UFO And Aliens Essays - UFO Sightings In The United States, Ufology

UFO And Aliens Unidentified flying objects and aliens can be proven through eyewitness accounts or encounters. On of the most common case would be the case of the Hill's (Butler, 1). Returning to N. H., the hill's had notices a strange light in the sky. Barney stopped the car, went out to observed the moving lights. He came to the conclusion of the lights being an airplane, a star or a plant. AS they continued their ride the lights remained with them. That took away the idea that the object was a star or a planet. When the object drew closer, Betty looks at it and saw the shape of a disk like figure. That took a way the idea of it being an airplane, so they got out of the car to get a better look. At one point, the object got so close that Barney could see several beings staring down a pond them. He lost control and shouted out "they are going to capture us" (2). They raced back to the car and took off unable to explain what had just happened. The next thing that happened was that they heard a couple of beeps like a microwave oven going off. The next day Barney had notice some unexplained blotches on the car. Later on that day the Hill's realized they could not account for two hours and thirty-five miles of their journey. They begin to have stress problems. They could not explain what Betty was having strange dreams about being taken in to a room and being looked at by strange little beings. After that they begin to see many doctors. After a while their story had been put together in the little pieces that they had been telling it in. The story that was formed was that how their car was stopped by a group of strange looking men with pear shape heads and large wrapped around eyes. Then by force they were carried on to the ship onto separate rooms. Then they were given different test. Some of the test includes taking skin and hair samples. While inside Betty remember seeing a star map (3). Later on the map was identified as the Zeta Reticule system. This proves that UFO's and aliens are real because when explaining what had happen they were both in separate rooms under hypnotist ion. And also their was no was to explain the lost in the time or the marks on the body and the car.

Inca essays

Inca essays By what methods did the civilizations of pre-Columbian America control their peoples? Give evidence to support your arguments from the Maya and Inca civilizations between 500 BCE to 1500 CE. The civilizations of pre Columbia became highly sophisticated. The Incas and Mayan societies controlled their civilizations politically, culturally, and economically. The Incan civilization was ruled by the Inca. The Incas ruled by proxy (Incas.htm) Below the Inca himself, tribes were formed in each tribe their were tribal heads. In the tribes there were clans and in the clans their were clan heads, below that were the peasants and commoners who were split in groups of ten in this group there was a superior. The social unit then was primarily based on cooperation and community. (Inca.htm) You can use the word Inca in three ways, one the empower is given that title, second all who spoke Quechua and third everyone under the Incan empire.(Brown) The Incan empire was ruled by the royal dynasty those only with Incan blood. The emperor was called the sapa Inca. Sapa typically married his sister; his council was made up of nobles that helped rule his empire. The nobles were called Orejones they were the member of the ruling class often of royal blood. (Andrea 407) Usually the high priest and generals were also his relatives. The rulers of each province after he conquered more cities were usually allowed to still govern the cities as long as they kept their storehouses full, did not rebel and paid their taxes. This was an excellent way to keep the empire closely together. Every time the Incas conquered new cities the people go into the army or lived as they did as long as they were faithful the Incan Empire. The Mayans were warriors their civilization was always were at war. When they conquered others many became slaves. Spilling blood was very important to them. The k...

