Projective Techniques Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Projective Techniques - Research Paper Example It is still implicitly used in many areas of management, but is seldom acknowledged. For example, in operational management, OCE layout theory assumes that managers project their subconscious in designing their OCE space (bunker, open etc.). This paper would mainly focus upon the detail analysis of the projective techniques and its application in academic researches as well. The idea of projective techniques is usually accredited to Frank (1939) with techniques initially developed in clinical psychology, where they were used for personality assessment and psychoanalytic treatment (Bellak 1992, Graham and Lilly 1984, Kassarjian 1974). The hypothesis that \research participants project aspects of their personalities in the process of disambiguating unstructured test stimuli" was the basis for this development. A number of different techniques were developed such as the well-known Rorschach technique or ink-blot test" where subjects are assumed to project aspects of their own personalit y onto the ambiguous features of a series of pictures of inkblots. Projective techniques provide the researcher with the tools to elicit projection and thus go beyond the fence of bounded rationality. This is because they have the ability to tap into the unconscious mental processing of individuals and can be used to get through the defensive barriers that respondents erect (Boddy, 2010, Ramsey, Ibbotson, and McCole 2006, Rogers and Beal 2006), the barriers of incorrect attribution or the barriers due to research question sensitivity (Anderson 1978, Fram and Cibotti 1991, Soley 2009). The first use of projective techniques in management research is generally accepted to be Haire (1950). He conducted a marketing study in the United States using projective techniques and found that female consumers formed impressions about the personalities of other women based on their product purchases, which they could not, or would not, state during direct questioning. The study gave unique and va luable insights into the barriers to product acceptance among housewives and these were deemed to be so useful that the study was basically the launch pad for the use of projective techniques in marketing research. Professional marketing researchers adopted the use of projective techniques and concluded that projective techniques were far superior to other research methods because they assessed the deep-rooted motivations of consumers. Follow up studies have consistently confirmed and supported the validity of Haire's approach and this cemented their use in marketing research (Soley, 2009). This common usage of projective techniques in marketing and advertising communications research continues to this day. Projective Techniques can be classified in a number of ways based on mode of response provides for five types. These are: Association Techniques Association techniques ask participants to respond to a stimulus with whatever association first comes to their mind. For example they may be asked What type of car would an accountant usually drive?" This is an example of word association, which is the most common test in this category. It is a simple enabling device where respondents or research participants suggest words that they can associate, in some way, with something relevant to what is being researched. The weakness of word association tests is that they do not provide respondents with the

Overview of Information Systems and Technology Essay

Overview of Information Systems and Technology - Essay Example This paper presents a detailed overview of business management technologies for Riordan Manufacturing. Riordan Manufacturing Corporation is now expanding and, as a result, it requires an excellent information technology based support for better management of its business. In fact, information technology based solution (i.e. information system) is the only choice for this kind of business management. This paper outlines specifications of the new information system for Riordan Manufacturing. Business Technology Needs and Solutions Riordan Manufacturing requires an information technology based solution to effectively manage its business operations. The company has different offices located at different locations. The business desires to expand the company’s IT infrastructure by setting up the IT system in new office. The business also requires new technology based systems connectivity to main business head office. For this purpose they need a web based technology that could allow them to assess and manage the business using internet. In this paper, we suggest Riordan Manufacturing to implement a corporate management information system. This kind of information system offers an excellent support for the management of corporate operations and working. In addition, this business also needs to implement a secure communication arrangement. This business network for online communication and collaboration will be a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Management Information System Management information system (MIS) is a combination of software and hardware utilized to handle and process corporate data and information automatically. In fact, a management information system is implemented inside an organization to allow many individuals to access data and information simultaneously. In addition, the MIS mostly works behind the scenes, and the client community is infrequently concerned or even