Assignment 2: Required Assignment 1—Organizational Assessment

As a manager, you have to continually evaluate the organization and its strategy and consistently adapt the business model to ensure that the overall business plan is one step ahead of the competition.

In this assignment, you will get an opportunity to learn, from actual experiences, how an informed manager would assess the current overall health of an organization and make decisions regarding future opportunities and performance.

Tasks:

Select an industry relevant to your career. If you lack work experience, you can base your selection on real-life market situations or business areas that you may have knowledge about. You can also consult sources such as the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Bloomberg Markets, the Economist, US News and World Report, and the Argosy University online library resources.

o Research the growth opportunities in the industry, competitive strategies that were employed, typical customers, and other relevant information related to the industry. Specific opportunities will differ depending on the industry selected, but be sure to consider current economic events and news relating to the industry that may influence the future direction of your industry.

o Within this industry, select a midrange-performing company that provides goods or services. Then, address the following: 

 Analyze why this company maintains the level of success it does from an economic and financial perspective. Develop at least two visual aids (e.g., charts, graphs, or tables) to support your argument.

 Evaluate whether the company's pricing and positioning decisions contribute to or hinder that success.

o Evaluate whether the strategy currently used by your industry, as discussed in previous sections, appears to be sustainable over time.

Create a 4- to 5-page research paper. At the end your paper, include a reference page and cite scholarly sources in APA style.

Submission Details:

o By the due date assigned, save your paper as M3_A2_lastname_firstinitial.doc and submit your document to the Submissions Area.

This assignment is worth 200 points.

Assignment 2 Grading Criteria Maximum Points

The assignment showed in-depth research into the growth opportunities in the industry, competitive strategies that were employed, typical customers, and other relevant information related to the industry. 16

Selected a midrange-performing company that provides goods or services within the industry. 16

Analyzed why this company maintains the level of success it does from an economic and financial perspective, and developed two visual aids to support your argument. 68

Evaluated whether the company's pricing and positioning decisions contribute to or hinder that success. 60

Wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrated ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; displayed accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation. 40

Total: 200

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Assignment 1: Discussion—Value of Money

Business decisions are based on the time value of money. Bonds, stocks, loans, and other business investments are valued by determining the present value of an expected cash flow, which is also called discounting the cash flow. The time value of money finds considerable application in the decision-making processes of a business.

In this assignment, you will apply the basic principles of the time value of money to business decisions.

Tasks:

Part 1:

You are the chief financial officer of a firm. The firm has an expected liability (cash outflow) of $2 million in ten years at a discount rate of 5%.

o Calculate the amount the firm would need on the present date as savings to cover the expected liability.

o Calculate the amount the firm would need to set aside at the end of each year for the next ten years to cover the expected liability.

Part 2:

Using the Argosy University online library resources, identify an article that demonstrates the application of time value of money principles to a business decision.

o Explain the specific business decision that management made after computing this value. Analyze how management used the concept of the time value of money principles to make this decision.

o Analyze factors other than the time value of money that management considered or should have considered in reaching the business decision.

Submission Details:

o By the due date assigned, post your responses in a minimum of 500 words to this Discussion Area. Support your assumptions with reputable source material.

o Through the end of the module, read and respond to at least two other classmates' posts. While responding, consider the implications for the firms selected in applying the concept of the time value of money, such as present value (PV) and future value (FV). What would happen if the firms do not apply the concepts of the time value of money to their finances?

Write your initial response in 300–500 words. Your response should be thorough and address all components of the discussion question in detail, include citations of all sources, where needed, according to the APA Style, and demonstrate accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation

 

Do the following when responding to your peers:

o Read your peers’ answers.

o Provide substantive comments by 

 contributing new, relevant information from course readings, Web sites, or other sources;

 building on the remarks or questions of others; or

 sharing practical examples of key concepts from your professional or personal experiences

o Respond to feedback on your posting and provide feedback to other students on their ideas.

o Make sure your writing 

 is clear, concise, and organized;

 demonstrates ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; and

 displays accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Grading Criteria Maximum Points

Quality of initial posting, including fulfillment of assignment instructions 16

Quality of responses to classmates 12

Frequency of responses to classmates 4

Reference to supporting readings and other materials 4

Language and grammar 4

Total: 40

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1. 1. Operations managers are challenged to honor stakeholders’ commitments through their 10 strategic decisions. Based on the articles attached, identify any 3 areas for each organizations where this challenge is successfully addressed. (9 marks)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following are Home Depot’s stakeholders, arranged according to the company’s CSR prioritization:

· Customer

· Employees

· Investors

· Communities

 

Customers. Home Depot considers customers as the most important stakeholder group. The company uses an inverted pyramid management approach that puts customers at the top. These stakeholders are interested in high quality goods and service, combined with affordable prices. Home Depot satisfies customers through a wide array of affordable home improvement products, along with high quality customer service. The firm’s stores have experts that offer advice to customers. Thus, Home Depot’s corporate social responsibility efforts satisfy the interests of customers as the top stakeholders of the business.