Research Ppaer with draft Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Ppaer with draft - Research Paper Example Since gene mutations primarily cause the condition, attempts to develop gene and cell therapies provide a possible cure for the various types of Muscular Dystrophies. However, gene and cell therapies come with several challenges, especially since the skeletal muscle is the most abundant in the human body. Gene therapy involves gene replacement or modification. As a result, the need to find an efficient method to deliver the new gene to the body becomes of paramount importance. One of the challenges facing gene therapy is the packaging of genes. For example, dystrophin, whose defects are responsible for DMD and Becker MD. Dystrophin is larger than the packaging capacity of many vectors used in delivering the gene to the skeletal muscles. According to Chamberlain 2002, truncated versions of the dystrophin gene become the solution. Research shows that truncating the Central Rod and the C-terminal domains causes minimal changes on the functionality of the dystrophin gene. Shortened versions of the dystrophin gene tested on mice in preclinical studies provide positive results indicating that the micro-dystrophins reverse the abnormalities of the dystrophic muscle.(Cossu & Sampaolesi, 2007) Gene therapy faces the challenge of identifying a favorable viral vector focusing on Adenoviral vectors (Ad), retroviruses and adeno-associated viruses (AAV). Ad vectors contain large capacity of cloning and efficiently infect the muscle. Development of the ‘gutted’ Ad tackles the problem of immune response triggered by the Ad vector. According to Chamberlain (2002), the gutted version contains the ability to package full-length cassettes of dystrophin. However, the Ad vector’s large size hinders diffusion in muscle tissue. Hence, Ad vector is not the best choice vector. Retroviruses posses small cloning capacity and hence are limited to the delivery of mini dystrophins. The most promising gene delivery vector proves to be adeno-associated virus (AAV). (Haidet, Mendell &

Alcatraz Island Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Alcatraz Island - Research Paper Example It was designed to be impossible to escape from, and was usually the last stop along a prison line for inmates considered â€Å"incorrigible† (Stollznow). Over the years of operation, from 1934 to 1963, thirty-six men tried fourteen different times to escape its walls (Ocean View Publishing Group). One of those was Frank Lee Morris, inmate AZ#1441 (Ocean View Publishing Group). When it was finally carried out, the escape attempt made by Frank Lee Morris, which spanned months of planning and included three other inmates, was the best escape even in its attempt by an Alcatraz inmate overall, mainly due to the meticulous nature of the planning behind it, as well as the fact that his body and 99% of the items used in the escape, even to this day, have never been found. The Escape Together with three other inmates, Morris finally succeeded in putting together a method that would enable him and the others to escape Alcatraz. One night, while trimming his nails, he noticed that the c lippers had a little â€Å"arm† with a pointed edge, and by digging it into the concrete of his cell wall, he discovered that he could gouge holes in it (Katz 210). The back of his cell had a vent that was six inches by ten inches, and Morris felt that if he could somehow enlarge this, he could slide through it into the unused utility corridor behind his cell (Katz 210). From that day on, digging commenced. Morris, brothers John and Clarence Anglin, and inmate Allen West would take turns digging around the vents in their cells (Ocean View Publishing Group). Morris and West were in adjoining cells, with the Anglin brothers in the next two adjoining cells (Ocean View Publishing Group). They worked in pairs, with one man chiseling and another keeping lookout (Ocean View Publishing Group). Morris fashioned crude tools from saw blades, as well as attempting to use a homemade drill (Ocean View Publishing Group). He also stole spoons from the cafeteria, leading them to be called the â€Å"Tablespoon Trio† together with the Anglin brothers after the escape (â€Å"The Tablespoon Trio† 25). They were able to dig without any guards noticing. In addition to the digging, Morris thought through every detail. He spent months building a raft out of raincoats that were issued to the inmates (Evans). In addition, he also fashioned a life preserver for each man (Evans). Perhaps, though, the most ingenious part of the plan was the â€Å"dummy heads†. Using concrete powder, mixed with soap and papier-mache, each inmate including Morris fashioned and painted a dummy head that looked remarkably lifelike (Albright 174). They were also topped off by real hair stolen from the barbershop (Albright 174). These heads fooled the guards for months while Morris was elsewhere during the night. The night of June 11, 1962, would be the last for Morris in Alcatraz. He slipped out of his cell and climbed one last time to the cell house roof (Evans). He then, after gath ering the supplies along with the Anglin brothers, made his way down 45 feet of pipe to the ground (Katz 212). The final escapee, Allen West, had made the error of cementing his false grate to the wall in places to avoid detection, and could not get it unstuck in time to join them; consequently, he was left behind (Evans). Morris inflated the raft with a â€Å"concertina† (accordion), and launched from the Northeast end of the island