aware of the procedures that are handled by the system (Schauland, 2012; Stair & Reynolds, 2003). MIS at Riordan Manufacturing This section of the paper discusses various uses of a management information system with respect to the business of Riordan Manufacturing. The business can implement an information system to allow its customers to place orders online. In addition, this system also offers an excellent support for the online payment of the bills for instance when a bill is planned to be paid. In this scenario, an MIS will offer us data and information intended for the system to perform against specified plan of payment. The MIS then performs operations according to the payment plan when the suitable date comes near. Additionally, the computerized process will be performed by the information system to disburse the bill as demanded. Moreover, when the bills inside an online bill payment system are planned can be automatically paid, and clients do not need to offer additional details and information. For Riordan Manufacturing Corporation, MIS will offer an excellent support for managing and updating staff details and also their preferred processes to maintain existing systems and applying new technologies inside the firm. An information system can also be used to manage the information regarding available stock. In this scenario,

Computer Library System Essay Example for Free

Computer Library System Essay The library is a bunch of sources, resources, and services, and structured in which it is housed, it is organized for its use and maintained by a public body, an institution or public individual. In the more traditional sense, a Library is a collection of books. It can mean the collection, the building or room that houses the collection, or both. The term â€Å"library† has itself acquired secondary meaning a collection of useful materials for library informs their users of what the materials are available in and how to access that information. Before the computer age, This was accomplished by card catalog. A cabinet filled with index cards, that identify books and other materials. In the large library, the large card catalog often filled large rooms. The emergence of the internet, however, has led to the collection of electronic catalog database (often referred to a â€Å"web cats† or as online public access catalog) which allows users to search the library holding from any location with internet access this style of catalog maintenance is compatible with new types of librarian, such as digital libraries and distributed library as well as older librarian that have been retrofired.

Theoretical Mass of Ethyl-p Aminohenzoic Acid | Experiment

Theoretical Mass of Ethyl-p Aminohenzoic Acid | Experiment The yield obtained through this experiment is 63 of the theoretical mass of ethyl-p aminohenzoic acid. There are few events that could be improved in order to issue the amount of yield obtained. First of all, the quality of reagent used is relatively small to acquire a good percentage of the product. In order for a greater percentage yield to be attainted this experiment, a great amount of reagent should be used. Beside s, that the product is transferred into too many containers repeatedly. This causes a lost in product between the transfers. Therefore, fewer transfer of product should be done in this experiment to obtain higher percentage of yield. Moreover,. Even though it was only a small portion, it is still decrease the amount of purified yield obtained.. Furthermore, more precautions should be taken while performing recrystallization such as adding as little methanol as possible. The yield can be improved by maximizing the formation of crystals. More crystals can be formed by s cratching the bottom of the Erlenmeyer flask with a glass rod and adding a crystals seed into the solution. To add on, it should be given enough time for crystals to be found while the flask is placed in the ice water bath. Through this, more yields can be acquired. What is the advantage of using absolute ethanol rather than using 95% ethanol in this experiment? If the 95% ethanol was used the little amount of water present in the diluted ethanol can prevent ester formation. This is because easter the presence of water could drive the reaction to the left. i.e. instead of acids becoming esters from the Alkyl group, the esters can become acids because of the hydrogen from the water. Therefore, the use of absolute ethanol is preferred which will drive the reaction to right, rather than using any forms of diluted ethanol that could only negatively influence reaction for ester formation. Why it is important to add the sulfuric acid drop wise to the ethanolic solution of p-aminobenzoic acid? Sulfuric acid has been proven to be the most efficient catalyst for esterification. Water is a product of the esterification reaction, where increase in water quantity would the reverse reaction and decrease the yield of the reaction. But when the reaction is performed in the presence of a concentrated sulfuric acid (hydrophyllic), it will perform as a dehydration agent that will absorb the water molecules by produced from the reaction. So in the presence of a sulfuric acid catalyst, the reaction will be driven towards the right side, which is preferable to yield more ester. The reason for adding this concentric acid in drop wise is mainly to avoid the extreme reaction of the acid with the water. Because, if excessive water was produced from the ethanolic solution of p-aminobenzoic acid, the sudden addition of large quantity