The Ice Cream Analysis Dippin Dots

The Ice Cream Analysis Dippin Dots Despite having operation in the global market, the company was not much affected politically. There exists federal regulations on the frozen desserts, which include a minimum of 10% of butterfat, and the ice cream must weigh a minimum of 4.5 pounds to the gallon. This is to ensure manufacturers do not produce sub standard qualities of ice cream ECONOMIC FACTORS Their core U.S.A market is a strong economy with a very high GDP, which has not been, affected much over the years of varying economic conditions. The growth of the Asian market in terms of wealth is also a factor, which may have led to growth in demand. SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS The most important element is the demography of the market for ice cream. The ice cream was initially targeting the kids and teenagers (aged 8-18 years) even though the company foresees a growing demand in future from older people. The trend to consume more healthy treats made firms develop ice cream with less fat but similar taste and texture. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS The company has its foundation from the technology of micro encapsulation. Flash freezing the ice cream using liquid nitrogen at -325 degrees and collecting the bead/dot to produce a special flavour, texture and shape was a remarkable idea by the microbiologist. This idea was to avoid crystals of air and ice in the dessert. It was named theicecream of the future due to its uniqueness whose formula was continuously perfected by Jones. Over time technology also led to the development of various ways of making different types of frozen desserts like Novelties, Frozen custard, Sherbets, Frozen yoghurt and others. LEGAL FACTORS Patenting the idea of flash freezing was a factor that made the company keep away strong competition through copying. Franchising and making contracts was also necessary as it maintained a legal relationship of distribution and royalty payment. 2) PORTERS FIVE FORCES MODEL POTENTIAL ENTRANTS The Ice cream market had been segmented and dominated by 2 major companies Nestle and Unilever. This was a challenge to keep away the Giants from eating into the flash frozen ice cream segment. Some of the competitors with similar business were Breyers, Dreyers/ Edy Grand, Blue bell and others. Dippins with its experience and knowledge kept away the competitors through differentiating their ice cream and creating a vast network of distribution through franchising. SUBSTITUTES Other types of frozen foods like the novelties and the ice cream/sherbet brands are a substitute for the flash frozen ice cream due to the similar satisfaction they give to the customer. Because of the segmented market, the product could be differentiated which led to the survival and growth of dippins. BUYERS The buyer power of this industry is high due to the large number of ice cream producers and varieties. There are many substitutes for this product as mentioned hence the customer is likely to move if not satisfied with quality and taste. SUPPLIERS The power of suppliers is high since most have quality products with loyal customers and new entrants pose a threat due to the way they copy the idea. Many new producers were former employees or franchise distributors of dippins who knew the strategy of operations. COMPETITIVE RIVALY Due to globalisation, dippins face stiff competition from U.S companies like Breyers and other European companies. This makes it necessary to differentiate the product since other companies can copy the ideas. The cost of operation also plays a role since it requires huge capital investments in technology. ANALYSIS OF INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT VALUE CHAIN The firms operations are global and hence its primary factors affecting the internal environment are operations management, logistics, sales and marketing. The firm operates from U.S.A with over 448 franchises in 2006. These franchises distribute the product while paying royalties and some fees to dippins. The firm experiences logistical problems since transporting the product at sub zero temperatures require special equipment, containers and freezers. Mc Donalds rolled out a marketing campaign with dippins in 2002 spending $1.2 million in San Francisco to boost sales of both companies. The firm got recognition and value by appearing on top ranks in magazines like Entrepreneur. This also gave them a chance to be present in celebrity shows. The secondary factors, which affected the internal environment, include the procurement policies, technology and infrastructure. Jones initially hired his friends to manage the company with family members and later got professional staff. They faced a huge problem of financing and getting a suitable location making them move to locations. The technology they were using was being copied by rivals hence Jones continuously refined and perfected it. The firm later had a good infrastructure with sitting capacity