Sustainability Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Sustainability Management - Essay Example Like never before, solutions to the pressing needs of Rwanda may not be necessarily being found within the limits of its politics. (Ikeno, Jun, 29) Considering that the established arrangement of institutions in Rwanda are not so well placed to possess power to deliver policies that are required or those policies that have been requested by themselves. (Stoke, Peter, 12)These institutions have to take part in the transnational and polycentric governance network upon which power is dispersed. The weaknesses that Rwanda faces include the pressure from the growth exhibited internationally including from the neighboring Kenya. Some of these challenges also come from the emergence of non-state actors with new methods of mobilization. (Stoke, Peter, 43)To this end, the paper will isolate and discus the specific emergence of policy void in Rwanda. First and foremost, Rwanda’s high dependency on the foreign assistance puts the country in awkward situation. This was especially after the World Bank slashed the aid after the United Nation’s report suggesting that Rwanda was aiding in fueling violence in Democratic Republic of Congo. This has provided a wakeup call to Rwanda which now believes that attraction of investors is much more beneficial than seeking the donor aid that comes with conditions. There is also a huge gap that Rwanda has in the line of technology. Technology is envisaged to have the potential of converting the economy from agricultural base to knowledge base. A number of companies are now investing on this industry considering that startup is relatively cheaper to companies in the country than in the neighboring countries like Kenya. There is a considerable effort that Rwanda has made to ensure that it transform itself into technological hub. Apart from wiring itself with over a thousand miles of fiber optic cables, and further signing a deal for 4G network, the country has also ensured that ICT is

Managing Service Operations

Managing Service Operations Raised in Tokyo, Hiroaki Aoki managed to launch his first business in the United States. Taking advantage of his origin, he opened a Chinese-Japanese cuisine restaurant offering a unique experience to its customers. The food process was transformed to an exceptional food experience and with the opening of a chain of in total 15 restaurants Hiroaki Aoki proved to be a pioneer in the restaurant industry. The way he managed to succeed this, was through revolutionary moves regarding restaurants environment, financial operations and service structure. By decorating his restaurant with Japanese elements and employing Japanese chefs as showmen, the perception of dining at Benihana changed. This new perspective was further supported by reducing the kitchen-room as to have more space for tables and fully adapt the Japanese philosophy as well as creating an unparalleled image for his business. Due to the uniqueness of the Benihana restaurants, franchise as a growth strategy brought upon many problems: starting from a lack of communication between managers and the Japanese speaking personnel, to inexperienced managers in franchised businesses abroad. This led Hiroaki Aoki to reconsider his options and deciding to expand through other models (joint-venture and hotel-corporation) and in other areas of food industry (retail and quick service food sector). Whether this is a sustainable move or not will be identified within this report. Benihanas concept is based on an authentic Japanese atmosphere. The use of American food favourites (chicken, steak, etc.) combined with the hibatchi method of presentation makes this restaurant very different from others (Sasser, 2004). Glushko and Tabas (2008) state that service management and design success depend on the interaction between employees and customers. Thus the quality of the service experience relies on the front stage activities displayed in a restaurant. Furthermore, Frei (2006) adds that the line of visibility is the factor that separates the front stage and the back stage (Appendix 3). If Benihana was to compare with a McDonalds and a Gourmet Restaurant the service encounters would be very different (Appendix 4) (Frei, 2006). In the case of McDonalds the line of visibility for the front-stage is very small and depends on waiting lines and self-service, whereas all the production lines occur in the back stage, thus the customers experience is very limited (ibid.). A customers experience in a gourmet restaurant has a balance between the front-stage, dining room experience, and the kitchen-backstage-area (ibid.). Compared to both of these, Benihana enhances the experience of their customers by treating the chef as a showman and having a different production line to service (ibid.). The front stage is the largest part of the operations with the chef cooking and serving the dishes together with the waiter, whereas the kitchen preparation is a very small part of their process (Sasser, 2004). This different concept increases customer satisfaction: 9 As seen in Figure 2, customer satisfaction is rated as excellent, which implies that the Benihana service concept is successful. In order to further develop this aspect of their business, Benihana also developed several other concepts in relation to their design, their bar and their customer batching in groups, which will be further discussed in Chapter 3.2.2 Benihanas Restaurant Design. 