Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 9

Case Study - Essay Example The firm has asked for my advice regarding possible growth strategies other than franchising. In evaluating possible strategies, I evaluate Armellini’s growth objectives; analyze Armellini’s internal strengths and weaknesses and its external opportunities and threats; develop relevant conclusions; and then offer specific recommendations. By definition, a strategy is an action plan to achieve a certain objective. So in order to suggest possible growth strategies, I must understand the firm’s objectives, especially those that have been agreed to between Armellini ownership (Armellini family) and top management (Helen Patterson). The case mentions only three overall business objectives that have been expressly agreed to: These objectives present several problems in fashioning appropriate growth strategies. First, only the third objective definitively addresses Armellini’s business growth; the others may affect the nature and quality of growth, but that is not entirely clear. Next, there are no financial objectives mentioned despite the recent precipitous decline in financial performance. Third, each objective is extremely vague; in order to serve as a guide to action plans, well-developed objectives should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely (SMART). Finally, these objectives ignore two critical standards for good business objectives: that they aim to create sustainable competitive advantage and build value for business owners. When crafted well, such objectives would reinforce each other, with competitive advantage leading to improved financial performance and value, and improved financial performance providing financial resources to invest in growth opportunities that promote competitive advantage. In light of these problems, in the following analysis I will also consider other growth objectives that would be appropriate to recommend to Armellini along with recommended growth strategies. These other

Edgar Allan Poes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Edgar Allan Poes - Essay Example Both the stories are written using the same technique by Edgar Allan Poe. He has used the narrator as a tool to describe the events in both the stories. This essay would further revolve around the two stories and present the differences and similarities found in both the stories. Edgar Allan Poe has explicably written both the works to show the madness that is prevalent in the world. He uses the technique of a narrative to describe both the stories along with the justice that is served in the ending of both stories (Poe 375). Poe uses the first person experience to narrate both the stories so that the readers can take an insight in the scenes of the horror fiction. Poe gives a detailed explanation of the lives of the two narrators in the stories aforementioned in the beginning so that the readers can grasp the scenes of the story. Both the stories follow the genre of horror and fear as the author shows psychological trauma and fear in the characters that are being played by the narra tors. These themes can be clearly seen in the quote taken from the story ‘The Tell Tale Heart’ which says ‘I cut off the head and the arms and the legs’(Poe 7). ... â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart† and â€Å"The Black Cat† depict the extent to which a human being can go and the narrative serves to explain the reader that the narrators are not as mentally sound as they argues that they are. The mental state of both the narrators can clearly be said to be inappropriate even though they argue that they are sane enough. In both the stories the narrators are the killers and they kill for reasons that are only known to them. It can be seen that both the works have quite a lot of similarities but upon close analysis it can also be seen that the works have a difference. In the ‘The Black Cat’ the narrator kills the cat and his wife unintentionally whereas in â€Å"The Tell Tale† the narrator plans out to kill the old man as he fears his eye. Poe places the factor of anger differently in both the stories as it is seen that the narrator in â€Å"The Black Cat† takes out his anger on a living thing that can possibly not r esist. However in â€Å"The Tell Tale† it is seen that the narrator takes out anger on a person who can resist. It is also seen that the beginning in both the stories is different as in ‘The Tell Tale’ the narrator gives out the ending in the opening paragraphs whereas in ‘The Black Cat’ the narrator gives the whole account at the end of the story. The plot of the stories is shown differently to the readers by Poe to but in the end both the narrators are caught for the crime that they commit. In conclusion it can be said that Poe has written two classical works in the genre of horror to present the insanity of individuals in a different perspective. He has used the object of fear as a tool to describe the scenes in the stories so that the readers