of concentrated sulfuric acid could lead to extreme reaction with this excessive water, and result to a large amount of heat(exothermic). This is not safe and harmful in particular due to the use of concentrated sulphuric acid. In contrast, if acid was added as drops, the reaction will be still happening in the solution though will be limited only to a smaller extent. Therefore such procedure is preferable to maintain better control. Another advantage of using drop wise adding of the acid would permit us to control the acidity of the final resultant. Because, if the acid content is increased in the final solution the subsequent neutralization process happens in the presence of an alkaline would lead to an extreme reaction. Therefore adding drop wise acid is essential to control the acidity of the solution, so the stability of the reaction can be maintained throughout. The structure of the solid formed when the concentrated sulphuric acid is added to the solution of p-aminobenzoic acid Fischer esterification mechanism Why it is important that all of the solids dissolve during the reflux period for a good yield of product? The solid precipitate after cooling down could be unreached benzoic acid. i.e, not all the solvents are participated in the reaction to produce Benzocaine. This could happen if the amount of the ethanol is too low. But most of occasions this will be mainly due to the lack reaction between the available methanol. This can be however avoided by stirring the mixture to swift the reaction. Thus, in order to get good yield of ester, all the precipitants of the mixture have to be dissolved in the first place. However, this is not possible in most of the occasions. Why is it important to neutralize the reaction mixture during the work-up When acid is added to the reaction mixture after refluxing, the amino group is protonated, making it soluble in water. When the Na2CO3 is added, the proton is removed and makes the benzocaine is no longer soluble. Thus it begins to precipitate out of solution when the reaction mixture is neutralized. Thus it is important neutralize the moisture in order to filter out the ester from the mixture, which otherwise will be in a dissolved state hence would not be recoverable. Assuming it was necessary to add an additional portion of concentrated sulfuric acid, calculate about how much 10% aqueous sodium carbonate would be required to neutralize the reaction mixture. While the experiment 28.6 ml of sodium carbonate need to neutralized the 18M sulfuric acid. So the add of the other potion 0.5 ml of sulfuric acid What is the gas evolved during the neutralization? In presence of sulfuric acid p-amino benzoic acid reacts with ethanol to form ethyl p-aminobenzoate. The reaction medium contains the sulfuric acid and this was neutralized with sodium bicarbonate. Thus the gas evolved during the reaction between the acid and base is carbon dioxide (CO2).

Canine First Aid :: essays research papers fc

FIRST AID FOR DOGS The aims and rules of first aid First Aid treatment is based on three aims and four rules. Aims 1. To preserve life 2. To prevent suffering 3. To prevent the situation from deteriorating Rules 1. Don ¡Ã‚ ¦t panic 2. Maintain airway 3. Control haemorrhage 4. Contact a vet The limitations of first aid The goal of first aid is to help the patient as best as you can - no more than that. First aid should only be used to preserve life until a veterinarian can be found. It must be remembered that not all patients can be saved: some will die. The following is a guide for basic first aid in various situations involving dogs. Poisoning Many items found in the home and garden can be poisonous to animals and it is vital that you know what to do if you suspect the dog has been poisoned. There are three ways for dogs to get poisons into their system: „h Ingestion „h Inhalation „h Absorption It is important to bring the following to the vet if you suspect a dog has been poisoned: „h Packaging „h Note of approximate amount taken „h Time taken This will help to speed up the process of treating your dog. Ingestion (non-corrosive) If the dog has ingested a non-corrosive poison vomiting should be induced. There are various ways to induce vomiting, these include: „h Salted water „h Mustard and water „h Washing soda „h Rompun injection (by veterinarian) „h Wash out stomach (by veterinarian) Ingestion (corrosive) If a corrosive poison has been ingested it is vital that it is given a substance to either dilute or demulcent. To dilute: „h Water To demulcent: „h Milk „h Olive oil Inhalation If the dog has inhaled a poisonous substance you should do the following: „h Get into fresh air „h Keep warm When the dog gets to the vet they should have oxygen therapy. Absorption If the dog has absorbed poison (such as from chemicals on the fur) the following action should be taken: „h Wash the dog, making sure to wear protective clothing „h Stop the animal from licking itself It is important to not use any chemicals when washing substances from the dog ¡Ã‚ ¦s coat. If you are unsure if your dog has been poisoned If you are unsure if your dog has been poisoned, look out for the following symptoms: „h Breathing difficulty „h Unusual actions „h Digestive upset „h Irregular heart, rapid, or weak „h Shivering „h Convulsions „h Salivation There are many different types of poisoning; each will affect your dog differently. Many do not produce immediate symptoms. Do not make the dog vomit if it is a corrosive poison or you do not know what kind of poison the dog has consumed.

