Internal Analysis using RBV of California Pizza Kitchen Essay

Internal Analysis using RBV of California Pizza Kitchen - Essay Example The internal analysis yielded interesting findings which can help the chain develop strategies to overcome its financial worries. The chain has experienced success abroad and should focus on its innovative pizzas, toppings and salads to increase customer base. Service in the USA needs to be improved and an increase in sales is necessary to reach performance objectives. Opportunities in the form of recovering economic conditions and an increasing trend to eat out will help the chain but it needs to augment its brand image. In order to increase the value of the firm, it is looking for sale and merger options which will help in salvaging shareholder wealth. California pizza kitchen may benefit from a merger or takeover but presently it needs to focus less on expansion and more on increasing sales at current outlets. Introduction California Pizza Kitchen was started in 1985 by lawyers Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax. The Kitchen introduced pizza flavors from all over the world and focused on cooking in wood burning ovens, gourmet pizzas and creative salads. The chain is famous for its unique and innovative creations and has over 230 locations in the USA and nine other countries. CPK has also licensed to distribute CPK frozen pizzas in groceries and supermarkets. In 1992 Pepsi Co purchased 67% of CPK’s stock and undertook rapid expansion which resulted in high losses for the company. In 1997, Pepsi’s share was bought by a private equity firm Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherril and Company but the company’s performance did not improve. In 2003, the original duo regained control of the company resulting in an improvement in the company’s performance. . ... The report focuses on an analysis of the organization’s resources and its strength and weaknesses. An internal analysis will lead the development of the SWOT matrix for the company. California Pizza Kitchen: Financial analysis: The economic value of California Pizza Kitchen using the formula for economic value added and the inputs provided by wikiwealth.com (California Pizza Kitchen, 2010): NOPAT – c.K $ 19M- 0.09*285M = - $6.65 M The economic value added for the company is negative in 2010, which shows that the value is not being created and that the cost of capital is too high. A comparison with other competitors shows that although the industry WACC is also 9%, California Pizza Kitchen is not as leveraged as its competitors. The return on equity is -3% which is lower than the industry average on -6%. Revenue growth and profit margins stand around 9% lower than the industry averages of 11% but cash flow margin positive whereas the industry margin is negative. Revenue growth in the fourth quarter of 2009 fell by 5.8% and sales are expected to keep dropping till 2012.The financial performance of the company improved after 2003 but has deteriorated in recent years and it needs to focus on further revenue growth. Competitors such as Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Texas Roadhouse are performing better financially but CPK falls in the middle of the pack and is performing much better than others with investors forecasting a potential increase of 45% in the enterprise value. (California Pizza Kitchen, 2010) Resources: The tangible resources available to the organization include its diversified and high quality menu that caters to different tastes. The pizza toppings and salads are a combination from

How To Make Resume Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

How To Make Resume - Essay Example We will also look at the main reasons why it was practiced and how the contemporary society deems/ regards these aesthetically preserved and monumental bodies II. According to Hawass (2004), preserving a corpse in a way that left it looking as alive as could be managed was critical in the Egyptian religion. The steps I have highlighted in the beginning of my talk were only part of stage of the mummification process that entailed two very engaging stages 2. The entire process of mummification lasted approximately 70 days. The internal organs that had been removed were dried and then carefully stored in special containers (canopic jars) after which the presiding priest blessed them through spoken word 3. Using a hook, the brain was excised from the skull through the nose. The heart of the corpse was however left intact since Egyptians held that the memories, emotions and intelligence of the person lived on in their hearts 4. After this mass excision of internal organs, what was left of the corpse was filled with special material (linen) to regain its original shape. The corpse was consequently dried for several weeks to ensure that the preservation would last for a very long time 1. In this procedure, the corpse was thoroughly wrapped using bandages of linen. Prayers were then said and rituals performed. Expensive jewelry and stones, faience and gold amulets were laid on the corpse then also wrapped within fresh bandages. These ‘accompaniments’ were believed to be a source of protection for the dead person 2. More prayers and spells ensued after this procedure. The body was also wrapped while holding an ancient book called ‘The Book of the Dead’. This book was believed to guide and lead the spirit in the after-life 3. Following this book process, tow more rounds of linen were wound around the corpse. The mummified corpse would hence be enclosed in a series of caskets which would also be enclosed within a