10 Benihana created a concept that includes food, atmosphere, entertainment and hospitality, while trying to be consistent, with their Japanese heritage. Furthermore, the owner is planning expansion steps to appeal to a wider range of clientele. However, Hiroaki Aoki has two major concerns. The first issue is how to sustainably expand and upgrade his product and services to cater a wider range of audience, while keeping the quality and the Japanese traditional atmosphere. The second issue is how to define what Benihana is selling. Data Analysis Benihanas Strategy Considering the growth of Benihana from a humble 40-seat unit to a chain of 15 units across the country, Hiroaki Aoki had a very successful strategic planning behind the concept of his restaurant (Figure 1) (Sasser, 2004). Strategic planning can be defined as an organizational process of allocating its resources in order to pursue a strategy that includes its capital, employees and most important its clients (Haines Schmidt, 2005). The owner, Rocky, approached a combination of inputs (operations), customers satisfaction and outcomes (financial results) in order to provide a new idea behind the strategy of a normal restaurant, maximizing its strengths and diminishing its weaknesses (Appendix 2) (Heskett, Sasser Schlesinger, 1997). Figure 1 : Benihana Strategic Planning Note: Adapted from Heskett, Sasser Schlesinger, 1997 Benihanas strategic planning took into consideration five important aspects: Construction, Finance, Marketing, Human Resources and Operations (Heskett, Sasser Schlesinger, 1997). They provide the framework for understanding how the firms operational investment is translated into its profit. Furthermore, Benihanas concept and cost-structure will be presented in relation to this model in order to understand the true authenticity behind this different restaurant management approach. Benihanas Concept Benihanas concept is based on an authentic Japanese atmosphere. The use of American food favourites (chicken, steak, etc.) combined with the hibatchi method of presentation makes this restaurant very different from others (Sasser, 2004). Glushko and Tabas (2008) state that service management and design success depend on the interaction between employees and customers. Thus the quality of the service experience relies on the front stage activities displayed in a restaurant. Furthermore, Frei (2006) adds that the line of visibility is the factor that separates the front stage and the back stage (Appendix 3). If Benihana was to compare with a McDonalds and a Gourmet Restaurant the service encounters would be very different (Appendix 4) (Frei, 2006). In the case of McDonalds the line of visibility for the front-stage is very small and depends on waiting lines and self-service, whereas all the production lines occur in the back stage, thus the customers experience is very limited (ibid.). A customers experience in a gourmet restaurant has a balance between the front-stage, dining room experience, and the kitchen-backstage-area (ibid.). Compared to both of these, Benihana enhances the experience of their customers by treating the chef as a showman and having a different production line to service (ibid.). The front stage is the largest part of the operations with the chef cooking and serving the dishes together with the waiter, whereas the kitchen preparation is a very small part of their process (Sasser, 2004). This different concept increases customer satisfaction: Figure 2 : Customer Satisfaction Note: Own design according to Exhibit 4, Sasser, 2004 As seen in Figure 2, customer satisfaction is rated as excellent, which implies that the Benihana service concept is successful. In order to further develop this aspect of their business, Benihana also developed several other concepts in relation to their design, their bar and their customer batching in groups, which will be further discussed in Chapter 3.2.2 Benihanas Restaurant Design. Benihanas Cost Structure In terms of Benihanas cost arrangement the owner implemented a strategic cost structure to the business by lowering the cost of labour and food and beverage. The cooking labour is cost efficient due to the cost reduction that was done through their chefs; they did not only prepare the food, but also served it (Sasser, 2004). With concerns to the food and beverage costs, due to their limited menu, inventory reduction also occurred (ibid.). Taking into account all the mentioned measures, the results have a direct impact on the financial statement of the restaurant. Figure 3: Benihana ´s Partial Income Statement Note: Sasser, 2004; Bank of America, 1968 As seen in Figure 3, Benihana ´s Earnings Before Income Tax and Depreciation (EBITDA) is on average between 15 and 35% higher than ones of a typical service restaurant (Sasser, 2004). It is observed that there are two factors, which increase profitability: lower food and beverage cost (limited menu, fewer inventories) as well as lower labour cost. The lower labour cost is the influential reason behind this high difference in marginal profit. Analyzing the employee that plays the most important role in the restaurant, the Benihana chef, an employee profile was created (Appendix 5). PayScale (2010) provides an immediate accurate snapshot of the job market and gives facts of employees salary data in the world. Thus it was used as a source to calculate the annual average salaries of the food and beverage segment as well as the job specification of a chef in 1964 (Appendix 6) (ibid.). The average annual salary of a Benihana chef can be analyzed through the figure below. Figure 4 : Benihana ´s Chef Annual Average Salaries 1964 Note: PayScale, 2010 It can be noticed that the Benihana master-chefs have a slightly above average income compared to the market. As the success and