Cards of Fortune :: Free Essays Online

Cards of Fortune I suppose in a way Tonia is right, life isn’t worth living, if both of us aren’t there to see it, together. That’s what twins do after all. They are an intrinsical part of each other's life, ceasing to exist without the second. But, I feel that we’re drifting apart, separated by this something, intangible, unnamable, and yet more potent than all of our past put together. I can remember how as little girls we played together. There were no other children with the troupe, and even when we passed the towns†¦ well, the children were never friendly, preferring to fear and call names. But Tonia, she was always there to play with, to laugh with, to cry with. Playing by the fire, dancing under the moon, we were eccentric children, not given to the usual childhood games, preferring instead to talk quietly, and whisper our secrets, but it was always us, together, until now. One of our favorite games was to confuse Septemius, the poor man; he always did have trouble telling us apart. But then, we were children at the time, and not given over to worrying about the troubles of a grown man. Poor, dear, Septemius, even now I can sense his thoughts, and he’s worried, as I am. He knows that Tonia is growing apart from us, and every so often, I’ll catch him looking at her, realizing the distance that’s growing, between her and me, between all of us, and I see that look of daunting sadness in his eyes. I think he sees mother in her, in us rather. I remember the look he gives her now, and it’s the look he had when my mother†¦ left. People tend to think children do not remember such things, that in their happy naà ¯ve lives they don’t understand, but I knew then, as I do now, that mother broke his heart. And as much as Septemius grieves for Tonia’s departure from the family, and through that grieves still for the loss of the woman he once knew, so do I grieve. And, yet, somehow I feel my sadness deeper, a sharper pain, for it is not the loss of an abstract family member, or even a sister, it is the loss of part of myself.

Dominos Case Analysis

Strategic Profile and Case Analysis Purpose Dominoes was found in 1960 and headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Domino’s Pizza Inc. is the market leader in the United States pizza delivery and second largest pizza company in the world based on number of units. The company offers a wide variety of pizza products as well as pasta, bread sticks, boneless chicken and wings, desserts and soft drinks. As of the beginning of this year, 2012, Domino’s had 394 company-owned stores and 4,513 franchised Domino’s units in the U. S. and 4,835 franchised stores internationally.Domino’s strategy is to use its superior supply-chain to provide its franchises with lost cost inputs so the franchises may focus on sales and service. Through the online world, Domino’s customers began to share their dissatisfaction with Domino’s products, such as pizza lacked taste and quality and poor quality delivery pizzas. Over the past 3-5 years Domino’s has made an ef fort to improve the palatability of their core products, and in 2009 introduced a new and redesigned crust recipe, fresh ingredients, a new sauce, and real shredded cheese.This effort, along the successive marketing campaigns has increased brand loyalty and customer preferences which has had a profound effect on increases in revenue and number of franchise openings. I believe that this strategy that is currently implemented is working, but for Domino’s to remain an industry leader and prolong the current trend of success, Domino’s needs to focus on the demographic and technological changes in the market. Focusing on the changes and reevaluating their current strategy will help Domino’s remain a leader within the industry. Situational AnalysisGeneral Environment Analysis: Demographic | -Pizza remains a very popular product appealing to a wide demographic of Americans that consider restaurants an essential part of their lifestyle. -According to Rasmussen Reports 4 0% of American eat pizza at least once per month w/adults ranging 30-49 yrs. of age; 21% of young adults (18-24) purchase pizza more than three times a week. Pizza is an integral part of American culture and shows no sign of exciting the market. | Economic | Domino’s is not immune to market trends; its revenues are directly affected by how the economy is doing.As the labor force progresses closer to full employment, consumer spending will increase and real GDP will be boosted. As a result, Domino’s Pizza will benefit from the increase of consumer spending as more consumers will likely spend more money at quick-service restaurants than dinging at home. To retain consumer’s quick-service restaurants should not worry as much about pricing but about expanding their menus. | Political/Legal| The political and legal conditions that could affect the business of Domino’s Pizza are the policies of the local and national government towards business.If the governmen t is more open to the establishment of numerous restaurants, then more restaurants will be