 

Employees. Employees are the second-priority stakeholders, according to Home Depot’s inverted pyramid approach to management. This stakeholder group’s interests are job security, high wages, and fair employment practices, as well as career development. In this regard, Home Depot offers training programs for knowledge enrichment. The team-based approach at the firm’s stores also facilitates learning on-the-job and organizational learning. In addition, the company offers above-average wages. Thus, Home Depot’s corporate social responsibility strategies satisfy the interests of employees as stakeholders.

 

Investors. Home Depot needs to ensure that investors are satisfied. The interests of this stakeholder group include profitability and business growth. To address such interests, Home Depot has changed its leadership and management to improve service quality and organizational culture. Thus, Home Depot’s corporate social responsibility efforts continue to change to satisfy the interests of investors as major stakeholders.

Communities. This stakeholder group is interested about community development support and environmental programs. Home Depot addresses these interests through a number of key corporate social responsibility programs. For example, The Home Depot Foundation gives Community Impact Grants every year to support community development. In addition, Home Depot extends its corporate social responsibility efforts to overseas communities through a responsible sourcing policy that prohibits conflict minerals from Africa. Also, Home Depot maintains its environmental policies that prioritize products from suppliers with acceptable environmental record. Thus, Home Depot’s corporate social responsibility efforts satisfy the interests of communities as stakeholders.

The following are Tesla’s stakeholders, arranged according to the company’s CSR prioritization:

 

· Communities

· Customers

· Employees

· Investors/Shareholders

 

 

Communities. Tesla Motors, Inc. is an automotive business that directly satisfies the concerns of communities as significant stakeholders that determine brand image. One of the interests of this stakeholder group is to ensure that the natural environment is conserved or protected. Tesla’s electric automobile products address such interest. For example, communities are satisfied with the fact that these products are environmentally friendly because of zero emissions. Tesla also satisfies communities in terms of this stakeholder group’s interest in benefiting from advanced technologies. For example, in 2014, CEO Elon Musk announced that the company would allow other individuals and organizations to use its patents. This corporate social responsibility strategy directly benefits communities interested in using or developing technologies, emphasizing Tesla’s mission and vision statements.

 

Customers. Customers affect Tesla’s revenues, and are interested in product quality and reasonable pricing. Given such significant impact, the company gives high priority to these stakeholders in its corporate social responsibility programs. To address such interests, the firm continues to seek new ways of minimizing battery costs. For example, instead of continuing to buy batteries from Panasonic, Tesla plans to manufacture its own batteries to make its electric automobiles more affordable. Also, Tesla continues to expand its network of charging stations. This approach improves customer experience and convenience. These corporate social responsibility efforts ensure that Tesla satisfies the interests of customers as a stakeholder group.

 

Employees. In designing its corporate social responsibility strategy, Tesla Motors, Inc. believes that employees are a critical success factor in its automotive business. As stakeholders, employees influence business productivity and performance. Their interests include high compensation and significant career opportunities. Tesla satisfies these interests through a competitive compensation strategy, as well as HR programs designed to enhance skills development and leadership development. Moreover, the company’s corporate social responsibility strategy offers learning experiences through collaborative programs with partner firms, thereby satisfying the interests of employees as stakeholders.

 

Investors/Shareholders. Tesla’s early years depended on a series of funding from investors. These stakeholders are important in influencing the capitalization of the company. Investors and shareholders have interests in the profitability and growth of the business. Tesla’s corporate social responsibility strategy addresses these interests through long-term strategies that aim to transform the automotive market. For example, the company’s decision to allow other firms and individuals to use its technology patents is expected to increase market demand for electric vehicles, thereby creating growth opportunities for Tesla automobile sales. The sustainability and environmental friendliness products of the company are also in line with current sociocultural trends, thereby supporting business growth. Considering its profitability in recent years, Tesla’s corporate social responsibility strategy satisfies the interests of investors/shareholders as stakeholders of the business.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. A small factory is producing 6000 small bags per day with the following resources. (Note: Write the formula, units and use two decimal places) (7.25 marks)

 