the reputation of the restaurant depend on these employees, it is very important to keep them motivated and this further demonstrates that the owner, Rocky, also has a human resources operation strategic planning as seen in Figure 1. Benihanas Restaurant Capacity Managers are continuously challenged with balancing customer demand and service capacity (Klassen Rohleder, 2002). The capacity of a business can be seen as their ability to meet the demand; for the production of goods this can be easily done, but for services it is very difficult as four critical factors have to be taken into account: time, labour, infrastructure and equipment (ibid.). Thus capacity has to be planned ahead in order to achieve cost effectiveness and the customer satisfaction. In the case of Benihana, an estimation of the maximum demand rate for an evening dinner period was calculated in order to foresee the capacity to sustain it: Figure 5: Benihana ´s Capacity vs. Demand Rate Note: Own design; Sasser, 2004 It can be noted from Figure 5 that in a case of maximum demand rate, Benihanas capacity will not be able to fit 360 clients in one night. Although the restaurant has already a limited menu, Benihana also took into consideration a decrease in dining time. The chefs also plays an important part by offering the guests the ultimate gastronomic experience and politely annoucing them that their dinner is over by bowing at the end of the meal-presentation (Sasser, 2004). Benihanas Production Process System Before a company can actually decide on which customer target market it will serve, it has to define its value proposition and its position in the market (Kotler Armstrong, 2010). The positioning of a company is defined as a consumer`s appreciation of the product compared to competing products (ibid.). As one can see in Appendix 7, Benihana has a high customer value and a differentiated position in the market. Hiroaki Aoki achieved this position, through an unprecedented service experience and design (Sasser, 2004), which will be highlighted in the following chapter. Benihana`s Service Design Every service idea starts with a service concept, where the purpose, target market and the customer experience are defined (Russell Taylor, 2009). By opening an authenticable Japanese restaurant in the United States, Hiroaki Aoki focused on two main criteria, Americans enjoy when they are going out for dinner: an exotic surrounding and a place where they can watch the preparation of their food (Sasser, 2004). Referring to the previous chapter, out of this observation, he created a completely new service concept: the Benihana dining concept, where the food is prepared by professional chefs on hibachi tables right in front of the guests. This newly developed concept was both, revenue- and cost-effective (Heskett, Sasser Schlesinger, 1997). A service package is a mixture of physical items, sensual benefits, and psychological benefits (Russell Taylor, 2009). The specialty of a Benihana restaurant is their design according to historical authenticity. All the physical items (walls, ceilings, lights, etc.) are from Japan and the materials are originally shipped to the United States (Sasser, 2004). Sensual benefits are supported by the highly trained native Japanese chefs whose form of cooking is mainly showmanship (ibid.). The psychological benefits in a Benihana restaurant are the exotic surroundings and authenticity of the place. The combination of all three components concludes in an effective service design (Russell Taylor, 2009). Therefore, the connection is presented in the service design process: Figure 6: The Service Design Process Note: Adapted from Russell Taylor, 2009 Derived from the service package, specifications for performance, design and delivery are specified. Based on the customer expectations (exotic surrounding), the design (original materials from Japan) and delivery (downtown Manhattan) are created (Russell Taylor, 2009). Benihana`s Restaurant Design The design of a typical Benihana restaurant is created to increase efficiency and profitability. A typical Benihana restaurant design, which presents the floor plan of the Benihana West restaurant on West 56th Street in Manhattan (Sasser, 2004), is shown in Figure 7. It is comprised of 112 to 120 seats in the dining area as well as 55 to 60 seats in the cocktail lounge and the typical operation has between 5,000 and 6,000 square feet (ibid.). Figure 7: A typical Benihana Floor Plan Note: Sasser, 2004 Once guests enter the restaurant, they first pass the cocktail lounge. The bar in the first Benihana restaurant only seated eight guests as the design was concentrated on food-service sales (Sasser, 2004). Along the openings of new restaurants, the founder realized, that the small space was insufficient and enlarged the bar space with every opening. He found out, that in peak times, the bar is well used as a buffer and therefore increases the beverage sales (ibid.). When all the 14 tables in the dining area are occupied, the guests are waiting here for an aperitif, until there are seats available. In the bar, the guests are batched in groups of 8 and are leaded to the dining area. The main attractions in the dining area are the teppanyaki tables, which cover eight diners per table and are served by one chef and a waitress (Sasser, 2004). Due to the hibachi tables, the conventional back-stage kitchen can be reduced as the cooking itself takes place front-stage at the customer`s table. This leads to shorter serving distances and one team of chef and waitress can handle two tables at once. The arrangement of the tables (see also Figure 