynamic produces far better economics than the selling-human-hours model as it is more profitable on a scaled basis. Since Monitor already has a well-estab lished base of clients with its consulting relationship, developing intellectual property it could sell to those clients and use to build out its client rolodex will serve to improve the notoriety of the firm. In addition to the profitability this model provides, it gives the firm a reputation for being a thought leader in the industry and could increase client pull if executed successfully. Cons Dilutes brand with possibly inferior work product. The downside to acquiring talent in an emerging economy is that in many cases that talent may not be able to product a work product that is on-par with expectations in countries where your client-base operations. While measures can be taken to improve quality ( increasing the number of employees + hiring only the top talent ), these measures will only serve to increase the costs of operating in this environment and undermine the primary driver for entering the country. Further, obtaining the right mix of cost and quality will require significant managerial oversight, which the firm may not have the bandwidth to provide. Profitability gains may not be achieved due toShow MoreRelatedEducation Standards: Common Core 786 Words   |  3 Pagesthat they are learning. The Common Core should not be instigated because it compels teachers and students to change their learning and teaching methods which could have a major influence on their education. There are countless pros and cons to the Common Core. The following paragraphs will outline both sides. 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Tragedy Through Misreading in William Shakespeares King...

Tragedy Through Misreading in William Shakespeares King Lear Shakespeare’s tragedy, King Lear, portrays many important misconceptions which result in a long sequence of tragic events. The foundation of the story revolves around two characters, King Lear and Gloucester, and concentrates on their common flaw, the inability to read truth in other characters. For example, the king condemns his own daughter after he clearly misreads the truth behind her â€Å"dower,†(1.1.107) or honesty. Later, Gloucester passes judgment on his son Edgar based on a letter in which he â€Å"shall not need spectacles†(1.2.35) to read. While these two characters continue to misread people’s words, advisors around them repeatedly give hints to their†¦show more content†¦Gloucester’s tragic flaw is his inability to perceive honesty and truth with his eyes. Though Lear possesses this same negative characteristic, he consciously makes the decision to condemn Cordelia because she will not provide him with the immediate gratification he anticipates. Lear misreads the only daughter who truly honors him because he is on a power trip. Lear wants to hear Cordelia speak about his greatness and her limitless love for him. When Cordelia responds â€Å"shall I never marry like my sisters,/To love my father all†(1.1.102-103) the king willfully interprets this statement as an insult and becomes outraged. After Lear condemns Cordelia, he banishes Kent, his most trustworthy supporter, because of his boldness to defend Cordelia. Basically the king is eliminating anyone who is not acknowledging his authority and power. At this point in the play, Lear portrays the classic Shakespearian theme that some power corrupts but absolute power corrupts ultimately. Like Gloucester, Lear’s tragic flaw is his inability to read truth but his actions are spawned from different emotions. Shakespeare creates the notion that these tragic characters will listen to someone else and correct their reading errors. Of course, the tragic characters remain tragic because they lack insight to their companions’ words as they dwell on their dilemmas. The fool represents a strong irony in King LearShow MoreRelatedThe Tragic Hero and the Tragic Story in William Shakespeares Writing2842 Words   |  12 PagesTragic Hero and the Tragic Story in William Shakespeares Writing Shakespeares tragedies are, for the most part, stories of one person, the hero, or at most two, to include the heroine. Only the Love Tragedies (Romeo and Juliet; Antony and Cleopatra)are exceptions to this pattern. In these plays, the heroine is as much at the center of action as the hero. The rest of the tragedies, including Macbeth, have single

SoftArc Engineering Ltd Samples for Students †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Report of SoftArc Engineering Ltd. Answer: Introduction SoftArc Engineering Ltd is an Australian company that has its domain in civil engineering operations and activities. The company also has operations at a global scale covering Indonesia, Papua New Guinea to name a few countries. The latest decision taken by the company is to move its infrastructure to cloud and the document highlights some of the relevant details related to the move that is required to be made. Approaches to Office Automation: Ad-Hoc Approach The first approach that may be applied in SoftArc Engineering Ltd to automate its offices is the Ad Hoc Approach. It will be a flexible and task based approach which will be carried out as per the requirement and the component to be automated. The procedure that will be followed in this approach will be the execution of several iteration in which iteration will automate certain decided components of the office of the company. The methodology has been recommended in this case as it will bring out numerous benefits for the company. The stakeholders, clients, customers and end users will be involved in the process and the final result will therefore be free from any defects. Due to the ad-hoc nature, the approach will be value based which will mean that there will be no pre-defined procedures that will be required to be followed. Any changes in the implementation or requirements will be easily incorporated (Jatain, 2013). Along with the advantages, there will be a few disadvantages in terms of costs as there may be hidden costs involved and also, the focus on the documentation of the activities will be very limited in this approach. Pilot Approach The second approach that may be applied in case of SoftArc Engineering Ltd has been recommended as the pilot approach. It will involve the contribution of a team of testers and experts that will validate and provide their response before the migration process is done. The entire delivery will be made once and at one go after a positive feedback is provided by the team of testers and experts. The development and implementation processes will be based upon the comments and response that is provided (Javadi, 2013). Likelihood of the risks in terms of the presence of defects will be negligible in this case as the procedure will be validated by the experts themselves. Also, the experts will have a complete knowledge about the automated components and may act as trainers and mentors for the other employees to make them comfortable with the new components (Yaghoubi, 2014). Pilot approach has a complete reliance on the selected group of testers and experts that puts the risk of a single point of failure. Recommended Approach After evaluating the advantages, drawbacks and features of both the ad-hoc and the pilot approach as stated above, it has been recommended that the approach that shall be selected and applied in case of SoftArc Engineering Ltd shall be the Ad-hoc approach for office automation. The reason behind the selection of this approach is that there may be sudden changes in the requirements that may be experienced in this case which will be handled well by the ad-hoc approach. Also, involvement of the clients and stakeholders will develop a higher level of connection and trust which will be missing in case of pilot and other approaches. It is because of these features of the ad-hoc approach that it has been recommended to be used for automating the offices of the company. Locally Hosted Data Centre v/s IaaS Provider in Public Cloud Parameter Locally Hosted Enterprise Data Centre IaaS Provider in Public Cloud Servers Co-located servers Integrated servers Fault Tolerance Failures are inter-related and inter-dependant Degree and level of fault tolerance is high (Ashraf, 2014) Resources Partitioned resources Unified resources Management Manual operations are involved in the management processes Centralized control as it is based upon automated processes Scheduling Over-provisioning in terms of scheduling is observed High degree of flexibility and scalability is observed in terms of scheduling Renting Renting is calculated on a per machine basis Renting is calculated in terms of the local usage Application and Services Fixed on the servers that are allocated (Singh, 2012) Can shift in between the VMs Critical Issues and Factors to be Considered A detailed analysis in terms of the needs and requirements of the components and features of cloud computing would be required that shall be incorporated in the infrastructure instead of going with the flow and adapt the unnecessary components as well. IaaS vendors and providers in the market are not limited to one or two; rather there are numerous providers in the market. Market analysis will play a major role in this case as it will be essential to understand the offering, advantages, disadvantages, risks and features of each of the vendors. Collaborations, compatibility and integration of the cloud components with the existing system components and features will be required to be done. Issues in any of these parameters may adversely impact the final performance and therefore these factors will play a significant role. Data management and storage will be essential as there will be huge data sets that will be involved and the issues with the data operations and storage will bring in a lot many risks and threats (Sahandi, 2012). Maintenance support after the delivery of the components shall also be considered as it will be necessary to provide the required support to the company post-production as well. Security components and features will be critical in this case as there are several security vulnerabilities associated with cloud computing and components. IaaS provider will be required to ensure that none of the security risks will take place and there will be measures available to deal with them. System qualities that will be required to be evaluated are: It would be necessary to evaluate the performance of the components as it is an essential system quality that is required to be reflected and is also demanded by the end users. Reliability of the information along with the components will also be one of the essential system quality and will be required to be incorporated It would be necessary to evaluate the availability of the components as it is an essential system quality that is required to be reflected and is also demanded by the end users. Adaptability of the system along with the components will also be one of the essential system quality and will be required to be incorporated. IaaS v/s PaaS v/s SaaS SaaS SaaS stands for Software as a Service and is a deployment model for cloud computing which has the following set of features that are offered to the users. Easy web access for all the services Centralized control that enables easier management and tracking Lesser maintenance is involved Supreme level of integration capabilities will be provided (Sharma Sood, 2011) PaaS PaaS stands for Platform as a Service and is a deployment model for cloud computing which has the following set of features that are offered to the users. Based upon the common standards and practices Level of usability is high in this case Multiple users can simultaneously work without compromise on performance Level of scalability is very high (Ashraf, 2014) IaaS IaaS stands for Infrastrcture as a Service and is a deployment model for cloud computing which has the following set of features that are offered to the users. Allows the usage for multiple users at the same time Allows dynamic scaling that enhances the scalability Can be availed on low costs Involves distributed resources Recommended Model and Associated Reasons IaaS is the model that has been recommended to the requirements and specification that are associated with SoftArc Engineering Ltd. It has been recommended that the approach that shall be selected and applied in case of SoftArc Engineering Ltd shall be the Ad-hoc approach for office automation. The reason behind the selection of this approach is that there may be sudden changes in the requirements that may be experienced in this case which will be handled well by the ad-hoc approach. Also, involvement of the clients and stakeholders will develop a higher level of connection and trust which will be missing in case of pilot and other approaches. IaaS will adapt to the features of the ad-hoc approach easily (Rao, 2013). The model will yield the following advantages for the organization. Allows the usage for multiple users at the same time Allows dynamic scaling that enhances the scalability Can be availed on low costs Involves distributed resources Risks and Problems There is sharing of resources that is involved which may lead to several risks and vulnerabilities. Also, shared access may bring in many risks. Cost is varied and it may reach sky high in case of enhanced number of add-ons. Occurrence of security risks may lead to a number of legal obligations along with many of the regulatory issues as well. Violation of access controls may bring in many errors related to the authentication and authorization of the components (Gonzales, 2015). Ownership is one of the problems that is related to the IaaS model. Countermeasures to Risk and Problems Enhancement of the security infrastructure and mechanisms shall be done in terms of the basic and advanced security components. There shall also be administrative controls that shall be applied to make sure that the risks and problems are avoided. Conclusion Cloud computing is one of the essential computing technologies that is required to be adapted in the organizations and the decision regarding the same has been taken by SoftArc Engineering Ltd. The approach that has been recommended for office automation is ad-hoc approach along with IaaS as the deployment model for the same. There are several advantages that will be offered to the organization with this model. References Ashraf, I. (2014). An Overview of Service Models of Cloud Computing. Retrieved 2 May 2017, from https://ijmcr.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Paper18779-783.pdf Ashraf, I. (2014). An Overview of Service Models of Cloud Computing. Retrieved 2 May 2017, from https://ijmcr.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Paper18779-783.pdf Gonzales, D. (2015). Cloud-Trust - a Security Assessment Model for Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Clouds - IEEE Xplore Document. Ieeexplore.ieee.org. Retrieved 2 May 2017, from https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7072526/?reload=true Jatain, R. (2013). Different prospects of Office Automation Systems. Retrieved 2 May 2017, from https://ijcttjournal.org/Volume4/issue-3/IJCTT-V4I3P103.pdf Javadi, M. (2013). Assessing Office Automation Effect on Performance Using Balanced Scorecard approach Case Study: Esfahan Education Organizations and Schools. Retrieved 2 May 2017, from https://hrmars.com/hrmars_papers/Assessing_Office_Automation_Effect_on_Performance_Using_Balanced_Scorecard_approach1.pdf Rao, C. (2013). Cloud: Computing Services And Deployment Models. Retrieved 2 May 2017, from https://www.ijecs.in/issue/v2-i12/8%20ijecs.pdf Sahandi, R. (2012). Cloud Computing from SMES Perspective: A Survey Based Investigation. Retrieved 2 May 2017, from https://jitm.ubalt.edu/XXIV-1/article1.pdf Sharma, R., Sood, M. (2011). Enhancing Cloud SAAS Development with Model Driven Architecture. International Journal On Cloud Computing: Services And Architecture, 1(3), 89-102. https://dx.doi.org/10.5121/ijccsa.2011.1307 Singh, S. (2012). Cost breakdown of Public Cloud Computing and Private Cloud Computing and Security Issues. Retrieved 2 May 2017, from https://airccse.org/journal/jcsit/0412csit02.pdf Yaghoubi, N. (2014). Investigating the Effect of Office Automation on Organizational Excellence. Retrieved 2 May 2017, from https://hrmars.com/hrmars_papers/Investigating_the_Effect_of_Office_Automation_on_Organizational_Excellence.pdf