Labor

90 hours per day @ $ 12 per hour

Raw Material

300 pounds per day @ $ 1 per pound

Energy

$ 200 per day

Capital cost

$ 100 per day

 

 

A. What is the multifactor productivity? (2.75 marks)

B. What is the percentage and unit change in multifactor productivity if the factory decreased the labor-hour to 25 hours per day? (4.5 marks)labor-hour to 25 hours per day? (4.5 marks)

3. A jewelry factory is producing 3000 pieces of jewelry per day. They consume 7 grams of gold every day and are charged $ 35 for each gram. In addition to that, they use 50 pounds of glue daily with the cost of $ 2 per pound. Their production labors are working for 40 hours to produce the required amount daily and getting paid for $ 5 for each working hour and energy costs are assumed to be $ 6 a day. The factory replaced the gold by silver in which the gram of it costs $ 30.

(Note: Write the formula, units and use two decimal places) (7.75 marks)

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Topic : Risks To Data Security.
 

Need Literature review and proposal with 4 Iterations 

Number of pages required 6. 
 

The paper must contain a minimum of eight (8) peer-reviewed references published within the past 5 years. 

 

Literature Review Content:

• Subject      or issue overview (do not rewrite the introduction)
• Categorized      or themed presentation of material supporting and refuting the subject or      issue
• Critical      review and comparison of each referenced work
• Conclusions      based on the facts in the literature review

Proposal Content:  This is your plan – review the template, which should provide you with some common ideas regarding how to document your proposal

• Briefly      summarize (a paragraph or two for) each of the proposed (AR) iteration (at      least 4 iterations)
• Include a visual representation – (example provided in template

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Describe the cognitive and non-cognitive abilities relating to Emotional  Intelligence. Provide an example of how you might use EQ in your daily  life. Respond to at least two of your peers for this posting with  suggestions that might work for them within their daily lives. 

 Baack, D. (2017). Organizational behavior (2nd ed.). [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://ashford.content.edu 

REPLY TO QUENTIN:

 

What is emotional intelligence? Baack describes it as “a person's  ability to detect and manage emotional cues and information” with five  sub-concepts including self-awareness (cognizant of personal feelings),  self-management (able to manages those feelings), self-motivation or  persistence (inspiration), empathy (able to sense others) and social  skills (able to handle others’ emotions) (Baack, 2017, 3.4).

          Along with these concepts, there are cognitive and  non-cognitive abilities associated with emotional intelligence.  Cognitive abilities suggest being apt to focus on their and someone’s  mental abilities to apply information that has been received by  emotions. With these cognitive abilities, we are able to assess the  problem that has been presented, think through the problem, understand  why the problem is the problem, and respond to that emotion with an  appropriate solution.

          Non-cognitive abilities are those soft skills such as  interaction with others, emotional maturity, empathy, and verbal and  non-verbal communication skills. We all have a duty to develop our  non-cognitive because these are a little less able to be measured. Both  sets of abilities help in emotional intelligence to manage, understand,  and resolve various solutions via knowledge and social skills.

          I have had to use EQ several times, most times, even before  I knew the formal name for it. When we learn what we may have always  been doing, seems as if it just comes alive and we have some type or  enlightenment. One particular job I had, a coworker of mine was the  office manager and she always was happy outside of the workplace but as  soon as, I mean as soon as, her feet the threshold of the business, her  attitude changed for the worst. So after several weeks of identifying  those behavior, I went and asked what the problem was in the most meek  manner and genuine concern. She told me. I asked her how she was going  to handle this issue because it could rub off on others and bring the  morale down in that very small office. To make a long story short, her  issue was her brother, the owner of the company, and once they talked,  the energy swiftly changed for the better. Simple communication goes a  long way.

REPLY TO EDWARD:

 

The cognitive abilities that relate to emotional intelligence  include how a person digests and holds information in their memory, and  pay attention to details. More importantly, we then are able to use our  own intuition to solve issues that deal with ethics and morals in our  everyday lives. The behavioral component is used to detect how a person  will react once they are involved in a situation that involves  principles and personal feelings. “If someone has lost a parent to lung  cancer and sees someone smoking in a nonsmoking zone, the cognitive  component reasons that the person is doing something wrong and possibly  is in violation of a local ordinance” (Baack, 2017, p. 3.4). Based off  the information stored in the person’s memory from seeing their mother  or father die from smoking, will likely cause them to voice their  frustration to the smoker in an anger or saddened voice.