6), also results in lower cost of labour (Sasser, 2004). Examination of the Production System The design of the production process comes along with the design of the restaurant space. The whole production line moves towards the service of the customer. It starts in the bar, where the guests are grouped together in batches of eight before having their dinner (Verweire Van den Berghe, 2005). It has to be taken into consideration that the combination of batches is satisfactory for smaller groups arriving, since they do not know each other (Appendix 8). This batch concept leads to higher beverage sales and allows using the whole provided capacity in the restaurant. According to Russell and Taylor (2009) design simplification reduces the number of parts, subassemblies, and options in a product. Benihana`s menu consists of four main food items (filet mignon, steak, chicken and shrimp) accompanied by unvaried side dishes (zucchini, onions, bean sprouts, fresh mushrooms and rice), which can be combined as entrees or main dishes (Sasser, 2004). As seen in Figure 4 this standardization of ingredients cuts the food costs down to 30-35% of food sales and leaves nearly no waste (Sasser, 2004; Russell Taylor, 2009). This also minimizes the space for food storage, which results in less space in the back stage of the restaurant. Since services are defined as front-stage activities, the dining room of a restaurant is the service part, whereas the kitchen is classified as the production part (Teboul, 2006). Through the preparation of the meal in front of the customer, not only the service experience is greater, but also a conventional kitchen is not necessary anymore. This enlarges the productive dining area and reduces the back area (preparation areas, dressing rooms, storage and office space) of about 22% of the total space (Sasser, 2004). According to Verma and Boyer (2010), the aim of successful process design is to maximize the output. To identify possible limitations, a bottleneck analysis is helpful. A bottleneck in a process is the step with the slowest cycle time in a given process (Verma Boyer, 2010) and verifies the process productivity. Figure 8: Process Flow Diagram of the first Benihana Restaurant in Manhattan, 1964 Note: Adapted from Verma Boyer, 2010 While analyzing the process flow diagram (Figure 8) of a Benihana restaurant, one can see that the bottleneck hereby is the dining time of 60 minutes. This bottleneck determines the pace of the whole system even though the waiting time at the bar in peak times is only 12 minutes (Verma Boyer, 2010). As identified in Chapter 3.1.3, Figure 9 the demand of a Benihana restaurant exceeds capacity. To resolve the problem of the bottle neck, Benihana decreased the dining time and enlarged the bar capacity to cover more waiting customers. Over the years, Benihana first doubled the bar area to 16 seats and eventually reached up to 55-60 seats (Sasser, 2004). Figure 9 shows some scenarios for different bar and dining area arrangements and waiting times. The maximum dining capacity of 120 seats allows a bar capacity of 48 seats (Figure 9). Figure 9 : Scenarios for different Bar and Dining Area Arrangements and Waiting Times Note: Own Calculations Concerns regarding Diversification Plans According to Ansoffs Growth and Expansion Matrix, one can find four different options of development: market development, diversification, market penetration and product development (Campbell Craig, 2005). Benihana took into consideration the following strategies: Figure 10 : Expansion Plan of Benihana Note: Adapted from Campbell Craig, 2005 The first one, market development (1), is the growth of an existing product into new market sectors (Campbell Craig, 2005). Regarding their diversification plans, Benihanas attempt is to expand in other countries where they have to take into consideration the customs of each nation, its rules and regulations. The same principles cannot be applied for all regions, so in order to develop successfully the restaurant chain these concerns should be well evaluated. Furthermore, it is very difficult for the company to be franchised, since not all owners have previous experience in the restaurant business (Sasser, 2004). Communication with the staff is also very difficult, since the majority is Japanese. Moreover, it is very demanding to supervise and keep control of what is happening in restaurants around the world. Hence, Rocky decided for the near future, instead of attempting to franchise his restaurant business, to move either into a joint-venture or into hotel-corporations and expand in two areas: Japan and overseas (ibid.). Diversification (2) is known as an approach of involving new products in new markets (Campbell Craig, 2005). Rocky also decided to widen his business into other fields connected to the food industry. A first attempt in the retail production and selling is under discussion. Entering the retail-sale-market is time consuming and has high advertising costs, so Benihana should probably re-evaluate their advertisement budget and more likely reduce the promotion funds for the restaurants, which is a risky move (Restaurant Worx, 2010). If someone is not satisfied by the quality of the product he/she will probably create a negative idea about the company and never visit a Benihana restaurant. It is also uncertain how unique the product is or how likely it is for other similar products to be created in the near future (ibid.). Product development (3) is known as increasing the market share by developing new products (Campbell Craig, 2005). In general Benihana restaurants have middle-income