Tiger Essay Research Paper TigerOn December 30 free essay sample

Tiger Essay, Research Paper Tiger On December 30, 1975, a star was born. Eldrick Tiger Woods grew up in Cypress, CA, 35 stat mis south-east of Los Angeles. Before he was a twelvemonth old, golf had already grabbed him. At the age of six months, he watched and imitated his male parent, Earl Woods, hit golf balls into a net. When he was the immature age of two, he was featured on The Mike Douglas Show striking and seting with Bob Hope. At the age of three, he was hiting a 48 for nine holes, a mark better than a batch of weekend golf players. By this point, it was likely obvious this point destined him destined for illustriousness. Golf Digest, the figure 1 golf magazine had featured Tiger s game when he was merely five. He won the Optimist International Tournament six times at the ages of 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, and 15. Tiger first played in a professional tourney, the Nissan Los Angeles Open, in 1992 when he was merely 16. We will write a custom essay sample on Tiger Essay Research Paper TigerOn December 30 or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He made the 36-hole cut of the Nissan Los Angeles Open and played in three more PGA events in 1993. He tied for 34th topographic point in the 94 Johnny Walker Asian Classic in Thailand. In 1994, he entered Stanford University. He won 10 collegiate rubrics inclu donging the NCAA rubric. He represented the US in the 1994 World Amateur Team Championships in France and the 1995 Walker Cup Match in Wales. In 1995, Tiger made the 36-hole cuts in the Masters and the British Open. He was entered in the US Open, but because of a wrist hurt, he had to retreat from competition. In the 96 British Open, he posted a mark of 281 to bind the record of lowest mark by an amateur in the tourney. His 2nd unit of ammunition as a 66, the lowest of all time by an amateur in the British Open. Forests played his first tourney as a professional in 1996 at the Greater Milwaukee Open. With lone seven events left in the twelvemonth, Woods hardly had any clip to be placed within the top 125 money victors to acquire his card. And he did. He won two tourneies and was placed in the top 30 money victors, measure uping for the Tour Championship. He finished 25th doing about $ 800,000. Since so, he s been history in the devising. He is now figure in about all classs including entire drive, shots per unit of ammunition, and money earned. He is good on his manner to being the best golfer the game has of all time seen. Will he be known as the greatest of all time? Lone clip will state.

The Crucible; critique essays

The Crucible; critique essays In the film The Crucible, the character of Abigail Williams conjures up a lie in the hopes that her married boyfriend will leave his wife for her. The lie turns into a disaster when the whole community is sent into mass hysteria of the thought that their holy Puritan society had been invaded by witchcraft. The movie starts out with one of the girls of the colony going off into the woods to join her girlfriends in a midnight dance. They are not witches. Instead they are a group of adolescent girls intrigued by the mystery of the rituals performed by Tituba, a slave of one of the families. The girls dance in the moonlight chanting words that they think will make their love interests have mutual feelings toward them. In particular, Abigail smears her face with blood and prays for revenge on the wife of the man who scorned her, a farmer named John Proctor. They are caught and are arrested for consorting with the devil. This is when the lies begin. The girls make an agreement to name those whom they disliked in the town as witches. John Proctor and Abigail had a love affair that had gone bad, and Abigail was lovesick. Abigail uses the situation created by her lie to advance her position in society and wreak her vengeance on John Proctor. One of the first people Abigail names is Johns wife, Elizabeth. Abigail hated Mrs. Proctor because she was fired by her when she suspected that her husband was unfaithful. The girls begin to show signs that the devil is amongst them. They go into intense convulsions, see things such as birds, hear voices and faint when they are in rooms with those they accuse of being witches. The community responds to this by setting up trials for the people that were accused of being possessed by the devil. When the court, lead by Judge Danforth, declares that the only way to escape being hung is by confessing to being involved with the devil and vowing to expel the e ...