Non-cognitive abilities are related to emotional intelligence  by way of being able to think outside the box which enhances creativity,  motivation, and be able to possess self-control. “Emotional  intelligence may play a role in success at work. It potentially predicts  the ability to lead, and constitutes a major asset when working in jobs  with high levels of social interaction” (Goleman, 1995; Mayer, Salovey, & Sluyter, 1997, p.  3.4). As a manager or front-line supervisor, their role is to motivate  staff members to meet company performance standards on a daily basis.  Being able to instill confidence and lead by example by showing a strong  work ethic are examples of non-cognitive abilities.

I use emotional intelligence in my everyday life on the job  when I affiliate with different cultures, genders, religions and age  groups. I have to show empathy, which allows me to be aware of over  people’s feelings, meaning I have to be mindful of what I say. For  instance, I don’t discuss politics or religion on the job because people  are sensitive to those issues.

References

Baack, D. (2017). Organizational behavior. [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://ashford.content.edu (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Sluyter, D. J. (1997). Emotional intelligence: Emotional implications. New York, NY: Basic Books. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/Baack.3633.17.1/sections/sec3.4?search=cognitive# (Links to an external site.)

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Assignment 1: The Significance of Context  Consider the accumulated sources of error and the different factors affecting our reasoning styles. For this assignment, focus on a typical setting in your own profession.  How does context affect your ability to conduct critical thinking and the ability of your colleagues to reason with you?  As you answer the question, briefly describe a setting in which a discussion might occur in your profession, either an imagined situation or one you have experienced. Consider the factors in that setting that might serve as sources of error or might influence you or your colleagues as you reason and describe at least four of those factors.  Prepare a 3- to 4-paragraph original response and post it to the Discussion Area by the due date assigned.

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Respond to the following scenario with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. Be substantive and clear, and use research to reinforce your ideas.   Additional Information: After the conference, you decide to explore more about your career. Bloomberg Businessweek B-School Connection includes a variety of career resources including a career assessment and worksheets that can help you to refine your career goals. One other great way to explore your career is to find a career mentor. Career mentors are a positive influence in one’s life that helps you to develop your success.  A Good Career Mentor:    •M: Motivates You  •E: Expands your Thinking  •N: Notices your Strengths  •T: Trusts You  •O: Optimizes your Weaknesses  •R: Respects You   Using Bloomberg Businessweek B-School Connection resources, please submit the following: •A completed Bloomberg Businessweek B-School Connection Career Assessment – Submit the results will be emailed to you upon completion of the assessment.  •Five completed Bloomberg Businessweek B-School Connection Worksheets including: ◦A History of You  ◦Bio Builder  ◦Top 5 Influencers  ◦Build Experience   •Take A Taste  •A one page mentoring plan including a description of who you will select as a career mentor and a contact introduction email that you will send to your proposed career mentor.   Please submit your assignment.

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Complete Exercises 6, 8, and 9 in Statistics for Nursing Research: A Workbook for Evidence-Based Practice, and submit as directed by the instructor.

Use MS Word to complete "Questions to be Graded: Exercise 27" in Statistics for Nursing Research: A Workbook for Evidence-Based Practice. Submit your work in SPSS by copying the output and pasting into the Word document. In addition to the SPSS output, please include explanations of the results where appropriate.

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The differences and similarities of water and wastewater treatment "

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Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Scenario: Red Carpet LLC

 

Red Carpet LLC is a national hospitality and entertainment company with headquarters in Philadelphia, PA with national operations in the US. Historically, the company has had 3 divisions: hotels, food service, and cruise lines. However, it recently completed the acquisition of Sparkstar theaters, a movie theater company, that it is slated to become its 4th division. Red Carpet now owns 200 hotels in 48 states, 4 brands of restaurants with 1776 locations, 4 Buoy Bay branded cruise ships, and 300 Sparkstar theaters.

 

Its matrix organizational structure consists of a central HR, accounting, business development, sales, marketing, and research and development departments located at the headquarters in Philadelphia that serve each division. Each division is located in a different part of the US and lead by a VP that reports to the President and CEO. The company is privately owned by a consortium of investors and investor groups.

 

Red Carpet has 16,000 employees, 1000 of which work at its corporate headquarters. The organizational culture of the headquarters is informal and organic and there are few policies and processes that guide employee behavior. The company, as a whole, does not value HR so employees struggle with many employee relations and employment law concerns. The company outsources all of its training to one of the investor group companies, however this training is commonly not customized to the needs of Red Carpet.