and transport network was well developed. Value system of Dippins was efficient enough to reach the market and retail outlets but lacked the ability to enable the ice cream reach homes. They later introduced brands which could be consumed at home. VRIO ANALYISIS. The firms products have had a loyal customer base for a long time due to the quality. The value is due to the quality and the taste the frozen ice cream gives to its customers. The distribution also has had an impact in the value of firm since having a higher number of franchises gives them a greater market share. Despite having a high relative price they have had increased sales over the years. Celebrity appeal has also increased their value. The idea in a whole of having ice cream without crystals of air and ice is the biggest asset of the firm. The Dippin dots ice cream is a rare product to find because of the originality and the quality it gives. There are firms who produce similar products but cannot match the quality of dippins due to the unique technology they use. The firm has a many franchises (448) which gives them a competitive advantage. The rarity is due to the experience and knowledge they have. The firms operations and the product strategy are imitable in a way since the operations are global but the quality cannot be matched to that of dippins. Some former franchisers came up with similar products as dippin The organisation has adequate capacity and resources which can allow the firm to achieve more competitive advantage and get the most benefits through product diversification, increasing franchises, increasing the support to retail outlets. BALANCED SCORECARD. The strategies the company used to achieve the goals have been wise as their growth was rapid enabling them to scoop many awards and get highlighted in magazines for their good performance. The strategies they used were customer satisfaction in terms of quality and taste. Continuous improvement in the operations of making the ice cream. Their financial objectives can be getting the highest return on capital and maximum profits. They provided value for the price customer paid for the ice cream. Their price was high but relatively competitive. Their customers were differentiated in terms of the physical nature of the ice cream. Their internal objectives were quality of service and maintaining the quality during distribution and effective management of logistics. Their growth was substantial in terms of sales and number of franchises. They were given recognition through getting awards because of the fast growth and quality standards of ice cream and packaging by the international dairy association. They are innovative since they have launched a product, which can be now consumed at home.

Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Mont Blanc” Essay

The Prelude is an auto-biographical, epic poem by William Wordsworth, ‘Mont Blanc’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley is a much shorter poem, however it correlates closely to a passage from Wordsworth’s epic where he describes a walking trip he took to Mont Blanc. There are some startling similarities between the two pieces, but at the same time there are sharp contrasts in the way that the scene is represented and the poets have conflicting views on what this beautiful landscape means to them. A key theme in romantic poetry is a connection with the natural world, if we look at the ways that Shelley and Wordsworth represent nature in their work then some interesting contrasts can be seen. The Prelude, subtitled ‘Growth of a Poet’s Mind’, is a narrative poem, showing us the events in Wordsworth’s life that have shaped his way of thinking and his views on nature and existence. The poem was written in blank verse, this form was reserved for epics and grand poems. Right away this unrhymed form, and the iambic pentameter which it follows, lend the poem a grand and sweeping feel, creating a sense of importance and gravitas. This passage is split into three sections; a broad description of the mountain and the vale below it, a strictly narrative passage where Wordsworth tells of how he and his friend were lost upon the mountain and crossed the Alps without realising, and finally a lyric interruption or ‘hymn’ (Romantic Writings p123 ) to ‘Imagination’ (The Prelude, Book Sixth l525). First the speaker describes the setting, the natural world around him and how it effects his emotions, then he returns to the narrative, telling us of the event that has caused him to relay us this tale and finally he conveys to us the moral implications of the event and how it has shaped his ‘poets mind’. In the first section the landscape is described as ‘wondrous’ (TP l456) the glacier as ‘a motionless display of mighty waves’ (l459) but the speaker is ‘grieved’ (l453) by what he sees, the ‘souless image’ (l454) of the mountain is not as beautiful or as wondrous as the ‘living thought'(l455) in the minds eye. The imagery used to personify the mountain and its natural beauty is epic and grand. Winter is like a ‘tamed lion’ (l466), ferocious,  dangerous, but sedate and controlled, creeping down the mountain with a stately pace. The pace of the poem quickens as the stretch of narrative begins’Descending by the beaten road that ledRight to a rivulet’s edge, and there broke off.’ (l503-4)The shorter words, repetition of plosive and hard sounds, internal partial rhymes (‘led’ ‘edge’) and the lack of imagery increase the tempo of this section. The tripping and jumpy sound of the lines, contrasts quite sharply with the earlier flowing sentences and sweeping descriptive passages. The metre helps to create the feeling of ascending the mountain, it also lends the setting a sense of desolation and emptiness; there are rocks and streams and tracks but little else. This creates a sharp comparison with the beauty of the valley below. Finally this change in style also helps to create a build-up of anticipation before the anti-climax of realising that they have ‘cross’d the Alps’ (l524) unknowingly. As they are told that all their remaining ‘course was downwards, with the current of the stream’ (l519) the young men’s spirits flow downwards with it, as nature mirrors the emotions of the individuals viewing it. ‘Imagination!'(l525)†¦ ‘ I recognise thy glory’ (l532). Underwhelmed by what the real world has to offer, the narrator can look back and see that imagination can usurp such disappointments. The ‘invisible world, doth Greatness make abode’ (l536), imagination can keep an individual in ‘hope that can never die’ (l540), and these lines seem to be saying that this transcends nature, that the human mind can imagine nature in all its perfection which can overcome the disappointments of the real world, and ‘Greatness’ capitalised along with ‘thy glory’ and the hymn-like nature of this passage suggest imagination gifted by a higher power. This point is where Shelley and Wordsworth’s treatments of Mont Blanc differ greatly. ‘Mont Blanc’ by Shelley is also written in Iambic Pentameter, lending it the same grand and solemn air as The Prelude. There is some rhyme throughout the poem although it is irregular, this helps to draw attention to certain lines, and phrases. Lines 25 – 28 form a rhyming couplet. Previous to this, the poem has spoken of ‘an old and solemn harmony’ (‘Mont Blanc’ l24), this  couplet is that ‘harmony’. The rhyme and prosaic language lends this passage a lilting quality, emphasising the beauty and majesty of the nature it describes, ‘earthly rainbows’ (l25) and ‘aethereal waterfall’ (l26). When the rhyme breaks on the next line a pause is created, changing the atmosphere. ‘Wraps all in its own deep eternity’ (l29). Shelley has created a dichotomy to describe nature, the savage, awful power against the serene, calm and solitude. Shelley said that the poem â€Å"rests its claim to approbation on an attempt to imitate the untamable wildness and inaccessible solemnity† (Oxford World’s Classics edition (2003), the Preface to History of a Six Weeks’ Tour by Mary and P. B. Shelley). The speaker finds the landscape beautiful, like Wordsworth, but also sees a much darker savagery in the mountain. Regal metaphors are littered throughout the poem the spring of the river is ‘a secret throne’ (l17), the mountains around Mont Blanc are its ‘subjects’ (l62) and the river is ‘majestic’ (l123). The imagery used here emphasises the power of the mountain and its splendour. In the third stanza where the speaker ponders on the creation of the mountain an unusual rhyming scheme is used. From lines 72 to 83 the scheme is ABCCADBDEFFE. While there is no distinct pattern the rhymes seem to gradually slot together, creating a feeling of increasing momentum, this places great emphasis on the final quatrain which directly addresses the mountain itself ‘Thou hast a voice, great Mountain'(l80). This random and unordered rhyme mirrors the unpredictability of the natural forces it describes, emphasising Shelley’s point that the ‘wilderness’ (l76) has no pre determined pattern or plan, asking the reader, like the mountain, to refute the ‘large codes of fraud’ (l81) that credit a greater design with its creation. The beginning of the fourth stanza from lines 84 to 95 are concerned not with Mont Blanc itself but the cyclic nature of life and death. This whole section is one long sentence, filled with lists ‘the fields, the lakes, the forests and the streams’ (l84), uses of the words ‘and’ ‘that, and an ever increasing intensity caused by the language. We move from ‘forests’ to ‘rain’ then ‘fiery flood and hurricane’ (l87). Strings of alliteration keep increasing the pace of this passage ‘future leaf and flower’ (l90), ‘that  detested trance’ (l91), ‘works and ways’ (l92) as finally it builds to a crescendo ‘Are born and die;’ (l95). Now the punctuation forces a pause and the following hard sounds and spondees of ‘revolve, subside’ put huge emphasis on this line as an ending point. Like the cycles of life and nature that this passage describes the momentum