The ability to read critically is an important skill not only at Essay - 1

The ability to read critically is an important skill not only at university but also in the business world. discuss - Essay Example Hence, through enhancing critical perspectives towards texts, products and other symbols emergent in a society, students can transfer these abilities to the public, thus reading their society through a critical lens that directs to empowerment (Cioffi, 1992). Responding to the emerging need toward critical literacy, universities nowadays include communication curricula as an integral segment of the undergraduate and graduate courses of multitudes of business schools. These universities and colleges require that students gain knowledge on various interpersonal communication skills such as oral, reading and writing in addition to the major courses such as management, marketing and accounting skills (Muir, 1996). Nevertheless, there is no common agreement on the implication of business communication and the conventional manner to instructing business communication frequently presents a one-dimensional process framework that falls short in addressing critical thinking in order to perceive political and power relationships that are present in the workplace. Recently, there has been greater emphasis on the communication practices within the organization as well as inside the more significant economic, political and social environment of the wo rkplace (ibid). New college graduates are often surprised to discover that communication traditions in the workplace are more highly criticized than in the academic realm and that superior-subordinate interactions are very much complicated than the typical student-instructor relationship. Even though several organizations promote open communication and innovative capabilities, they are repressed by elements that may not appear obvious or sensible to the novice employee. For instance, it is not at all times apparent who the important actors are in the decision-making arena, and the novice may desire to obey traditional business communication approaches which