established. Laws in favor of employees will be a factor for Domino’s. In each state/country they operate in they will have to provide proper employee training, as well as the minimum wage that are in compliance with state and federal regulations. Wages increasing can have a negative impact on revenues. | Sociocultural| Households are more likely to have a double income these days, resulting in families going out to eat more often. No time to cook at home) Media is growing at a fast pace means that Domino’s need to be part of this trend and keep up with the technological changes when comes to their online and app. options. Providing healthier options can be a potential competitive advantage for Domino’s. More people are concerned with their health and are becoming more aware of nutritional facts. Organic and gluten free products are gaining popularity. | Technological| The fast changes in technology nowadays have far-reaching effects.The factors that have a huge impact are: research and development, internet and e-commerce, and new technologies. The research and development has effects on Domino’s Pizza because through R&D new products are developed for the business, the internet and e-commerce also contributes to the technological factors because through them customers can give feedback regarding the products. Technology will assist in developing the firms’ strategies and strategic competiveness. | Global| More and more industrialized countries are emerging.Current and potential political events can affect the potential growth of Domino’s. | Physical| Creating and using products that are bio-gradable and promoting recycling can save Domino’s money, and differentiate themselves from their competitors. | Industry analysis: The restaurant industry was projected to have $604 Billion sales in 2011, which is approximately 4 per cent of the projected total GDP of the United States according to the estimate from National Restaurant Association. The industry has been expanding since the 1960s, mainly due to the boom of quick service restaurants such as Yum!Brands Inc. and McDonald’s. The long term expansion of the restaurant industry is expected to continue as the major players in this industry are focusing on providing healthier and less expensive food for both Americans and customers’ abroad. The restaurant industry provides two categories of services: fast food and full-service restaurant. The fast food restaurants mainly serve products including sandwiches, and pizza. Those restaurants attract customers by offering convenient, inexpensive and appealing foods.Fast food restaurants will still perform comparatively well during financial downturn (see graphs below) because customers will switch from full-service restaurant to the cheaper fast food restaurants. Threat of new entrants| ? Economies of Scale: The saturation of the pizza industry is a huge limiter of how much an advantage can be attained by economies of scale.? Product Differentiation: Differentiation is a necessary expense in the pizza industry but it is not difficult to overcome so we can say it is not a significant barrier to market entry.?Capital requirements will dominate the formation of new, national competitors, but is not a significant barrier to private startups.? Cost Disadvantages: The extreme saturation and similarity in product offering make convenient locations essential for quick service restaurants large and small. This is a significant barrier to entry.? Distribution Channels: Speedy and reliable channels are essential among all firms in the industry, they are not necessarily difficult for new comers to attain. Due to the lack of any of the barriers to entry being so significant, we feel the threat of new entrants is high. Power of suppliers| The bargaining power of suppliers shapes the restau rant industry by determining the food commodity costs. Restaurant operators usually negotiate on their purchases through future contracts; however instability in food goods costs can constrain the power to price their products. Suppliers for Domino’s pizza have low bargaining power, due to the high volume of products and the low differentiation level. There are also many substitutes for any particular input. | Power of buyers| Price is a key factor for customers in choosing restaurants.Consumers compare the values of food and what they pay for the food. Domino’s Pizza customers bargaining power and switching costs are low since a costumer can find a second option easily (frozen pizza or other pizza restaurants and chains). Differentiation levels are created by the consumers and include style of pizza, atmosphere, and location. | Threat of product substitutes| One reason for high competition in the restaurant industry is similar menus among the companies in the restaura nt industry. Few restaurants have successfully differentiated menus from others.The threat this poses on the industry’s’ profitability depend on the price-to-performance ratio, it is also affected by switching costs. Since there are so many firms offer the same basic need the consumer is looking for it