Quotes From Controversial Book The Giver

Quotes From Controversial Book 'The Giver' The Giver is a middle-grade dystopian novel by Lois Lowry. Its about Jonas, who becomes the Receiver of Memories and then begins to understand the deepest secrets of his society. The book teaches a valuable lesson on the importance of individuality, emotions, and having a connection with others. It is often part of a middle school curriculum. On Aging Chapter 1 â€Å"After Twelve, age isnt important. Most of us even lose track of how old we are as time passes, though information is in the Hall of Open Records. Chapter 2 Whats important is the preparation for adult life, and the training youll receive in your Assignment. On Memories Chapter 23 It was not a grasping of thin and burdensome recollection; this was different. This was something that he could keep. It was a memory of his own.   Chapter 18 Memories are forever. Chapter 10 Simply stated, although its not really simple at all, my job is to transmit to you all the memories I have within me. Memories of the past. Chapter 17 With his new, heightened feelings, he was overwhelmed by sadness at the way the others had laughed and shouted, playing at war. But he knew that they could not understand why, without the memories. He felt such love for Asher and for Fiona. But they could not feel it back, without the memories. And he could not give them those. On Courage Chapter 8 You will be faced, now, with  pain  of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage. But when he looked out across the crowd, the sea of faces, the thing happened again. The thing that had happened with the apple. They changed. He blinked, and it was gone. His shoulder straightened slightly.  Briefly,  he felt a tiny sliver of sureness for the first time. On Fitting In Chapter 1 For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure. Chapter 3 No one mentioned such things; it was not a rule, but was considered rude to call attention to things that were unsettling or different about individuals. Chapter 6 How could someone not fit in? The community was so meticulously ordered, the choices so carefully made. Chapter 9 He was so completely, so thoroughly accustomed to courtesy within the community that the thought of asking another citizen an intimate question, of calling someones attention to an area of awkwardness, was unnerving. On Happiness and Satisfaction Chapter 11 Now he became aware of an entirely new sensation: pinpricks? No, because they were soft and without pain. Tiny, cold, feather-like feelings peppered his body and face. He put out his tongue again and caught one of the dots of cold upon it. It disappeared from his awareness instantly, but he caught another, and another. The sensation made him smile. He was free to enjoy the breathless glee that overwhelmed him: the speed, the clear cold air, the total silence, the feeling of balance and excitement and peace. Chapter 4 He liked the feeling of safety here in this warm and quiet room; he liked the expression of trust on the womans face as she lay in the water unprotected, exposed, and free. Chapter 13 They were satisfied with their lives, which had none of the  vibrance  his own was taking on. And he was angry at himself, that he could not change that for them. Sometimes I wish theyd ask for my wisdom more often - there are so many things I could tell them; things I wish they would change. But they dont want change. Life here is so orderly, so predictable - so painless. Its what theyve chosen. Chapter 12 Our people made that choice, the choice to go to Sameness. Before my time, before the previous time, back and back and back. We relinquished color when we relinquished sunshine and did away with difference. We gained control of many things. But we had to let go of others. On Grief and Pain Chapter 13 Now he saw another elephant emerge from the place where it had stood hidden in the trees. Very slowly it walked to the mutilated body and looked down. With its sinuous trunk, it struck the huge corpse; then it reached up, broke some leafy branches with a snap, and draped them over the mass of torn thick flesh. Finally, it tilted its massive head, raised its trunk, and roared into the empty landscape. It was a sound of rage and grief and it seemed never to end. Chapter 14 The sled hit a bump in the hill and Jonas was jarred loose and thrown violently into the air. He fell with his leg twisted under  him and could hear the crack of bone. His face scraped along jagged edges of  ice...Then, the first wave of pain. He gasped. It was as if a hatchet lay lodged in his leg, slicing through each nerve with a hot blade. In his agony, he perceived the word fire and felt flames licking at the torn bone and flesh. Chapter 15 Dirt streaked the boys face and his matted blond hair. He lay sprawled, his gray uniform glistening with wet, fresh blood. The colors of the carnage were grotesquely bright: the crimson wetness on the rough and dusty fabric, the ripped shred of grass, startlingly green, in the boys yellow hair. Chapter 19 Jonas felt a ripping sensation inside himself, the feeling of terrible pain clawing its way forward to emerge in a cry. On Wonder Chapter 9 What if others - adults - had, upon becoming Twelves, received in their instructions the same terrifying sentence? What if they had all been instructed: You may lie? Chapter 12 Always in the dream, it seemed as if there were a destination: a something - he could not grasp what - that lay beyond the place where the thickness of snow brought the sled to a stop. He was left, upon awakening, with the feeling that he wanted, even somehow needed, to reach the something that waited in the distance. The feeling that it was good. That it was welcoming. That it was significant. But he did not know how to get there. Chapter 13 He wondered what lay in the far distance where he had never gone. The land didnt end beyond  those nearby communities. Were there hills Elsewhere? Were there vast wind-torn areas like the place he had seen in memory, the place where the elephants died? Chapter 14 Was there someone there, waiting, who would receive the tiny released twin? Would it grow up Elsewhere, not knowing, ever, that in this community lived a being who looked exactly the same? For a moment, he felt a tiny, fluttering hope that he knew was quite foolish. He hoped that it would be Larissa, waiting. Larissa, the  old woman  he had bathed. Jonas began to remember the wonderful sail that The Giver had given him not long before: a bright, breezy day on a clear turquoise lake, and above him the white sail of the boat billowing as he moved along in the brisk wind. Chapter 23 For the first time, he heard something that he knew to be music. He heard people singing. Behind him, across vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he thought he heard music, too. But perhaps, it was only an echo. On Choice, Change, and Consequences Chapter 20 Its the way they live. Its the life that was created for them. Its the same life that you would  have  if you had not been chosen as my successor. Chapter 7 He hunched his shoulders and tried to make himself smaller in the seat. He wanted to disappear, to fade away, not to exist. He didnt dare to turn and find his parents in the crowd. He couldnt bear to see their faces darkened with shame. Jonas bowed his head and searched through his mind. What had he done wrong? Chapter 9 There was just a moment when things werent quite the same, werent quite as they had always been through the long friendship. Chapter 16 Things could change, Gabe. Things could be different. I dont know how, but there must be some way for things to be different. There could be colors. And grandparents. And everybody would have memories. You know about memories. Chapter 22 If he had stayed in the community, he would not be. It was as simple as that. Once he had yearned for choice. Then, when he has had a choice, he had made the wrong one: the choice to leave. And now he was starving.

Statistics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Statistics - Assignment Example of industrial explosion and were under age 40 at the time of accident had heightened concentrations of dioxin in their blood and that each tenfold increase in dioxin level was associated with a doubling of the risk of breast cancer. a) In any experiments, it is required to select sample randomly. If the subjects were not assigned to the diets randomly instead of letting people pick what they wanted to eat, than there may be possibility of adding another factor (in this case subject’s choice) introduced to the experiments. Thus, it will be difficult to say which factor influenced blood pressure more effectively, subject’s choice what they wanted to eat or diet type. Randomization allows us to equalize the effects of unknown or uncontrollable sources of variation. It does not eliminate the effects of these sources, but it spreads them out across the treatment levels so that we can see past them. c) The researchers need the control group because than they will be able to compare the blood pressure of groups based on different diet only. If the DASH diet group’s mean blood pressure was lower at the end of the experiment than at the beginning that would only mean that DASH diet lowered the blood pressure. This will not mean how much effective DASH diet is compared to other diets. Further, in an experiment it is required to control sources of variation other than the factors we are testing by making conditions as similar as possible for all treatment groups. d) We would need additional information standard error of difference (or sample standard deviations and sizes for DASH diet group and control group) in order to decide whether an average reduction in blood pressure of 6.7 points was statistically

Project Paper-Adult Development Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Project Paper-Adult Development Issues - Essay Example What emerges from this study is the importance of physical and intellectual competence, an adaptive personality, financial security and a supportive family. A sustained, dramatic change in the demographic profile of American society has been observed and documented in recent years, brought about by a new high in life expectancy, which has increased to approximately 77 years, showing a difference between 73.6 years for men and 79.4 years for women. Statistical studies predict that, by 2050, the elderly (above 65 years of age) will constitute a significant 22.9% of the U.S. population (Schaie and Willis, 2002. Page 5). This trend can be attributed mainly to the migration of young adults, fertility rates over different periods and mortality. The marked rise in life expectancy is matched by a corresponding decline in mortality rates, chiefly due to vast strides in sanitation, nutrition and scientific advances in medical treatment. As we inevitably head towards a society with an increasingly aged population, with its’ attendant problems and implications, the study of gerontology takes on urgent significance. Gerontology is defined as â€Å"the study of the phenomena of the aging process from maturity into old age, as well as the study of the elderly as a special population† (Schaie and Willis, 2002. Page12). The word is derived from the Greek ‘geras,’ for old age. An approach that would contribute to a more complete understanding of elderly people’s capabilities and positions is one which does not rank them on the basis of chronological age alone, but differentiates between biological age, which is dependent on the physical condition of the body; social age, which reflects the position occupied by the individual in society; psychological age, which is indicative of behavior, attitude and skills. Another approach which