The Civil Rights Act Of 1964

The Civil Rights Act Of 1964 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ridded the nation of this legal segregation and cleared a path towards equality and integration. The passage of this Act, while forever altering the relationship between blacks and whites, remains as one of historys greatest political battles. The first of its kind since the Civil War, this bill drastically called for the end of all segregation in all public places. In the eyes of the civil rights movement leaders, this bill was long over due. Kennedys crusade began slowly to the dismay of many civil rights leaders in February of 1963. He began by sending the United States Congress a Special Message on Civil Rights, stating, Our Constitution is color blind, but the practices of the country do not always conform to the principles of the Constitution(Loevy, 5). Kennedy received praise for these strong and moving words yet was criticized for his weak legislative proposals to remedy the situation. By May of 1963, his proposal would change greatly however, after two men, from opposite positions set the civil rights movement into intense motion. Martin Luther King despite advice to do otherwise began massive protests in the street of Birmingham. To combat these protests, Police Commissioner Bull Conner used any means, including dogs, fire hoses, and electric cattle prods on protestors. Making newspapers and television everywhere, the Birmingham atrocity along with Kings famous Letter from Birmingham Jail, ignited the moral conscious of Americans nationwide. While Conner earned a negative reputation, President Kennedy wisely commented, Bull Connor has done more for civil rights than anyone elseThe civil rights movement should thank God for him. He has helped it as much as Abraham Lincoln (Whalen 86). The apparent Birmingham defeat for King in re ality was the key point in which the battle to win civil rights became a national fight with the President as one of its strongest allies. Before the Birmingham situation, Kennedy kept a fragile balance with the civil rights activists and the Southern Democrats. While in office, Congress consisted of a great number of Southern Democrats with some liberal Northerners and Western Democrats (Loevy 8). In order to pass many of his liberal programs, a large number of them economic, Kennedy needed the support of these Southern Democrats. To add to this complicated situation, Kennedy knew that while the Southern Democrats would not support civil rights proposals directly, his economic plans, including aid to education and raising the minimum wage, if approved, would benefit the black population. Kennedy also needed the Southern Democrats voter support in the upcoming 1964 presidential election to secure re-election. Any aggravation to this party would only guarantee a loss for Kennedy. Motivated by the Birmingham situation, by the summer of 1963 Kennedy could no longer placate the Southern Democrats by leaving civil rights legislation untouched. Although realizing how action could endanger his chances for re-election, he saw beyond politics and into the moral issue. With public support Kennedy was willing to wage in the political war that would inevitably ensue. Kennedy and Johnson both were very aware of the walls that Congress would build to stop any proposals involving civil rights. Immediate and effective action became the new focus. Together Kennedy, Johnson, and the civil rights leaders combined efforts to achieve speedy and thorough results. By May 31, 1963, Kennedy announced his plans for the civil rights movements to the public. First hand attempts to maintain segregation by the outspoken racist Governor George Wallace of Alabama provided Kennedy with the ideal timing to deliver his message. Before even outlining the details of his new proposal he told the nation, Next week I shall ask the Congress of the United States to act, to make a commitment it has not fully made in this century to the proposition that race has no place in American life or law (Loevy 17). Immediately thereafter, he and Johnson headed meetings to outline the plans. The Leadership Conference of Civil Rights consisting of fifty or so civil rights organizations which had previously been established after Kennedys initial proposals, called for a meeting on July 2nd inviting its participating members but also extended invitation to an additional fifty religious groups and other possible helpful groups. The organization finally felt confident in fighting for this bill with unanimous determination to overrun possible roadblocks by mobilizing the nation behind the bill (Berman 57). Despite administrative support from Kennedy and Johnson, their goal remained difficult to achieve. The Leadership Conference dedicated their goals to achieving a Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC), a provision called Part III, named after the third proposed Eisenhower administration civil rights bill, and eliminating segregation in all accommodations. The FEPC would consist of enforcing employment equality and fairness while the Part III would allow the United States attorney general to file civil rights suits, thereby relieving individuals of filing a suit which could cause dangerous retaliations. Knowing the approval of this proposal would be hard to attain the Leadership Conference strove for all, while accepting that concessions would most likely have to be made. Still attempting to mobilize the public and get the bill some attention, the civil rights activists continued to demonstrate. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, headed by King, had over 200,000 participants and proved those who feared violence wrong. The protest continued with peace while the crowd repeated, Pass the Bill (Levy 24). Despite the success of the protest in Washington D.C., the Leadership Conference was having a hard time getting the proposed bill past the House Judiciary Committee. The Bill needed to be tailored to get the future approval of both the Republican and Democratic civil rights supporters, enough to overrule the perceived resistant Senate by 2/3s vote if necessary. Yet the bill could not be so tailored that it be minimally effective in the eyes of the Leadership Conference. Finally after a plea to the House Judiciary Committee by Robert Kennedy, the Attorney General, a bill hoping to please all parties moved to the House of Representatives. However when it appeared that the bill was finally making some headway, the unthinkable happened, President Kennedy was assassinated. Many civil rights leaders feared that Johnson, originally from the South, would not push for the bill as Kennedy had. However, Johnson surprised many when he pushed for the bill as before. In his first address to Congress after Kennedys death, Johnson stated, No memorial oration or eulogy could more eloquently honor President Kennedys memory than the earliest possible passage of the civil rights bill for which he fought so long (Loevy, 356). By that February the bill made its way through the House of Representatives with a vote of 290-130. Resembling Kennedys October 1963 proposal the House of Representatives surprised many by adding an amendment guaranteeing women as well as minorities to the protection of employment opportunity section of the bill (Loevy 357). Once in the Senate, however, the bill faced its biggest challenges, including the infamous filibuster, or talking the bill to death. Since the Senate allows for endless debate on bills, making the filibuster a clever tactic, a cloture or two-thirds vote is necessary to overrule and end any debating. From March to June the bill was debated in the Senate until finally a vote of 71-29 on June 10, 1964, overruled the filibustering Senators. For the first time in American history, a southern filibuster of a civil rights bill was stopped by a cloture (Loevy 360). The civil rights supporters were satisfied with the fact that the bill included ending segregation in nearly all public places, cut off United States Government funds to programs that discriminated, and guaranteed equal employment opportunity. In order to avoid a second filibuster, the House of Representatives approved the bill with the Senates amendments making the civil rights bill the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on July 2, as Pres ident Johnson signed the bill in one of the largest bill-signing ceremonies ever. The political fight that occurred in the Senate by determined Southern Democrats will forever remain as one of the greatest legislative showdowns in American history. After passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 however, no longer could segregation be legal or tolerated. In public places the rights of a black person were to be equal to that of a white person. In employment, blacks, minorities, and women could not be discriminated against. The federal government cut off funds to any business, educational institution, state or local government that practiced racial discrimination. To enforce the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the law also stated that the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were to intervene in situations in the South where blacks continued to be denied civil rights. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 not only changed the United States on a social level but politically too. This bill set the precedent for using a cloture to stop a filibuster in the Senate. Similar cloture votes in 1966 and 1968, with bills for equal voting rights and guaranteed equal housing respectively were used to stop Southern filibusters. The Civil Rights Act also proved that mass demonstration and peaceful protesting are heard in Washington D.C. Martin Luther King and the Leadership Conference started with nothing and achieved everything. From the segregated South those who fought for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 changed the course of American history and ridded the nation of inequality under the law.