 

As a whole, Red Carpet struggles with its business to business partners and suppliers because of its reputation for being nonnegotiable. Red Carpet would rather disrupt the quality and availability of its only products and services rather than partner for the supply chain resources that it needs. Likewise, Red Carpet does not hold many of the General Managers in its hotels, restaurants, and its cruise ships accountable for performance, opting instead for a weaker political strategy of blaming and gotcha games.

 

Being aware of these challenges, Red Carpet acquired Sparkstar for their strong industry reputation and financial performance in the hopes that merging the structure and culture of Sparkstar into Red Carpet would change the organization for the better. Historically, Red Carpet has been a highly successful company, however in recent years, its mismanagement has created noticeable effectives in product and service quality and its bottom line.

 

Divisions

 

Hotels: Red Carpet branded hotels are mid-price semi-luxury hotels known for high quality. Each customer is given a red velvet cupcake upon checking in. Red Carpet relies on its General Managers to micromanage the hotel. Despite its corporate parent owning a restaurant division, no Red Carpet hotels have restaurants. The Red Carpet division headquarters are in Sedona AZ. Many of the hotels are in need of refurbishment.

 

Food Service: Chicken Heaven is a fast-food chain with a long tradition of quality, large customer base, and 1000 locations. It is a solid overall performer for Red Carpet with high employee satisfaction. Burger Blast is another fast-food chain recently launched to cater to upscale customers who seek customized, gourmet-style burgers. It has 200 locations, however General Managers are struggling with budget and supplies causing a poor customer experience and high employee turnover. Food Park is a buffet-style restaurant with 500 locations that has been recently struggling because of high competition and poor marketing.  Delicacy is a high-end restaurant with an urban theme. It has 76 locations, is the oldest of Red Carpet's food service operations, and provides a unique dining experience for customers. However, General Managers have a high turnover at Delicacy because of the grueling schedule. The food service division is located in Burke, ID.

 

Cruise Ships: Buoy Bay cruise ships offer low-cost, short-term cruises from Port Canaveral, FL only to the US Virgin Islands. Buoy Bay offers customers average quality staterooms and food from Chicken Heaven, Burger Blast, and Food Park. However, it does not offer a non-buffet formal dining option such as Delicacy. Although they are known for their over-the-top entertainment, employee turnover is very high relying primary on seasonal employees who are poorly trained. Buoy Bay has had much controversy. Just 5 years ago, the Buoy Bay cruise ship, Garland of the Sails, hit a reef, partially sank, and had to be salvaged in a 1.5 billion dollar operation. This resulted in a Federal investigation that is still pending. The Buoy Bay division is located in Lapsowanne, OR.

 

Movie Theaters: Sparkstar theaters were recently purchased from the Vegamega group for 2.3  billion dollars. Sparkstar is the highest rated movie theater chain the US. It has high customer and employee satisfaction, an efficient organizational structure, and solid financial results. Sparkstar's culture is one of high HR involvement including a strong training and development department, Sparkstar Institute. Sparkstar has a customer rewards program that provides a free movie rental of the film that the customer saw in the theater which has been very popular and has increased its strong customer base. Sparkstar has its divisional headquarters in Pasadena, CA.

 

The Issues

 

With the purchase of Sparkstar theaters, Red Carpet is hoping to redefine its operations in the next 5 years. It sees opportunities to integrate its divisions, products, and services to better serve its customers and employees. Here is a summary of some of the issues that Red Carpet must address in its strategic plan:

 

Internal politics and communication

Improved HR and training

Employee relations issues

Federal investigations

Product and service quality

Marketing support

Performance issues

Redefining the organizational structure

Improving its organizational culture

Integrating products and services

Resource and supply chain issues

Your Role 

 

Leroy Banks, the Director of Change management at Red Carpet is seeking an Organization Development Consultant to address Red Carpet's need for change. You've just received a consulting contract from him to help prepare a plan to assist Red Carpet. You're excited about the opportunity and are motivated to work on this project. You know that your insight will assist Red Carpet with managing organizational change.

 

ASSIGNMENT:

 

Now that you have gained an understanding of Red Carpet, Leroy has asked you to join in on a preliminary meeting with the VP of HR and other members of the organization to discuss change. The meeting was very tense because many employees are unsure of their role in the change process. In fact, the VP of HR has not settled yet on what type of change is needed or how to start up the change process. After the meeting, Leroy asked you to prepare an executive summary that could be provided to the VP of HR that would help to address these concerns.

 

Review the Red Carpet scenario for this course and prepare a 750–1000 word executive report that includes the following:

 

What type of change does Red Carpet need? Should it be transformational, developmental or transitional and why?

What employees or employee groups should be key stakeholders in the change and why? 

What initial activities should be planned to begin the change process?

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