customers as its target group (Sassa, 2004). This is linked directly to the quality of the services offered, restaurants atmosphere and prices. Alternatively, they have no young audience in Benihana restaurants. This is one of the reasons why Rocky is considering of opening a quick service restaurant as to be able to satisfy younger crowds needs as well (ibid.). To put this project into action, firstly a market research was made about the restaurant needs of the people, the food that will be provided in these restaurants, deciding on a combination of Asian cuisine Chinese and Japanese and their location. Furthermore, cooperation between Rocky and an oil company will be formed as to provide small gas units to his new restaurants (ibid.). Even though a thorough research was conducted for this expansion a very significan t element was neglected; the culture of the locals. Maybe the proposal of a Chinese-Japanese quick service restaurant was innovative for that time, but not all the neighbourhoods were prepared to welcome that idea (ibid.). The last one, market penetration (4), is known as the use of existing products in existing markets, which are already served (Campbell Craig, 2005). The United States therefore give three areas for growth: primary markets (New York, Los Angeles), secondary markets (Pennsylvania, Harresburg, etc) and Suburbia. Due to the already mentioned inefficient franchise strategy, Benihana will not only expand internationally but also domestically through joint-ventures and hotel-affiliations (Sasser, 2004). Concerns regarding the loss of identity Benihana is selling to its customers a whole new perception of food consumption. Starting its business in 1964 in the U.S., it introduced to the market an innovative procedure of food preparation and presentation to the customers (Sasser, 2004). Instead of cooking the food inside a spacious kitchen, they used more room for the restaurant area as to prepare meals in front of the customers on a teppanyaki table with the hibachi cooking method. Benihana created a culture for the chain based on Japanese cooking method by well trained chefs and Japanese design. The environment of Benihana restaurants decoration and atmosphere is of vast importance for the company, since the philosophy of Benihana is to make people happy through the food experience (Bitner, 1992; Sasser, 2004). However, the environment is important not only for the customers who should feel satisfied, but also for the employees. In turn for the employees to feel motivated and perform their best, their working surrounding s should support their needs, as to be able to enhance companys values to the customers (ibid.). Consequently, Benihana should continue providing such services and facilities to its customers and employees as to sustain the chemistry between them and therefore continue to be a successful company. Presentation of Solution and Recommendations Benihana had a very successful strategy so far due to its construction, finance, marketing, human resources and operations management. They were able to translate market trends into their concepts and adapt them efficiently. Furthermore, they managed to reduce the back stage kitchen area into a front stage environment that displayed cooking and entertaining as one. The concept was so innovative that Rocky was actually able to reduce expenses. According to the diversification plan, Rocky intended to expand his business into more fields of the food industry. To develop his company, he tried to take advantage of the Benihana recognition, as to enter further markets, but on the other hand this step would be risky, because if the new concepts would fail, it could damage Benihanas reputation. Sasser (1976) states, that good planning is the key to successful management of supply and demand in service industries. As discussed in this paper one of the biggest problems that Benihana is facing, is how it will sustainably expand, while keeping their quality and their concept (limited menu, chef as a showman, Japanese atmosphere). Furthermore, as seen in Figure 10, Rocky has made a lot of plans regarding the growth and diversification of the Benihana restaurant. It is recommended that before attempting to implement all his ideas, a development strategic plan should be developed in order to best fit this expansion. Therefore the supply and demand matching concept should be taken into consideration: Figure 11 : Strategies for Matching Supply and Demand for Benihanas services Note: Adapted from Wisner, Leong, Tan, 2005 Lovelock (1994) further states that this can be accomplished through shifting demand to match capacity or adjusting capacity to meet demand (Appendix 9). In order to resolve the second issue, Benihana should focus on selling Japanese food and promoting their philosophy. One of the main key points of Benihanas achievements is the unique food experience it sells to its customers. Therefore, the basic elements of this successful recipe should be included in any other expansion step the company and Rocky decide to take. Without the fear of being imitated, they should take advantage of their uniqueness and develop in other areas of food industry. Through this move they would also be able to focus on other target groups, such as younger audience, which currently are not part of Benihanas targeted clientele. In this way Rocky will be able to launch his restaurant name and not only become a current trend, but also establish his brand in the hospitality industry, by providing Japanese authentic services. Action Plan Evidence Of Success Evaluation Process : Increase in Demand Increase in