A Plead for Weed :: Legal Issues, Drugs, Marijuana

â€Å"All Mexicans are crazy and this stuff [marijuana] is what makes them crazy,† (Anonymous, 1927). While marijuana has been seen as a malignant substance that causes insanity, the specific reason marijuana became illegal still remains unknown. Most Americans assumed marijuana was illegal due to the process involving scientific, medical, and government hearings that it was to protect citizens from the dangerous drug (Guither, 2011). However, the United States should completely legalize marijuana because it has its own benefits to improve the society. The debate over the legalization of marijuana is not a new phenomenon as it has been an ongoing controversy in the United States. In 7000 – 8000 B.C., marijuana was legal and used in woven fabric, food, incense, cloth, and rope (Guither, 2011). Marijuana remained legal until the Mexican-Americans smoked it and brought the plant with them during the Mexican Revolution in 1910. California then initiated the first marijuana state law outlawing the preparations of hemp (Guither, 2011). In addition, Latin Americans and black jazz musicians were also involved with marijuana, which played an essential part in the music scene. A newspaper in 1934 also editorialized that â€Å"marijuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men’s shadows and look at a white women twice,† (Guither, 2011). Based on history, racism became the charge against marijuana. The history of marijuana has influenced the United States’ decision not to legalize marijuana completely today. Legalizing marijuana is still a concern because the United States has failed to recognize the potential benefits of marijuana. Some states have recently legalized a small portion of marijuana only for medical purposes. The people who oppose to the legalization of marijuana have never given a chance to understand the benefits of marijuana. They should take into consideration that legalizing marijuana could create major changes to the world. The current interest of legalizing the use of marijuana has led to two arguments: The entrance of people into the field of drug abuse, and the insistence that people believe marijuana is not a detrimental drug compared to alcohol and tobacco (Bloomquist, 1967). With the strict laws prohibiting the use of marijuana, individuals have decided to use their own methods to obtain marijuana illegally. This type of criminal behavior causes the police to arrest individuals for marijuana violation (Bloomquist, 1967). This convinces proponents to believe that the current laws have restricted and violated people’s constitutional rights to smoke marijuana instead of tobacco or instead of drinking alcohol (Bloomquist, 1967).