Paper Analysis on the Poem Dulce Et Decorum Est Essay Example for Free

Paper Analysis on the Poem Dulce Et Decorum Est Essay Wilfred Edward Salter Owen born 8 March 1893, died on 4 November 1918. Were an English soldier and poet (one of the leading poet in World War 1). Wilfred Owen was born at Plas Wilmot, a house in Weston Lane, near Oswestry in Shropshire, on 18 March 1893, of mixed English and Welsh ancestry. He was the eldest of four children, his siblings being Harold, Colin, and Mary Millard Owen. Line By Line Interpretation Lines 1-2 Beggars used to put everything they owned in some sort of sack which would then carry over their shoulder. The soldier, like the beggar is bent over in pain. The solider could also from the gas attack. â€Å"Knock- kneed,† suggest that the soldier is trying to keep his knees together and his feet wide apart as a way to keep him steady so that he can continue to walk. Owen compares to â€Å"old beggars† and â€Å"hags† as a way to say that the soldiers have lost their youthfulness due to fighting in this war. The symptoms listed here is due to a mustard gas attack; the solider experienced blisters, sore eyes, and vomiting. Line 3-8 The solider try to go back to camp to recover from the effects from the mustard gas attack. â€Å"Haunting flares† are the flashes of life that accompany artillery shell. â€Å"Distant rest† can be interpreted in two ways: first, when the soldier reaches camp they would be able rest and recovered from the attacks; the second interpretation could be death. It could take a while for a solider to die from exposure to mustard gas. â€Å"Limped on blood shots furthers the opinion that this was a mustard gas attack, because men would get sores over their bodies from being exposed to this gas. Of course, it’s also possible that they were just hit with artillery fire but in keeping with the context of this poem it makes more sense that this would be an effect of some sort of gassing. â€Å"All blind† was another symptom of the attack; they eyes would become very inflamed and puffed up so that it would make it hard for them to see. â€Å"Five-nines† are the five point nine calibre shells that were fired on the British soldiers in this particular instant. When the shells were fired they made high pitched sound, described by Owen as hooting. Line9-14 This is the part of the poem that describes a chlorine gas attack. â€Å"An ecstasy of fumbling† can be interpreted as the soldier so overwhelmed with being scared and nervousness that they are fumbling with their helmets while they were trying to put them on. The helmets here are referred to as mask gas. There were many varieties of gas mask during WWI; with each new development in gas war fare the helmets had to be adapted to protect the soldier. In the early days of chlorine gas attack, men would put damp cloths over their mouths and noses, which would reduce the effects of the gas on the men. Gas masks were later produced to protect soldiers from this gas. Line 15-16 This section can be read as nightmare. This scene of death haunts the narrator of this poem these men saw death every day and with the introduction war fare one could argue that death took on a whole new significance for them. The drawn out death of men expose to the gases will leave more of an impression of the mind of that of a quick death. More and more men had to be treated for post-traumatic stress disorder due to them not being able to deal with everything that they saw while they were enlisted the solider described here a slowly dying. (Line16) Lists all the actions that a person would do if their air supply was cut-off. Line 17-24 This section of the poem describes a soldier with post-traumatic stress would think. The narrator describes this dream as smothering like he is the one that is suffocating rather than the soldier. There was little that cloud be done for the soldiers once they were expose through this gas and that made that people feel really uneasy. â€Å"Like a devil’s sick of sin† could mean that the soldier was as tired as the devil of the sin that he and others took part in. â€Å"The bloods come gargling from the froth- corrupted lungs† is a very descriptive image that would probably make anyone sick to their stomach if they actually had to see it first-hand. This is an image that would stick with someone for a long time, haunting their memories. It is these kinds of memories that can cause post-traumatic stress disorder. Lines 25-28 Owen is referring to Jessie Pope when he says â€Å"My friend.† He is telling her that is she knew the reality of the war she would not be propagandizing it to young men. Pope prays on the young mens desire to be glorious heroes without telling them the ramifications of enlisting Significance of the Title The title is significant because e it highlights the horror and reality of war especially on the first war. The war is reflected in the Latin word â€Å"DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI†. This phrase can be translated as it is sweet and rite to die for your country. Owen states as an â€Å"Old Lie† and he illustrates this in the poem. His illustration of the reality war is that an incident of exhausted soldier studded through the mud of the soldiers. They are leaved the front line in order to rest for a few days in a safer place. However the group is attacked by mustard gas. One soldier was last in putting his mask. Owen describes the symptoms shown by7 the man as the poison slowly kills him. Tone of the Poem The tone of the poem is harsh due to the diction. â€Å"Coughing like hags†, â€Å"Curse through sludge† Poetic Devices â€Å"Bent double† is an example of an hyperbole it conveys the feeling of exhaustion felt by the soldiers, were carrying heavy packs and being sleepless in the trenches. Metaphor: â€Å"Drunk with fatigue† the feeling the soldier were having due to mustard gas effect Alliteration: â€Å"Knock-kneed coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge.† create and impression of panic an urgencies. Simile: â€Å"Like a man in fire or lime† to express the burning and blistering of the pain caused by the mustard when it came into contact with their skin. Rhyme: â€Å"Sacks –backs, sludge- trudge, boots-hoots†

Essay --

Main Ideas Europeans Explore the East Section 1 1. The factors that helped spur European exploration were the new spirit of adventure and curiosity brought on by the Renaissance, the desire to be rich, the desire to spread Christianity, and advances in sailing. 2. Portugal’s Prince Henry conquered Ceuta, a Muslim city in North Africa. Prince Henry and his men discovered stores with exotic spices and large quantities of gold, silver, and jewels in Ceuta. Once he returned to Portugal, him main goal was to find the place in the East where the treasures came from while spreading Christianity. Eventually, he founded a navigation school to teach his students how to improve such skills as mapmaking, instrument making, and shipbuilding. 3. The significance of Dias’ voyage was to spread Christianity while serving His Majesty, to grow rich and "give light to those who were in darkness" while da Gama explored the East African coast and its rare silks and gems. He returned to Portugal with spices, such as pepper and cinnamon, and provided Portugal with a direct sea route to India. 4. The Dutch were so successful in establishing a trading empire in the Indian Ocean because they were a leading sea power with the largest fleet of ships in the world and they established the Dutch East India Company which minted money, made treaties and raised its own army. The Dutch seized the port of Malacca and the Spice Islands which helped Amsterdam become a leading commercial center and controlled the Cape of Good Hope which was a resupply stop. China Limits European Contacts Section 2 5. China did not undergo widespread industrialization because the idea of commerce conflicted with China's Confucian beliefs and their economic policies favored agricult... ..., Tokugawa Ieyasu was upset by the success of missionaries converting the Japanese and felt that the missionaries were belittling Japanese traditions and beliefs in order to convert the Japanese to Christianity. Sometimes the missionaries became involved with politics and tried to reform the local governments. Also, by 1612, the shogun banned Christianity and tried to get rid of all Christians in his country. 5. The Manchus earned the respect of the Chinese by upholding China's traditional Confucian beliefs and social structures. One leader, Kanghi personally led troops to the northern border to protect the people against Mongols threatening there and also reduced government expenses and taxes, offered intellectuals government positions, invited Jesuits at court where he learned about developments in medicine, science and mathematics that were popular in Europe.

Banned Hijab (headscarf or veil)

It is a common occurrence to find Muslim women wearing headscarf or the veil commonly referred to as Hijab in public. Public wearing of Hijab in the countries like France and Turkey has faced a ban as a result of the need to expose facial identity and prevent extremism. In Turkey, the headscarves were banned in official buildings and the civic places and also it was strictly banned in the universities hence allowing only to be worn under the chin. The French parliament also recommended a partial ban inside hospital buildings and schools for security reasons for those seeking public services.The main purpose here is to ensure safety by making it easier for identification of the faces of people involved. This is applicable more so when showing the faces in the passports in the airports and some transport systems. Therefore, it is necessary to see one’s face so that one identifies the person when the crime is committed and take respective measures. The banning is seen as a measur e to liberalize a Muslim woman. This is because it is assumed that Muslim women are forced to wear the Hijab.Therefore, the ban will reduce this restriction by making the Muslim women have a choice of wearing the Hijab or not. A considerable percentage of the Muslim women population is wearing the Hijab showing that the Muslim men are actually forcing their women in wearing them. Many have confessed that of those who wore the clothing they were simply forced and subjected to do so against their will (Asser, 2006). This is why the governments of France and Turkey decided to protect the rights of the Muslim women.Protection was effected by leading a Muslim woman, wearing a Hijab, to a safe place and asking her if she was forced to wear it and then offer help when necessary. Wearing of the Hijab actually meant to promote extremism. Extremism actually arises from the countries that order women to wear Hijab. In addition, the ban was considered as a way of expressing self in an oppressiv e way towards the modesty of a woman character. This is so because it was considered a way of denying a Muslim woman a right to choose what to wear in the present modernized world.The French community is itself banning the clothing for the interests of secularism. This is so because of the oppression received by the church for a few centuries in the past. Therefore, to see many of the French people increasingly becoming religious whether French or Immigrant is very disturbing to this community. The wearing of Hijab is an ethical requirement according to the teachings of Quran. The government ban will therefore lead to an infringement of a basic right of choice (Human Rights Watch).The issue of Banning the Hijab has lead to a number of challenges among Muslim community. This was seen as biasness towards Muslim religion. It was argued that if the ban was really for the purposes of security, it is even easier to conceal weapons under the garments than the face. Banning of the Hijab has also led to an increase in negative sentiments against governments of France and Turkey as a way of opposition to this ban. The extremists have also increased hatred in the west especially in France which has led to many attacks on the country in general.This has also had an effect on the increase in threat to public safety and also an increase in Islamophobia which is an Islamic religion which promotes wearing of the headscarves and the Hijab. Prohibition of the headscarves in Turkey has led to a drastic decrease on the student intake in most colleges and universities due to the fact that about 70 percent of the students in Turkey wear headscarves and that this bring about discrimination in the education sector. On the other hand, the state’s prohibition has changed the attitudes of the private sector on the employment of women who wear the Hijab.This has contributed to a decline of women’s employment rates in Turkey which is constantly declining. It was reported tha t women who wore headscarves were experiencing hard times in finding employment in the private sector which is the same like when trying to get a degree. This has made the government t to relax its ban (Islam online, 2010). Therefore, the issue of prohibiting wearing of the Hiijab by the Muslim society brings about many social issues towards both the religion and the involved governments.It is seen as a security factor to the public and also as a way of protecting those who are opposing the culture. But on the other hand it is seen as a contributory factor towards a decline in employment opportunities and also dangerous as it creates enmity and risk of terrorist attacks. Therefore, this issue should be addressed critically to balance the arising effects to both the governments and the Muslim community. Works Cited Human Rights Watch. France: Headscarf Ban Violates Religious Freedom.February 2004. Viewed on 14 July 2010 from http://www. hrw. org/en/news/2004/02/26/france-headscarf-ba n-violates-religious-freedom Asser, Martin. Why Muslim Women Wear the Veil. BBC News, October 2006. Viewed on 14 July 2010 from http://www. apologeticsindex. org/504-muslim-veils Islam online. Turkey Relaxes Hijab Ban. February 2010. Viewed on 14 July 2010 from http://www. islamonline. net/servlet/Satellite? c=Article_C&cid=1201957722066&pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout

Rmcf Srategic Audit

Strategic Audit of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Table of Contents Current Situation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 Current Performance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 Strategic Posture†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4,5 Corporate Governance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦. 5 Board of Directors †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦. 5,6,7 Top Management†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7,8,9 External Environment: Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 Natural Environment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 Societal Environment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦9,10 Task Environment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦. 10,11 Summary of External Factors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦. 11 Exhibit 1- EFAS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 22 Internal Environment: Strengths & Weaknesses (SWOT)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 11 Corporate Structure†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 11,12 Corporate Culture†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 Corporate Resources†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦12 Marketing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 Finance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12,13 Research & Development†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 13,14 Operations & Logistics†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦14 Human Resources Management (HRM)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦14 Information Technology (IT)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦14,15 Summary of Internal Factors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 15 Exhibit 2- IFAS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 22 Analysis of Strategic Factors (SWOT)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 15 Situational Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5,16,17 Review of Mission and Objectives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦17 Exhibit 3 – SFAS Matrix†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦23 Strategic Alternatives and Recommended Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 18 Strategic Alternatives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦.. 18,19 Recommended Strategy/Implementation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 19,20 Implementation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 20 Evaluation and Control†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 20,21 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦21 Works Cited†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 24 I.Current Situation A. Current Performance Successful from the start * Currently there are five company-owned and 329 franchised RMCF stores operating in 38 states * Continuous revenue increases from year to year (around $16,678,472 in 2008) * During this time of economic decline that had arose, the sales began to slow up but Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory seems to be in great shape under all financial aspects to survive the recession. B. Strategic Posture Here is the original mission, objectives, and strategies of the company.RMCF is always looking to become more and more successful from what they already have and hope to continue doing well now and in the future. 1. Mission: The Company does its finest to stay fine-tuned and focus on franchising and manufacturing. * They guarantee goo d quality, taste, value, and variety of all their products * Their number one focus and factor is the quality of the product 2. Objectives: RMCF is always wanting to be known and therefore their customers and employees are huge for the company.They are always doing their best to stay in the seat they are in now by staying successful, continuing to gain customers, popularity, and even profits as a whole. * Continue to keep a good relationship with all employees and with the franchises as well * They are always sure to handle and manage their money in all the proper ways even during the time of the 2008 economic slump * Always had an eye open to slow factors down during this rough time (expansion and eliminate debt) 3.Strategies * Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is repurchasing stock here because they felt as if it was undervalued * Different kinds of candy, such as sugar free treats for individuals who choose to be more healthy or who cannot have the candies with all the sugar in th em * The company owns refrigerated trucks to make it simple to move products from the factory to stores * Putting stores in areas of tourist, entertainment, and street front locations to gain more and more attention. Stores are set up for customers to be able to not resist the smell and sights of all the goodies (will keep them coming back) 4. Policies: RMCF consists of many different polices as most places do. The company wants to always continue increasing accountability, revenue, customers, and all the positives that have been such a success for the company while also reducing bottlenecking. All franchisees are expected to hold a high level of excellence * Believe they should control the manufacturing of its own products in order to better maintain its high product quality standards * RMCF sends their trucks from factories to stores with products and then brings back more ingredients for the next product so they can save trips and be more cost effective * Stores must be placed fa r enough apart and in good locations so that the company has the best possibility for success * All stores have the policy of sample in the store so customers can see and try what they are going to purchaseThe current mission, objectives, strategies, and policies reflect the company under many aspects. It continues to be successful, expand the customer culture, and accessibility. RMCF created a leading business model that was truly effective. With all the company has accomplished it continues to keep an eye open and look to consider changes if needed. II. Corporate Governance A. Board of Directors Due to the type of company, it is restricted by law to have no fewer than three and no more than nine directors on the board.The company previously decided on having 6 directors with Crail and Merryman being the only two internal board members. 1. Franklin E. Crail- Founder of the first RMCF, Chief Executive Officer, President, and a director. Bryan J. Merryman- Vice President, Finance & c hief financial officer, chief operating officer, director and a treasurer. Others directors include: Gerald A. Kien – Former chief executive officer of Remote Technology. Lee N. Mortenson – Former managing director at Kensington Partners LLC. Clyde W.Engle – Chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer of Sunstates Corporation. Fred M. Trainor – Chief executive officer and president of AVCOR Health Care Products Inc. With the exception of Franklin E. Crail who was the co-founder of RMCF and Bryan J. Merryman, the Board of Directors of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is composed of all external-independent board members. The directors do not receive any kind of compensation for serving on the board.However, they do receive compensation for serving other things such as serving certain board committees, leading committees, and when getting involved in meetings. Directors who are not officers or employees of RMCF are entitled to receive s tock option awards. RMCF is publically traded and listed on NASDAQ Global Market. For each share of common stock held, a shareholder is entitled to one vote on all matters. There are different rights as all matters could be voted on except the election of directors. Shareholders on the board had cumulative voting rights in the election of directors.The Board of Directors has frequently paid out quarterly cash dividends usually to common share outstanding. The RMCF board of directors are equipped with a wide variety of skills, interest, knowledge and background. The board members contribute numerous experiences in different positions from multiple companies. It seems that none of the directors were ever in the food industry before. Franklin E. Crail co-founded the first Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory store in May 1981. Since, Crail has served as its President, Director, Chairman of the Board, and CEO.Before finding the company, he was co-founder and President of CNI Data Processing Inc. Bryan J. Merryman has experience in leverage buyout firms, retail and manufacturing of aftermarket auto parts, consulting, financial advisory, and risk management. He has been with RMCF since 1997. Lee N. Mortenson has been with the company since 1987 and has been involved in consulting and investment activities since 2000. He was the managing director of a private investment firm and has been President and CEO of a company that provided management consulting and investment services.He has also been involved in real estate development and manufacturing. Gerald A. Kien became part of the company in 1995. He had just retired from his position as President and CEO of a company involved in the development of instrumentation for vehicle emissions testing. He also had previously been on the board of Sun Electric which is a company that deals with the oilfield, wind farms, and transmission construction industries. Clyde W. Engle became part of the company and had experience in profes sional property management as well as in a one-bank holding company.RMCF has a total of 41 franchise stores internationally. Based on what some of the directors use to do in the past, it is clear that they have the experience to work with international operations of the company and help benefit RMCF. When it comes to the environment, it can be said that RMCF board members are concerned with its environment. To start with a simple example, Crail had to scope out the perfect environment where to build his company. He moved from California to a smaller town where he started to survey the environment to make sure that it was a good place to open a chocolate shop.Crail had to make sure the environment was going to be a contribution to the success of the organization. RMCF was first located right on the main street for location and was right by the river which was a tourist attraction. The smells caught the noses of the tourists that came to town for the attractions. The company then cont inued to establish RMCF stores in five primary environments such as regional centers, tourist areas, outlet centers, street fronts, and airports and other entertainment oriented areas. The board members have been around for quite some time. Starting from 1982 to 1987, 1995, 1999, 2000, and 2009 basically.Even previously from 1987. The board seems to be deeply involved with strategic management of the company, controlling all from where stores are located to how training is conducted. When it comes to decision making on what to do with the company, the board of directors at RMCF tend to agree upon what to do as a team. They take care of all major aspects of the company. For example, they are in charge of resources and performance in the environment. With the co-founder being part of the board, strategic management works in a way that they all come to an agreement on, the board and no one is voted out.The board is able to run an evaluation on performance and many other aspects. All bo ard members participate and stick to a strategic plan to come to an agreement for the company. B. Top Management When it comes on to top management at RMCF it is up to the internal employees that are all part of the board. Listed below are some individuals that are part of RMCF top management: Frankiln E. Crail- Chief Executive Officer, President, and Director Bryan J. Merryman- Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Treasuer Edward L.Dudley- Senior Vice President- Sales and Marketing Gregory L. Pope- Senior Vice President- Franchise Development and Operations Jay B. Haws- Vice President- Creative Services William