results in low switching costs and a high threat of substitution. | Intensity of rivalry among competitors| The rivalry in the restaurant industry is high and gives firms more incentive to differentiate themselves form its competitors and meet customers’ needs. Firms in this industry are competing for the same market share.Since the customer base is not growing as fast the industry, the growth is slow. | Competitor analysis: With Domino’s Pizza competing in the domestic and global market, its main competitors globally are YUM! Brands, McDonalds, and Wendy’s. Many of these fast service chain restaurants are expanding internationally at a rapid rate. E ach competitor offers wide array of products to its consumers, so Domino’s has had to make many menu changes to help keep their loyal customers satisfied. Domino’s main U. S. competitors in the pizza delivery service market are Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, and Little Caesars.Domino’s is in an industry where it must use its valued brand name as a way of competing with its competitors around the globe. Locally, Domino’s uses its trademark â€Å"Domino's Pizza: You Got 30 Minutes†20 to remind consumers that they are the number one pizza delivery company in the U. S. and use this as a competitive edge against its aggressive competitors. Pizza Hut The number one competitor for Domino’s is Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut operates under Yum! Brands, which also includes four other restaurant chains. Pizza Hut is only two years older than Domino’s and has over 13,000 store locations in 95 different countries.The main focus of Pizza Hut is letting their customers customize their pizzas; each location is designed to tailor to local tastes and culture. They serve a variety of products ranging from specialty pizzas to pasta, sandwiches and chicken wings. In 2010 the brand reported a 4. 7 percent increase in revenues and sales for Pizza Hut increased by 8. 8 percent in the US. Though Domino’s remains the leader in the US delivery segment, Pizza Hut maintains the top spot in the US pizza segment with a 13. 78 market share as of late 2009.Pizza Hut’s goal is moving forward, they want to be known not as a pizza restaurant, but as a â€Å"pizza, pasta, and wings† brand. To complete their transformation Pizza Hut is working to make its menu items more competitively priced and improve their service times as well as focus on great customer service. Lastly, to help gain market share throughout the world, Pizza Hut is focusing its expansion plans on China, one of the world’s rapidly growing marketplaces. Papa Johnâ €™s Papa John’s is considered the world’s third ranked pizza delivery and carryout restaurant behind Pizza Hut and Domino’s.Currently it owns and franchises 3,646 restaurants in which 612 are company owned and 3,034 franchised in all of US and 32 countries worldwide. Papa John’s was founded on the premise that if you make the best pizza and price it competitively, you can sell it. Some of their major products include pizza, bread/cheese sticks, chicken strips, winds, dessert, and beverages. Papa John’s operates through six segments: domestic restaurants, domestic franchising, international operations, variable interest entities, and â€Å"all other† business units.In 1999 Papa John’s took over the number three spot in the US market from Little Caesars. But in the early 2000s, Papa Johns hit the wall and put a break on its expansions plans. The economic recession caused a dip in revenues for year-end 2009, and 2010. In effort to re -energize its brand during this period, Papa invested heavily in advertising, becoming the official sponsor for the NFL and the next three super bowls. In addition, Papa John’s launched a highly successfully promotion for consumers, these efforts helped Papa John’s maintain its market share.Little Caesars Family-owned Little Caesars Enterprises, Inc a subsidiary of Illitich Holdings owns and franchises over 2,600 units in the US and 11 other countries. As of 2010, it owned 4 percent of the US pizza locations and was a major competitor of Domino’s despite its lack of delivery service. It’s considered by Technomic Inc to be the fastest growing pizza restaurant chain in the US. Approximately 80 percent of Little Caesars locations are franchises with many stores located in strip malls or other popular shopping areas.Little Caesars offers pizzas, crazy bread and sauce, cheese bread, Caesar dips and churros as well as it offers party catering service. Littler C aesars has been following the same marketing campaign since the 70s and is known for its two-for-one â€Å"Pizza! Pizza! † Little Caesars has topped a host of â€Å"Best Pizza Value in America† lists for years and years in a row and, despite some setbacks in the 90s as Papa John’s climbed the ladder, continues to offer some hard- to- beat competition. Internal analysis Tangible resources:Domino’s low cost deliver-oriented store design is a tangible resource. Domino’s franchises approximately 90 percent of their 5,155 stores in the US. The stores are decided small with a focus on