ke eps building with great fury and passion until eventually it stops and subsides. Similar imagery can be found to relate the two poems, both, for example, mention eagles in a setting of isolation, ‘A desert peopled by the storms alone, save when the eagle†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (MBl67-8), ‘The eagle soareth in the element’ (TPl463), this shows that both poets have taken things from the natural world to create a certain atmosphere. Shelley and Wordsworth have used a variety of metaphoric imagery to relay the aesthetic wonder of the mountain, interestingly both have used other images from nature to define it, ‘Winter like a tamed lion’ (TPl466), ‘brood of pines around thee clinging, children of elder time’ (MBl20-1), ‘glaciers creep like snakes that watch their prey’ (MBl100-1). While both seem to keep the scene completely natural, there is a much darker edge to the descriptions in ‘Mont Blanc’. The writing in The Prelude, while in the same form as ‘Mont Blanc’ is more stately and controlled; Shelley has tried to infuse his verse with more passion, to reflect his feelings on the wildness of the natural world. The tempo in ‘Mont Blanc’ seems to ebb and flow with the subjects that are touched upon, whereas in The Prelude, except for the narrative passage of the mountain climb, the progress is constant and measured. Nature is clearly awe-inspiring to the narrators in both poems but the way they feel about nature’s relationship with human thought seems to be intrinsically different. Two sections that stand out when comparing the poems are the ones which describe the infinite scope of the mountain when compared to the human mind. ‘Some say that gleams of a remoter world visit the soul in sleep’ (MBl48-9)’when the light of sense goes out in flashes that have shewn to us the invisible world’ (TPl535-6)Shelley believes that a remoter world is the  realm of imagination, that only those who are ‘wise, and great’ (MBl82) can reach while in a state of ‘trance sublime’ (MBl34). That nature has the power to help you understand the perceiving mind, you realise that the process of thought, like the water cycle of the mountain, or the circle of life, though invisible, is very real, and that this understanding can help us realise that any other ‘power dwells apart’, ‘inaccessible’ (MBl96-7). Wordsworth gleans quite a different feeling from his experiences in the mountain. Imagination can transcend nature; the natural world can never match the ‘infinitude’ (TPl539) of the human mind. Bibliography Asbee, Sue (2001) Approaching Poetry, The Open University’Mont Blanc’, P B Shelley (referred to as MB)The Prelude, W Wordsworth (referred to as TP)Bygrave, S (1996) Romantic Writings, RoutledgeOwens , W, R and Johnson, H (1998) Romantic Writings: An Anthology, The Open UniversityShelley, P, B and Mary (1817) History of a Six Weeks’ Tour, Oxford World’s Classics 2003 edition

Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort Essay

Within the context of theory illustrates a demanding yet creative shaping of plans, structured requirements, and prediction of a provisional, determined, and systematic sight of phenomena (Chinn, 2011). Nursing theory is a crucial function within the nursing practice. Theories afford nurses with the distinctive facets that are in encompassed within patient care and the nursing profession. Clarification of practice governance, and expectations are also integrated within contextual framework of nursing theory. It bestows various manners to acquire data, examine and study, and foresee the practice of nursing and the outcomes of patient care (Parker, 2010). Kolcaba’s middle range theory of comfort captivated my interest because my impression of comfort curtails that of positive patient outcomes. Comfort is not solitary to just physical ailments, but emotional and psychological measures in addition. Throughout my experiences and years as bedside registered nurse, I can attest that patient requests stem largely from the factor of being made comfortable. As stated above, this not only embraces physical comfort, but something unassuming as a comforting touch or positive attitude to render the positive outcome and a content patient. Absorbing how theory influences practice has been an impediment that I have recently overcame. I was unmindful that certain situations and decision making were reinforced through the use of theory. Examination of the importance of nursing theories, more in depth review of Kolcaba’s theory of comfort, and theory of comfort in nursing practice, education, and research will be reviewed further. Importance of Nursing Theories Separately from the governance of practice and foundation for the practice of nursing, theories furthermore propounds opportunities for nurses in the sense of practical application. Measurable changes and enrichment of the profession occur when nursing theories are incorporated into practice. The benefits of having a defined frame of theory in nursing produces superior patient