K. Jobson- Chief Information Officer Virgina M. Perez- Corporate Security Similar to the board of directors, top management of RMCF comes from a lot of different backgrounds. All of them are experienced in their field, but none of them before had ever had experience in the food industry. Some of the top management individuals consist of Crail , Merryman, Dudley, Pope, haws, and even a few more.Top management at RMCF are responsible for the different franchises and the growth of the company. They use top management as a form of recognition style so they can use it to expand and open more franchise stores. This will allow them to open more stores with no capital investment. Top Management also has international experience similar to the board of directors, because some of the individuals are both on the board of directors and top management. They have had to interact with others internationally and learn how to work with others from all over as well.That is why RMCF continues to stay towards the top and seems to most of the time be doing very well. There have been different ways and ratios looked into that determine if top management is effective and if they have an impact on the corporation’s performance over the past years. The ratios turned out looking rather well for RMCF in that the company is doing well and to p management has been responsible for these corporation performances over the past few years. This means that the management is aware of their resources and are using them to the company’s advantage.About half of the top management have been promoted internally. They started off as a store manager, franchise owner, or working their way up through the company. Some of these managers have been with the company since it first merged in the early 1980’s. Top management has established a systematic approach to strategic management. As mentioned above, the committee consults the board on making the right organizational decisions. By placing intense focus on Environmental Scanning of strategic management, RMCF has been smart and placed store locations in tourist areas, or high levels of foot traffic.Top management of RMCF is deeply involved in the strategic management process of the company. They are in charge of the mainstream controls that their franchise branches do. There fore, top management is truly involved. When it comes to deciding store locations, directing training, and providing ingredients, these are all decided upon in their original Durango, Colorado location. At RMCF top management is heavily involved in the interaction with lower level managers and the board of directors. Top management consults with the lower levels when deciding what to do and what strategies they can come upon that will best suit the company.Even though top management is higher up then the lower levels, they must come to agreements on certain strategies before making changes. Therefore, top management does play a very important role when it comes to interacting and communicating with lower level managers and board of directors at RMCF. By interacting and communicating helps the company rise above and stay ahead of competitors. RMCF is great with their interaction at all levels and that is what allows for it to be one of the leading chocolate factories worldwide. Decis ions at RMCF are made ethically in a socially responsible manner.If there is ever any concerns or anything that could be harmful to the company name, system, or reputation they are strictly prohibited. Along with the ethical manners of RMCF, environmentally sustainable manners come into play. From what RMCF can control, they want to always maintain an environmentally sustainable manner. With most things they are able to do so but with cocoa beans that are the main raw material used to make chocolate and grown in Africa and several other countries, RMCF cannot directly regulate if those countries are leading themselves in an environmentally sustainable manner.There are many different rules, regulations, and concerns that need to be kept under tight control with the company. From the case, one can see that RMCF’s top management is sufficiently skilled to cope with any future challenges. All of the top management team comes from truly experienced backgrounds and are prepared to withstand any recessionary forces that are knocking the U. S. economy. III. External Environment: Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) A. Natural Physical Environment: Sustainability Issues 1. Some natural climate issues that could affect the company would be heat, rain, and snow.Some weather related issues would be hurricanes and earthquakes that would affect traffic, tourism, and crop production (cocoa beans). 2. These forces would affect different regions of the world depending on the season and location. There might be different weather-related events, but different types would affect each region. B. Societal Environment Economic Economic is a current threat because the economy is dealing with a current recession. Spending is down and chocolate isn’t a necessity, which means there will be less chocolate being consumed. TechnologicalTechnology is an opportunity for RMCF. One example is that with online shopping increasing, consumers can buy as much of the product as they want right from their phones or computers. Also, technology can speed up the production process. Machines can do a lot more work as well, which will limit the amount of work that workers have to do by hand. This will increase the overall quality and consistency of the product. Political-Legal Political-Legal can be a threat to this corporation. Working in a factory can be somewhat unsafe. There are always health and safety issues in any workplace.There are also fair-trade regulations, import and export regulations, licensing agreements and child labor laws that have to be enforced. Sociocultural Sociocultural is an opportunity for this corporation. Based on research, dark chocolate has many health benefits. Some of these benefits include limiting the risk of diabetes, heart attacks, and strokes. Dark chocolate can also lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and increase sugar metabolism. This will increase consumer spending on dark chocolate if consumers believe that it is healthy for the m. These forces would be different in other countries.This is because every nation is not at the same developmental stage, in terms of Economic, Technological, Political-legal, & Sociocultural. Some countries are ahead of the U. S & others are behind. C. Task Environment 1. Forces that drive industry competition are prices, geographic locations, large corporations entering the market, and prime retail locations. a. Threats of new entrants: High: Nestle and mars are two of the top food manufacturers in the world. With low entry barriers and having to compete with these established corporations there is a high threat. b.Bargaining power of buyers: Medium: Consumers have other options to choose from besides RMCF. They can buy chocolate from whomever, but with their prices, consumers are still choosing RMCF. c. Threat of substitute products/services: High: There are many substitutes to gourmet chocolate and with the economy; consumers might fall for the lower prices and easy access to d ifferent products. d. Bargaining power of suppliers: Low: RMCF has an advantage over other suppliers because of their fixed pricing and alternative supplier options. e. Rivalry: High: There has been an increase of entrants into the industry.Chocolate can be an easier industry to buy into with the health benefits and low entry barriers. f. Relative power of union, governments, and special interest groups: Medium: Consumer demands, union demands, and government regulations present challenges for RMCF. 2. Key factors in the immediate environment are: * Consumers demand for quality and healthy products. * Big name competitors like Nestle and Mars entering the market. * Suppliers providing ingredients at a fixed cost. * Labor unions and employers working together to produce raw materials at a low cost D. Summary of External FactorsSee Exhibit 1: Find at end of paper Consumer demands and competition are the most important factors to the corporations and industries in which it competes at the present time. Without consumers buying the product, the company cannot survive. Even though there are other factors that weigh into consumer happiness, it all boils down to if they like the product, if they can afford it, and if they choose it over other competitors. In the future it will still be the same, there will still be other competitors that will be coming out with new and improved products. Consumers can change company preference at any time.RMCF has to keep fixed prices as good or better with the products that are similar to that of their competition in order to keep their consumers around. IV. Internal Environment: Strengths and Weaknesses (SWOT) A. Corporate Structure Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory prides itself on its history. It was built around location and lifestyle, which has helped shape its corporate structure that is used to this day. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory uses a divisional corporate structure that focuses in three areas; product, market, and geo graphic. Product is the first and foremost important element for the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.As said by one of the Co-founders Franklin Crail â€Å"The number one factor is the quality of the product, without that customers aren’t going to stay around long† (book p26-3). Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is known for its specialty chocolate treats such as; nut clusters, caramels, butter creams, mints, and truffles. RMCF also tries to stay innovative with its products, having recently introduced sugar free and no sugar added candies. Chocolate isn’t the only sweet treat that Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory offers, however, they also offer an array of fudges and caramel apples.Market structure is the next piece that fits into Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory’s divisional corporate structure. Market structure comes into play with the different groupings of employees that Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory has as a whole. They can be divided up into ma nufacturing its own trucking operations, store employees, factory employees, and corporate management. Splitting up the employee force and grouping everyone with the same or similar groups together is the main purpose of the market structure as part of the divisional structure as a whole.The last piece of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory’s divisional corporate strategy is geographical structure. This groups employees come together on a basis of where they are located. This is important for Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory because it an international company with stores all over the United States, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates. The placement of the shops is also a key element to the success of the store. The main environments are; regional centers, tourist areas, outlet centers, street fronts, and airports. B. Corporate Culture â€Å"The Peak of Perfection in handmade Chocolates†Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory has a very unique corporate culture. It truly tries to live up to its tagline of being â€Å"The Peak of Perfection in Handmade Chocolates†. As a company they accomplish this by making all the shops a blend of traditional and contemporary styles. They also sought to make each store a fun and inviting place to be for both its workers and the customers that stop in. In each store it is possible to see the chocolates being made by the workers, thus showing that the chocolates really are handmade, as promised by the tagline of the company.Another important aspect of the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory corporate culture is its franchising philosophy. It is always looking to improve its franchise support systems and has a high level of service and commitment to its franchises. The company realizes the importance of supporting and monitoring all of its franchises, because they are a direct reflection of the company. C. Corporate Resources 1. Marketing Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory runs on low-cost, high-return publicity opportuni ties. This is through taking advantage of local and regional events, sponsorships, and charitable causes.A large national marketing plan was never something that Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory was interested in. Instead the company preferred to use things like coupons, flyers, and mail-order catalogs generated in house using its Creative Services Department. This department also works directly with each franchise. 