delivery, which allows them to cut the cost of having the typical large pizzeria type restaurant. Domino’s also uses their company owned stores as testing facilities for new products and technologies, this allows them to cut cost on having to rent out additional stores. Domino’s has its own supply chain for domestic and internationally franchised stores.This o peration consists 17 domestic facilities/6 international facilities that distribute food, equipment and supplies to the franchised stores nation and worldwide. Having their own supply chain gives Domino’s an advantage, it means automatic delivery of ingredients to stores which eliminates wait time and adds freshness, allowing the store team to focus on its sales and customer service. The vertically integrated supply chain allows Domino’s to leverage the purchasing power of thousands of privately owned and franchised stores nationwide to help food costs low.Domino’s new smart-phone â€Å"pizza tracker† application that is also available on their website, shows customers where the pizza is in the process, and how long it will take for the pizza to be ready and/or delivered. This allows customers be more involved in the process and allows instant communication between the two. In result this will help decrease the number of employees that Domino’s nee ds to hire, which will increase revenues as well as focus more on the food making process. Intangible resources: Domino’s has multiple intangible resources.Firstly, Domino’s focuses as a company on two core strengths: high quality pizzas at a competitive price and a fast delivery time, both that are intangible. Secondly, Domino’s strong brand image results in many loyal customers even with the new introductions made to the menu. Lastly, Domino’s has a worldwide presence and have pioneered the pizza delivery industry giving them a strong reputation. Capabilities: Domino’s has five capabilities that were discussed in the analysis. The first is their vertically integrated supply chain. Domino’s is able to drive sales up and costs down.Secondly, Domino’s focuses on adapting each location to its surrounding environment, such as changing menu options in other countries to adapt to the taste preferences of the population. Thirdly, the new sm art phone application, which allows customers order as they go and have more of a connection during the process. Having a strong brand image is another capability of Domino’s, its what allows them to be a direct competitor in the restaurant industry. Lastly, Domino’s is very cost effective, they pre-cut and pre-package all the ingredients, which allow them to be competitive in the market, and in the price they charge their customers.Core competencies: The last four decades Dominos has proven to be a top leader in the pizza industry, and has created several core competencies. Strong brand presence is what created brand loyalty with their customers and lead them to be one of the major competitors in the industry. Their focus on fast delivery is the foundation of their daily profit margins. Expanding internationally and incorporating online services as well as smart device application is another factor for them staying competitive. Also, Domino’s has a cost leaders hip business model which allows them to sell their products at a competitive rice. Sustainable competitive advantage: Domino’s has expanded their opportunities for more profit by opening over 3,000 locations internationally. They have built a strong brand image; by incorporating online technology they were able to stay competitive and ahead of some of their competitors. They have sustained their competitive advantage with the incorporation of Internet services as well as their strong brand image, as well as their expansion to over 70 countries. Since 2009, Domino’s stock has grown a remarkable 233 percent by 2011.SWOT Analysis Strengths| Weaknesses| -Delivery leader in the industry. -Has a strong and diversified franchising network around the world-Massive growth in its expansion across the globe; Dominos international network grew 48% from 2,987 stores to 4,442 stores-Strong brand equity. Known as the â€Å"Mega Brand† as defined by advertising brand magazine. Its positive brand image leads to dependable and trustworthy customers -Technology savvy: Online menus, as well as a Domino’s application for the iPhone and iPod.Helps customers order quickly and choose to have food delivered; pizza tracker allows the customer to the progress of their food being delivered. | -Compared to competitors it lacks menu options -Weak international presence as compared to peers-Lacks significant amount of profit it earns outs the US compared to its competitors-Weakening bottom line| Opportunities| Threats| -Expand its product outside of its stores and into the frozen food market can be quite profitable and beneficial (good for top line growth)-Introduce new healthier options: organic toppings, gluten free, etc. Entry into expanding markets will like boost revenue growth-Sales growth from online orders and smartphone application| -Faces high competition among other pizza