New Government Accounting Systems Essay

Don’t snoop. Not only does going through your roommates’ belongings violate their privacy, but it can also destroy the trust between the two of you if they find out. Have a place to put your own mail, personal photos and other items that you don’t want your roommate going through to avoid conflict over privacy issues. Personal Items According to Huffington Post, borrowing personal items is a main cause for tension between roommates. Refrain from borrowing anything without your roommates’ permission, and don’t allow your guests to touch or borrow anything of theirs, either. If you do obtain permission, return the item promptly and in the same condition that you borrowed it. If you break it or damage it, replace it. Noise Levels Peace and quiet at home is important whether you are a college student or a working professional. It can be difficult to concentrate in an environment that is constantly loud and boisterous. Agree on set â€Å"quiet times† in your household and respect them. Respect Always respect your roommate. If they aren’t somebody that you already know well, take the time to get acquainted with them. â€Å"Your roommate may or may not be your friend,† says Huffington Post, â€Å"but he or she will be your business partner. Treat that person with tact and consideration at all times. Finances As business partners and house mates, it is important to be up-front with your roommate about finances. If something happens and you are unable to make the rent, let them know. Your financial health can directly impact their living situation. Consider having the rent automatically debited from the account to prevent any mishaps and split all bills in half. Work with your roommate to set up a financial plan in advance to avoid problems from occurring that may jeopardize your living situation. Socializing If you are the type of person to have a lot of company or indulge in social drinking or smoking at home and your roommate is not, this can be a source of contention between the two of you. Discuss this issue in advance. Set some ground rules for social visits, parties and such and follow them.

Listening Piece Commentary, English Language and Literature Essay

My listening audience piece was inspired by the old man in Poe’s Tell Tale Heart, thought evil by the protagonist, but given no voice to express himself. My protagonist is an elderly character with a dark side, similar to Angela Carter’s in The Werewolf. To subtly reveal this hidden personality I adopted the style of Alan Bennett’s monologue Playing Sandwiches where he gradually builds suspicion of the speaker, ultimately revealing the horrible truth. I created a radio monologue told from the viewpoint of an elderly lady, intended to make the listeners think about the secrets that lie hidden behind closed doors in regular people’s lives, typical of the Gothic. The exposition of my piece introduces the lady as a kind soul: ‘I’m sorry; Miss Hawking doesn’t live here anymore’. I used apologetic politeness ‘I’m sorry’ to encourage listeners to like the character. The nonstandard auxiliary verb ‘was’ m akes her speech sound natural ‘Had herself a nice feller too; they was having a baby together’, as does the colloquial lexis ‘feller’. The visitor is a dramatic device to allow the lady to speak her thoughts. When she talks of romance, the protagonist’s language is more like a written story than spontaneous speech, ‘Then he held her that night, under the moon, with the stars all shinin’ from above.’ She uses discourse markers, lexis like a romance novel, and conventional romantic imagery of the moon and stars, suggesting that she has played it over and over in her head. Because this is a monologue, the visitor’s presence is only implied by the protagonist’s speech. Instead of stage directions my protagonist says everything needed to imply the action ‘No, no, you needn’t take your shoes off ‘. The repetition of the negative ‘No, no’ and the lack of back-channeling begin to reveal her unusual side, sounding a bit too firm with her requests while covering it with a polite tone. Cumulative word count: 317 From here I slowly reveal her darker side making listeners question her knowledge of the couple, and her mental health: ‘the milk’s been in there a little too long I’m afraid.’ To construct her mental breakdown in the line, ‘I, I, Sorry, I don’t know what’s come over me’ I used a false start to show her nervousness and fear, and the adjective ‘sorry’ to echo her opening line. Her identity is revealed when she changes from second to first person in mid-sentence ‘She loved you †¦ and you turned me into this’. I implied that she has been tracking him since he left in a series of photographs in a locked room personifying her feelings: ‘The room won’t forget’. Her change in register, ‘She was pretty, for a whore†¦ You Bastard’ with taboo lexis unnerves the audience because it subverts expectations of how an old lady should speak. Writing this piece has crystalised the difference between spoken and written language for me; in creating it I felt the need to say it out loud to ensure the voice accurately reflected the speech of an old lady. Overall I believe I did so effectively as the register change at the end is quite striking.