2. Finance RMCF is consistently making a profit, allowing operating expenses to increase, and it also has multiple income sources. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory’s financial situation can best be seen through the use of a graph. This graph breaks down the company’s financial situation for the past five years. | YEARS ENDED FEBRUARY 28 or 29,| | Selected Statement of Operations Data| | 2012| | | 2011| | | 2010| | | 2009| | | 2008| | Total revenues| | $| 34,627| | | $| 31,128| | | $| 28,437| | | $| 28,539| | | $| 31,878| | Operating income| | | 5,853| | | | 5,950| | | | 5,671| | | | 5,819| | | | 7,914| | Net income| | $| 3,876| | | $| 3,911| | | $| 3,580| | | $| 3,719| | | $| 4,961| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Basic Earnings per Common Share| | $| . 63| | | $| . 65| | | $| . 60| | | $| . 62| | | $| . 78| | Diluted Earnings per Common Share| | $| . 62| | | $| . 62| | | $| . 58| | | $| . 60| | | $| . 6| | Weighted average common shares outstanding| | | 6,111| | | | 6,051| | | | 6,013| | | | 5,985| | | | 6,341| | Weighted average common shares outstanding, assuming dilution| | | 6,295| | | | 6,290| | | | 6,210| | | | 6,157| | | | 6,501| | Selected Balance Sheet Data| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Working capital| | $| 10,573| | | $| 9,831| | | $| 8,930| | | $| 7,371| | | $| 5,152| | Total assets| | | 24,163| | | | 21,439| | | | 18,920| | | | 16,841| | | | 16,147| | Stockholders’ equity| | | 18,736| | | | 16,654| | | | 14,731| | | | 13,242| | | | 11,655| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Cash Div idend Declared per Common Share| | $| . 400| | | $| . 400| | | $| . 400| | | $| . 400| | | $| . 390| | 3. Research and Development (R&D) Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory knows the importance of keeping up with consumers wants, needs, and most importantly tastes. With the recent health raze, doing research and development was necessary to find out what in fact the consumers actually wanted from their chocolate companies. Due to this health craze the demand for dark chocolate has seen a significant increase. Also due to the health conscious, there has been research on chocolates that have been enhanced with minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and probiotics. Another trend that has become apparent in the chocolate industry is the want for ethical and fair trade chocolate. Consumers were showing concern about supporting cocoa farms that used child labor. Due to this consumers were choosing to support companies that could prove they were using only â€Å"ethical† cocoa products. 4. Operations and LogisticsRocky Mountain Chocolate Factory’s operation and distribution objectives are all about maintaining the quality and freshness of its products. As a company Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory encourages its franchise stores to only order what they can realistically sell in a two to four week time frame, this ensures freshness. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory’s manufacturing process primarily involved cooking or preparing the candy. This is done in a temperature controlled room with strict quality controls in place to ensure that only best candies make the cut. While most of the candy is still handmade, there has been some change to automated processes if it makes sense to do so from a financial aspect.A large part of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory’s operations deal with its distribution or truck shipments. When it appeared that there couldn’t be a suitable shipper found, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory created its own fleet of semi s. By doing this it enabled the company to deliver its products to the stores quickly and at an extremely cost efficient and effective price. Having its own fleet to haul and return products and supplies has become not only a convenience for Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, but an extremely business savvy move. 5. Human Resources Management (HRM) Most of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory’s employees are employed and paid on an hourly basis. At times, the employment of temp or seasonal help was used.Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory prides itself on staying competitive in its industry with regard to pay, benefits, and working conditions. The company is big time on the emphasis of respect, commitment, and professionalism. As far as human resources and employee relations go, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory rates itself as very good! 6. Information Technology (IT) Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory uses social media as a main source of its information systems. Its main social media resource is Facebook. It allows for customers to â€Å"like† their page to receive special information and deals regarding the company. It also has a link to Facebook on its homepage on the corporate website. They also use Twitter and Instagram.Besides these information systems the company uses, the stores operate independently from main corporate structure and some other aspects of its operations the company uses information technology for shipping, sales performance, inventory control, and accounting. D. Summary of Internal Factors See Exhibit 2: Find at end of paper V. Analysis of Strategic Factors (SWOT) A. Situational Analysis See Exhibit 3: Find at end of paper Here we just laid out some of the important strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that were important when it comes to RMCF. By looking at the SFAS Matrix: exhibit 3 at the end of the paper one can see of the external(EFAS) and internal(IFAS) factors and which of each are the most important that have a strong impact on the company’s present and future performance. Strengths * Strong Franchise Program Rated an outstanding franchise in 2008 by the Entrepreneur magazine * March 31st there were 329 franchised stores * Visibility of its stores and the high foot traffic generated strong name recognition High Quality Product (won the 3 heart rating in a blind taste test) Strong mix of different kind of ingredients * During holiday seasons, company made as many as 100 additional items * Developed a new line of sugar-free and no-sugar added candies * According to the company, â€Å"results have been ‘spectacular’, filling a need for those with a special dietary requirements† * Careful selection of store sites * Highly cohesive corporate culture * Trademarks * Big, chunky chocolate concoctions * The Bear Paw-sized concoction of chewy caramel, roasted nuts and heavy coating of chocolate * Caramel apples followed by the Bear was the best selling Weaknesses * Glob al presence * Sale of chocolate and confectionary products was affected by changes in consumer tastes and eating habits * Negative impacts * Equity market levels * Consumer confidence * Job growth * Consumer disposable income and spending levels * Unemployment rates * Recessionary and inflationary trends * Energy prices Opportunities * New environments for success * Automation increase the speed and efficiency of the manufacturing process * Significant opportunities existed to expand into tourist area * Airport locations Accelerate the opening of stores in high volume airport locations * Sport Arenas * Kiosks * Enhanced franchise opportunities by providing flexibility in support of existing franchisees’ * Incorporated the company’s trademark cooking areas * Low cost marketing * Focused primarily on local in-store marketing * Fixed price contracts Company owned trucks * In 2008, owned eight refrigerated trucks and shipped substantial portion of its products from its fac tory * Cost effective, and quick delivery * Human Resources * Provided working conditions, wages, and benefits that compared favorably with its competitors * High performance expectations, mutual respect and professionalism existed throughout the company Threats Weather * Crop farming * Tourist areas * Competitors * Mars Inc. * Fanny May * Godiva Chocolatier * Large annual sales, and was one of the leading chocolate businesses * Scharffen Berger and Joseph Schmidt * Ethel M Chocolates * See’s Candies * Hershey * These companies not only manufactured chocolate but also had their own retail outlets * Numerous businesses that offered confectionery products, from large to small privately owned local businesses * Influence of sales affected by * Traffic patterns * Economic conditions * Demographic conditions B. REVIEW OF MISSION AND OBJECTIVES Mission Built around a location and a lifestyle. The number one factor is the quality of the product, without that customers aren’t going to stay around long. † (Page26-2) The Company believed that its store atmosphere and ambiance, as well as its brand name recognition and its careful selection of sites for new store and kiosks, merchandising and marketing of chocolate and other candy products, expertise in the manufacture, and commitment to customer service are key to the accomplishment of its objective to build on its position as a leading international franchiser and manufacturer of high quality chocolate and other confectionary products. †¢ Quality, taste, value and variety of products †¢ Quality of the product is the number one factor Objectives Manage money carefully during economic downturn †¢ Slowed expansion and elimination of debt †¢ Maintain a good relationship with employees as well as franchisees Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory has continued to maintain its mission and objectives appropriately during times of expansion as well as recession. VI. Strategic Alternatives and Recommended Strategy A. Strategic Alternatives The current and revised objectives are met rather well in this case and in any situation there can be implementation and improvement of the company’s strategies to make it even better. The alternative strategies are the Growth strategy, stability strategy and the retrenchment strategy.Cost leadership and differentiation play a part under strategic alternatives as well. 1. Stability Strategy: Stability strategy is when corporate strategies need to make no changes to the company’s current direction of activities. Therefore, RMCF fits pretty well under this because from the case one can see that they were doing rather well and never seemed to dip down by much at all. RMCF does not need to change any major things they just need to be sure and remain on the same page all the time and fix any small things that may occur. PROS: Stability strategy is rather cheap and will take the least amount of time. It also allows for appropria te training of any new franchisees.CONS: With a stability strategy it may only be short term solve or could end up resulting in loss of market share. 2. Growth Strategy: The concentration can be either vertical growth or horizontal growth. Vertical growth consists of taking over another company and this strategy would somewhat be beneficial for RMCF at this time because they tend to be doing well and if they were to take another place over and run it as they run their own company things would continue to be well off. Horizontal growth is spreading into other geographical locations. Horizontal growth is also something that RMCF is looking to do at this point because expanding into different geographical areas will benefit them and let them continue to become known all over.The diversification strategies involve concentric and RMCF seems to have a pretty strong competitive position in the industry world. Conglomerate diversification comes into play here too and RMCF seems to be pretty well and in a good spot with their cash making company. With these two characteristics, diversification strategy should work. The horizontal growth is huge through franchising at RMCF. PROS- RMCF could continue reaching and expanding to different new markets as profits continue to move forward. CONS- The growth strategy may not allow enough time for all the planning that is needed. 