companies domestically and globally. Constantly dealing with new product innovati on techniques and pricing pressure among the pizza delivery industry. -Strict govt. regulations poses threat to company’s development plans-Social media can result in a threat due to more people sharing their experiences-bad experiences can influence a prospect client to go elsewhere -Consumers growing more heath conscious| Strategy FormationDomino’s prides itself on its consistency and logistical operations that keep overhead costs down and provide less expensive pizza. Due to the current demographic changes and methods of communication changing, Dominoes must make changes to it s current cost leaderships strategy in order to gain more market share and stay a top competitor in the industry. Strategic alternatives: A strategic alternative for Domino’s to pursue would be a differentiation strategy. Domino’s could gain more customers from segments of the market that had not considered Domino’s as an adequate meal choice.If Domino’s chooses to focus on even a lower cost leadership strategy it would help them maintain its current customer base and possible gain more bargain shopper customers by exploiting its already known capabilities and core competencies, resulting in even more market share form this market segment. Pursuing an integrated cost leadership and differentiation strategy, Domino’s will still be able to maintain its competitive pricing while creating new products that will attract new segments of the market. Alternative evaluation: The first strategy that Domino’s could pursue is the differentiation strategy.Pursing this strategy would mean that Dominos would need to look for new suppliers to obtain higher quality ingredients. The finance support in the value chain would have to examine to see where capital could be found and allocated to make this strategy work. For Domino’s to change to the differentiation strategy, they would need to gain new tangible and intangible resources to achiev e this strategy as well as to create new capabilities that would lead to new core competencies, resulting in a competitive advantage in the market. Secondly, Domino’s could purse a even lower cost leadership strategy.To pursue an even lower cost leadership strategy, Domino’s would have to cut mores cost in areas such as food quality and choice of supplier. This could lead to fewer costs for them but may result going back to their â€Å"tastes like cardboard† negative image. Due to the taste aspect of their product, it would be safest for Domino’s to look to make cuts else where such as marketing and advertising in order to keep their even lower cost leadership strategy. Lastly, Domino’s could pursue the integrated cost leadership and differentiated strategy.This strategy would be the strongest strategy for Domino’s, it could allow them to be the first mover in the industry to use healthier, organic ingredients which would attract a new segme nt of the market as well as those who might have decided to go else where. Alternative choice: I would choose the integrated cost leadership and differentiated strategy from the three options I listed above. I believe that this strategy allows Domino’s to use its current core competencies and helps develop new capabilities that could lead to even stronger core competencies and a higher competitive advantage in the industry.Strategic Alternative Implementation Action items: In order for Domino’s to implement an integrated cost leadership and differentiation strategy and gain a competitive advantage in the industry it will need: suppliers that will sell quality ingredients at a reasonable cost, a new structure that is supported by the company, and lastly having the current leader initiate and encourage these changes, or put a new leader that will help implement these changes.Actions plan: In order for Domino’s to take on an integrated cost leadership and different iation strategy, they should use their existing connections with suppliers that will help them find new suppliers who can deliver organic, high quality ingredients at a reasonable price. This will assist with Domino’s becoming the first mover in the industry towards healthier, high quality pizzas.Though this may lead to an increase of price, I believe that because of the current organic foods sector recent growth sprit in our society, there won’t be much of a negative reaction to the price. The current hybrid functional/multidivisional structure may be able to hand the strategy change, but modifications to the value chain would need to take place. Less focus on cutting costs, more of a focus on differentiating the product.Last of all, the current leader or a new leader would need to me a transformational leader, that would implement and encourage the strategy switch from cost leadership to integrated cost leadership and differentiation. Pursuing this new strategy would lead to numerous opportunities, and benefits for Domino’s now and the future. It would allow Domino’s become a first mover in the industry, and create a new market for other fast food restaurants.