Profitability Customer Satisfaction Survey Employee Satisfaction Survey References: Benihana (2010). About Benihana. Retrieved 18.09.2010, from: http://www.benihana.com/about Benihana Training Guide (2004). Benihana Training Guide. Al Bustan Rotana Hotel Bitner, M. J. (1992). Servicescapes The Impact of Physical Surroundings on Customers and Employees. Retrieved 18.09.2010, from: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=585119 sid=3Fmt=3clientId=45065RQT=309VName=PQDuserid=008BW87KK7passwd=WELCOME Campbell, D.J. Craig, T. (2005). Organisations and the Business Environment. Burlington: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann Glushko, R.J. Tabas, L. (2008). Bridging the Front Stage and Back Stage in Service System Design, in: Proceedings of the 41st Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences Big Island, Hawaii: IEEE Computer Society Press, January (2008), p. 106 Frei, F.X. (2006). Breaking the Trade-Off between Efficiency and Service. Boston: Harvard Business Review, Vol. 84, No. 11, page: 93-101 Haines, S.G. Schmidt, T. (2005). ABCs of Strategic Management The Systems Thinking Approach to Creating a Customer-Focused, High Performance, Learning Organization. San Diego: System Thinking Press Heskett, J.L., Sasser, W.E. Schlesinger L.A. (1997). The Service Profit Chain How Leading Companies Lead Profit and Growth to Loyalty, Satisfaction, and Value. New York: The Free Press Ivy Thesis (2010). Executive Summary Benihana International Restaurant. Retrieved 18.09.2010, from: http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2009/09/executive-summary-benihana-international-restaurant.html Klassen, K.J. Rohleder, T.R. (2002). Demand and Capacity Management Decisions in Services, How They Impact One Another. Bingley: International Journal of Operations and Production Management, Emerald: Vol. 22, No. 5, p. 527-548 Kotler, Ph. Armstrong, G. (2010). Principles of Marketing. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall Lovelock, C. (1994). Getting the Most Out of Your Productive Capacity. Boston: McGraw Hill PayScale (2010). Free Salary Report based on Job Title, Location, Education, Skills and Experience. Retrieved 19.09.2010, from: http://www.payscale.com Restaurant Worx (2010). Restaurant Retail Sales. Retrieved 18.09.2010, from: http://restaurantworx.com/services-2/restaurant-marketing-solutions/restaurant-sales-solutions/retail-sales/ Retail Fix (2010). Features Benihana. Retrieved 19.09.2010, from: http://www.retailfix.com/ featured_benihana.cfm Russell, R.S. Taylor B.W. (2009). Operations Management Along the Supply Chain. Upper Saddle River: John Wiley Sons Sasser, E.W. (2004). Benihana of Tokyo. Boston: Harvard Business School Teboul, J. (2006). Service is Front Stage- Positioning Services for Value Advantage. New York: Palgrave MacMillan Verma, R. Boyer K.K. (2010). Operations Supply Chain Management World Class Theory and Practice. Mason: South-Western Verweire, K. Van den Berghe, L. (2005). Integrated Performance Management- A Guide to Strategy Implementation. London: SAGE Wisner, J.D., Leong, K.G. Tan, K.C. (2005). Principles of Supply Chain Management A Balanced Approach. Mason: South-Western

Breastfeeding vs. Bottle Feeding :: Breastfeeding vs. Formula

Children come into this world completely helpless, unable to even comprehend their surroundings not to mention the process that they have just taken part in. Because of this, infants are completely reliable on the individuals around them. It is the duty of the parents to take care of and nurture their children. Parents are to provide for their children both through emotional needs as well as survival needs. Newborns need to be fed through means of milk, thus relying on a decision by their mother and father of whether to breastfeed or bottle feed. As stated in Nancy E. Wright’s article on the progression of breastfeeding, Aristotle said, â€Å"There is a reason behind everything in nature.† Certain occurrences take place in nature that has repercussions or outcomes to them. Choosing to breastfeed is a decision that requires sacrifice and hard work, yet has the potential to be an intricate detail to the healthy development of infants and children. According to Dr. Alicia Dermer and Dr. Anne Montgomery from The Medical Reporter, there are countless benefits to breastfeeding not only for the child but for the mother. Human milk has nutritional benefits within the fluid that provide for the optimal absorption of iron. This milk also â€Å"protects the gut from harmful bacteria and assists in digestion of fat† (Dermer, Montgomery.) This certain article also talked about how a mother’s own milk will change during a feeding from thirst-quenching to hunger-satisfying. Mothers’ milk also has a variety of flavors because of the changing diet of the mother. Another benefit of breastfeeding, according to Dr. Dermer and Dr. Montgomery has to do with the immune system of infants. It is said that human milk is the baby’s first immunization. Human milk provides antibodies that protect the baby from many common respiratory and intestinal diseases. This milk also contains living immune cells according to this article as well. Colostrum, which is the first milk that is expressed by the mother, is packed with components which increases immunity and protects newborns’ intestines. This article also stated that, â€Å"artificially fed babies have higher rates of middle ear infections, pneumonia, and cases of gastroenteritis (stomach flu).† As a whole, breastfeed babies have a stronger immune system because of the antibodies that are expressed from the mother and passed on.