3. Retrenchment Strategy: Retrenchment strategy is corporate strategies to minimize the company’s level of activities and to return it to profitability.This strategy can be considered a quick fix of financial problems and this has helped for RMCF to stay on their feet and never fall to low under most aspects. There were a few times they slipped but then managed to get back on their feet and fix problems. With retrenchment strategy, it is there if RMCF would need it but the company is doing fairly well and has never been in that much of a slump to be bought out by another company or to even claim b ankruptcy. PROS- Retrenchment strategy is here and handy if RMCF were to need it. CONS- If RMCF did ever get into such a terrible spot, this might not help. 4. Cost Leadership: Cost Leadership can be described as a low-cost competitive strategy that aims at the broad mass market.RMCF can tie in with cost leadership because it has been truly successful and has set prices that the company believes works as a competitive strategy because their consumers agree on them and continue to come back for more in that they are satisfied. PROS- Keep consumers around and gain more from the broad mass market with a low-cost competitive strategy. CONS- Other companies will begin to do the same and try to be even better while trying to gain RMCF’s consumers. 5. Differentiation: Differentiation is huge for RMCF because this is a competitive strategy that is targeted at the broad mass market and which involves the design of a product or service that is viewed throughout its industry as exceptio nal.RMCF fits perfectly under differentiation because from the start Crail wanted the industry to be different than any other and successful with the unique products it produced. PROS- Practical for above average earnings because of the exceptional products that consumers want more of and tend to not care about the price. CONS- There could be more losses during tough times because of the differentiation products being as a luxury. B. Recommended Strategy Here, growth is the recommended strategy for Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. With doing very well most the time and being able to fix what the company needs to, their business and functional strategies that the company use seem to be working well. The U. S. candy market was doing extremely well around 2009, with chocolate generating billions of dollars in sales.As of March 31, 2008, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory consisted of five company-owned and 329 franchised stores operating in 38 states, Canada, and the United Arab Emirate s. All the Franchising, licensing, and exporting will help its ability to resolve both long and short-term goals of the company. There are not too many policies that should be developed or revised with RMCF to guide them with effective implementation. They seem to do rather well. If something does go wrong they find the best way to go about bettering it for present and future reference. The company has to always remain on its toes though because anything could change at any time. By following and sticking to good policies will benefit the company in many ways.The impact of knowing what is going on and being ready for anything to happen at any time will have positive impact on the company’s core and distinctive competencies. VII. Implementation In order for Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory to continue being a front runner in the gourmet chocolate industry they need to continue going on the path that they are on. They have a loyal consumer base and are keeping up with the wants and needs of their consumer base. By continuing to offer their homemade quality chocolates online, in stores, and in kiosk’s around the world they are providing their product to consumers in many ways. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory has a solid structure set up as far as top management and board members are concerned. For assurance that RMCF ontinues to be one of the top leaders in the gourmet, homemade, chocolate industry it is important that they keep listening to their customers wants and needs. VIII. Evaluation and Control Is the current information system capable of providing sufficient feedback on implementation activities and performance? Can it measure strategic factors? The current information system is capable of providing sufficient feedback on implementation activities and performance because the external and internal elements determine the future of the corporation. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats help the company sort out the monitoring, evaluating, and disseminating of information.Using the SWOT analysis helps defining the corporate mission, specifying achievable objectives, developing strategies, and setting policy guidelines. The fact that this company is built around a location and lifestyle, and that the quality of the taste, value and variety of products are important to them as a whole is why they succeed. They realize that in order to keep profit coming, they need to manage money carefully during economic downturn as well with a slowed expansion to help eliminate debt. Customer satisfaction is important as well because if the customer is not satisfied with either the product or the service they are receiving they will not be returning.Rocky Mountain Chocolate employees pride themselves in making a good name for the company, which is why they are so successful with expansion. â€Å"The number one factor is the quality of the product, without that customers aren’t going to stay around long† (Page 26-2). Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory has had a very strong franchise with the fact that they were rated an outstanding franchise in 2008 by the Entrepreneur magazine. Are adequate control measures in place to ensure conformance with the recommended strategic plan? Appropriate standards and measures are being used to enhance conformance with the recommended strategic plan because they are being rated on the quality f the products they are producing. They were able to overcome the hard times of the economy in the U. S over the recent years by managing their money effectively. The company has their own special features and products that make them stand out over their competitors. With special holidays, they make over 100 different products to help ensure business with different options. Conclusion In closing, we believe the Stability strategies of â€Å"make no changes† to the company’s current activities is the best recommendation we can give for Rocky Mountain Chocol ate Factory at this time. Exhibit 2- IFAS Table for Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |Internal Factors|   |   | Weight| Rating| Weighted Score| Comments| Strengths|   |   |   |   |   |   | High quality products|   | 0. 2| 5. 0| 1. 00| Can have high prices with loyal customers| Uniformity throughout every store| 0. 1| 4. 0| 0. 40| Keeps customers happy and satisfied| Efficient cost structure| 0. 1| 2. 5| 0. 25| Promotes growth & increases profits| All stores are efficient and organized|   |   | 0. 1| 4. 0| 0. 40| Also promotes growth & increases profits| |   |   | | | | | |   |   |   | |   |   |   | Weaknesses|   |   |   | |   |   |   | A lot of competitors that are also strong|   |   |   | 0. 2| 2| 0. 40| Have to do best to always protect market share| Special items|   |   |   | 0. 1| 2| 0. 0|   With difficult economic times sales can change| Proper operation of franchises is key|   |   | 0. 1| 1. 5| 0. 15| Keep head up in case of store mismanagement| Growth of company can be risky|   |   | 0. 1| 2| 0. 20| Must always stay on top with growth & managing it| |   |   | | | | | |   |   |   | |   |   |   | Total Scores|   |   | 1. 00|   | 3. 00|   | Exhibit 1- EFAS Table for Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | External Factors|   |   | Weight| Rating| Weighted Score| Comments| Opportunities|   |   |   |   |   |   | Natural- recession recovery|   | 0. 05| 2. 5| 0. 13| Economy going towards recovery stage| Economic- low cost marketing strategy| 0. 05| 4. 6| 0. 3| Higher profits because of low cost facilities| Technological- multiple manuf. & automated processes| 0. 21| 4. 9| 1. 03| No value added, reduces inventory| Consumers happy & will pay more for product|   |   | 0. 07| 3. 5| 0. 25| profit will increase if demand for product does| Trucks owned by the comp any|   |   | 0. 12| 4. 5| 0. 54| Low transportation & efficient delivery|   |   |   |   | |   |   |   | Threats|   |   |   | |   |   |   | Natural- other companies move into market|   |   |   | 0. 23| 3. 8| 0. 87| Competition increases and causes lower prices| Economic- trade regulations|   |   |   | 0. 08| 1. 4| 0. 11|   Upset consumers, increase in labor costs| Labor force strikes|   |   | 0. 04| 1. 4| 0. 6| There would be no production of ingredients  | Regulations with the trucks|   |   | 0. 07| 2. 5| 0. 18| Increase in operating cost if slow delivery| Picking where to purchase a franchise location|   |   | 0. 08| 2| 0. 16| There would be no service if not in a good area|   |   |   |   | |   |   |   | Total Scores|   |   | 1. 00|   | 3. 56|   | Exhibit 3 – SFAS Matrix for RMCF| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Strategic Factors| Weight| Rating| Weighted Score| Duration Comments| | | D uration| Comments| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | S1 High Quality Products (S)| 0. 13| 5. 0| 0. 5 | Long High prices, loyal customers| | | Long| Very important income stream| | | | S4 Stores efficient & Organized (S)| 0. 13| 4. 0| 0. 52| Long Promotes growth & increases profits| | | Long| Well known brand| | | | W1 A lot of strong Competitors (W)| 0. 11| 2. 0| 0. 22| Intermediate Do best to protect Market share| | | Long| Developing tech. may hurt advertising income| | | | W2 Special Items (W)| 0. 11| 2. 0| 0. 22| Intermediate Sales can change during hard times| | | Long| If internet packages change, income from partnerships may change| | | | W3 Proper operations of franchises (W)| 0. 13| 1. 5| 0. 95| Long Keep head up for store mismanagement| | | Intermediate| Focusing on too many market segments| | | | W4 Growth of Company (W)| 0. 11| 2. 0| 0. 22| Long Stay on top with managing growth| | | Intermediate| You don't Yahoo! it, you google it! | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | O2 Economic (O)| 0. 07| 4. 6| 0. 322| Intermediate Higher profits: low cost facilities| | | Intermediate| Computers, cell phones, ipads, etc. | | | | O3 Technological (O)| 0. 07| 4. 9| 0. 343| Long No value added, reduces inventory| | | Long| Alliances with other countries. New laws, regulations, etc. enforced. | | | T1 Natural (T)| 0. 07| 3. 8| 0. 266| Intermediate Competition increase causes low prices| | | Intermediate| One media type having easier access than another| | | | T4 Regulations with trucks (T)| 0. 07| 2. 5| 0. 175| Short Increase in operation cost if slow delivery| | | Long| New laws and regulations internationally could put limits on Yahoo! | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Total Scores| 1. 00| | 3. 13| | | | | | | | Work Cited Doheny, K. (2012, April 24). Choose dark chocolate for health benefits. Retrieved from http://www. ebmd. com/diet/news/20120424/pick-dark-chocolate-health-benefits Franchise Store News Room. (2011). Retrieved March 5, 2013, from http://www. rmcf. com/CA/Sa cramento50028/news. asp? Hunger, J. D. ; Wheelen, T. L. (2012). Strategic management and business policy (13th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Inc. (2013). Retrieved March 5, 2013, from http://www. reuters. com/finance/stocks/companyOfficers? symbol=RMCF. O Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Inc. – Form 10-K (2010). Retrieved February 26, 2013, from http://www. faqs. org/sec-filings/100518/ROCKY-MOUNTAIN-CHOCOLATE-FACTORY-INC_10-K/