care, heightened professional repute for nurses, progressed interaction among nurses, and direction for exploration of the practice and education. Theories also illustrate the quality of the nursing profession, and serves as a reservoir of knowledge with the examination of the essential requirements of patients and necessary interventions. In addition, specialized rationales are provided. Succeeding medical doctors orders are not exclusively to the context of nursing care. Nursing care incorporates not only a compassionate attitude but passion for care of patients. The caring component of nursing cannot be measured, rather dissected through theory within the clarification of what nurses do. Systemically this is all supported through abundant theories and theorist. The nursing profession emphasizes on holistic care which is defined as treatment of the whole person. Within this skill is the admittance of problems that are biomedical but also opportune clarification of the well-being and health of a human that introduces added indicators of disease that are non-visualized (Powers, 2011). Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort The origination of Kolcaba’s theory of comfort stemmed was first established in the 1900’s. Founder, Katherine Kolcaba, concluded that for a positive patient outcome to accomplished, comfort is a crucial obligation. Katherine organized a representation for exploring, analyzing, and gauging the care of the patient. Historically, she believed that the product of the profession of nursing is comfort. According to Kolcaba (2010), comfort is achieved in a few diverse ways to include transcendence, relief, and ease. Transcendence represents the aptitude to overcome the lack of comfort sensed by patients through their awareness to cease. Patients are able to rise above their challenges. For example, a post-operative below the knee amputee patient may experience great physical pain from the surgery as well as psychological trauma from the intervention. Pushing forward to regain strength and independence would be an instance of transcendence. Relief constitutes any ordered analgesic medication that can be given to the patient or  non-pharmacologic interventions such as distraction or repositioning. This structure of comfort is experienced as relief. Anxiety reducing measures such as anxiolytics or inducing expression through conversation or other forms of communication can be facilitated. These actions can be constituted as placing the patient at ease. In my day to day professional practice experiences, I come across different situations where comfort may be the only measure to take in a particular patients care. Pharmacological therapy interventions are important for adequate relief, but non-pharmacological interventions are just as imperative. A simple caring touch and tone conditions the patient to an enhanced state. This particular theory affords nurses a better comprehension and obligation to comfort in the practice setting. Nurse are the forefront of healthcare. We have the ability to promptly identify the demands the needs of the patient. Kolcaba’s theory of comfort conforms into the nursing metaparadigm with relation to the three concepts presented: transcendence, relief, and ease. There is a clear consensus about the concepts which includes health, nursing, person, and environment of the metaparadigm. Kolcaba elaborated on the four various experience backgrounds that comfort is achieved. These include environmental, physical, social, and psychospiritual (Kolcaba, 2010). Theory of comfort in nursing practice, education, and research Kolcaba’s theory of comfort guides research in assorted ways. It challenges the nurse to examine the correlation among holistic interventions and different comfort measures. It also imposes a contention between comfort and â€Å"health seeking behaviors†. If the product is positive, than it enhances future endeavors and postulates additional motivators to provide comfort. Institutional outcomes are also examined (Koehn, 2000). References Chinn, P.L., & Kramer, M.K. (2011). Integrated theory and knowledge of development in nursing (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby/Elsevier Koehn, M. (2000) Alternative and complementary therapies for labor and birth: an application of Kolcaba’s theory of holistic comfort. Holistic Nursing Practice. 15(1):66-77 Kolcaba, K. (1992). Holistic comfort: Operationalizing the constructs as a nurse-sensitiveOutcome. Advances in Nursing Science, 15(1), 1-10, p. 6. Kolcaba, K. (1994) A theory of holistic comfort for nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing 19: 1178-1184 Kolcaba, K. & DiMarco, M.A. (2005) Comfort theory and its application to pediatric nursing. Pediatric Nursing, 31(3), 187-194 Parker, M.E., & Smith, M.C. (2010), Nursing theories and nursing practice (3rd ed.) Philadelphia, P.A.: F.A. Davis Company Powers, B.A., & Knapp, T.R. (2011). Dictionary of nursing theory and research (4th ed.). York: Springer Publisher Company