Assignment 2: LASA 1—IKEA Analysis Report

What is values-based service? How can a company create value for customers and other stakeholders?

Values-based service is defined as service that is firmly based on the core company values as well as social and environmental responsibility. When the core company values and the social and environmental values are in accordance with the values of customers and other stakeholders, resonance (rather than dissonance) occurs. To be successful, a values-based service business must seek resonance with its customers and other stakeholders in terms of values and avoid any suggestion of dissonance. Companies, such as IKEA, nurture and communicate values in their customer relationships.

Read the article “Values-Based Service Brands: Narratives from IKEA” by Edvardsson from the readings for this module. Using IKEA as the company in point, conduct research, using the Argosy University online library and the Internet, to better understand the “IKEA environment.”

Based on your research, write a report addressing the following points:

• IKEA’s Marketing (1 page) 
  Corporate strategy begins with marketing and understanding the key elements of the marketing plan. For IKEA, describe the following elements of its marketing strategy:
  • How do IKEA’s products, services, and related attributes satisfy the wants and needs known as its value proposition?
  • How does IKEA create a well-defined market position that appeals to customer wants and needs and differentiates its offering from competitive offerings in a process known as positioning and differentiation?
• Assess IKEA’s strategy using the criteria listed below:
  • Value Chain (1 page)
    Analyze the three sources of value (economic, social, and environmental) in IKEA’s value chain.
    • Explain sources of value as they relate to the wants and needs of IKEA’s core customer.
    • Explain how IKEA’s supply chain supports its value proposition.
    • Explain how IKEA’s focus on customer value (economic, social, and environmental) is reflected in its supply chain.
  • Intangible Products (1 page)
    • Explain IKEA’s intangible products and benefits.
    • Explain how other firms employ this concept of intangibles to erect barriers to entry for competitors.
    • Explain how the concept of intangible benefits is used to increase profits.
  • Customers (1 page) 
    IKEA considers the customer to be a critical stakeholder. The IKEA message is directed to the majority of people and what they can afford, and its pricing is dependent on the economic values that serve a majority of its customers.
    • Explain how this approach may or may not maximize profits for IKEA.
    • Explain if this premise is at odds with supply and demand economics. Give reasons for your answer.
  • Performance Measures (1 page)
    Suppose you are a vice-president of manufacturing for IKEA and are responsible for establishing operating performance measures.
    • For all of the performance factors other than quality and cost, create a set of 4–6 performance measures for evaluating your managers that integrates IKEA’s values (economic, social, and environmental) as discussed in the article written by Edvardsson.
    • For each performance measure, identify one specific process measure that demonstrates how well these values are being upheld in the manufacturing activities including suppliers of the company.
    • Recommend how you would develop the workforce to live these values in the workplace. Suggest types of hiring, training, and performance management criteria that you will apply to the workforce.

Write a 6–8-page paper in Word format. Please use 3–7 scholarly articles in your research. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M3_A2.doc.

Then, develop a short 6–8-slide Power Point presentation (not including the title and reference slides) covering the same information. Include headings for each slide, and provide your talking points in the notes section to explain the content if the presentation is given verbally. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M3_A2.ppt.

 

Managing And Leading Diagnosis

Using Kotter’s model of Managing and Leading share your thoughts on why you think so many of us tend to focus on the Managing activities more than the Leadership activities. Also describe ways employees benefit when their bosses balance Managing and Leading more effectively. This submission should be 2-3 pages

Week 4

Part 1-Apa Format- 300 Words

For this assignment you will post your answers to the questions in each thread. Use examples from the readings, or from your own research, to support your views, as appropriate. You are encouraged to conduct research and use other sources to support your answers. Be sure to list your references at the end of your post. References must be in APA citation format. All posts must be a minimum of 300 words.  
 

Read the case study on pp. 198-199 of the textbook and answer the following questions:
 

1. If you are reading a web page about a particular topic and see related advertisements appear along the side of the page, do you feel the advertising constitutes an invasion of your privacy? What if the advertisements were generated not only on the basis of content on the page you are currently viewing, but on the basis of the most recent 5 or 10 web pages that you viewed?
 

Read the case study on pp. 221-222 of the textbook and answer the following questions:
 

2. According to the court, did Byce acquire the source code through improper means? Why or why not?
 

3. What do you think of Byce's negotiation tactics? If you were in Byce's position, what other options might you have considered?
 

  

Forum Grading Rubric (100 Points)

 

Synthesis of Concepts

 

55

 

Clear Citations using APA format

 

10

 

Writing Standards

 

10

 

Peer Reviews   (minimum of 2) – Responses posted after the current week will not be accepted

 

25

 

Timeliness – 10% penalty per week for late work

 

Part 2- APA Format- 300 Words

For this assignment you will post your answers to the questions in each thread You are encouraged to conduct research and use other sources to support your answers. Be sure to list your references at the end of your post. References must be in APA citation format. All posts must be a minimum of 300 words.
 

1. What do you think is the single greatest physical threat to information systems? Fire? Hurricanes? Sabotage? Terrorism? Others? Be prepared to support your answers.
 

2. In a corporate, networked setting, should end users be permitted to install applications on their workstations, whether they applications are on a disk or downloaded from the Internet?  What kind of judgments should people make before downloading a piece of software?

  

Forum Grading Rubric   (100 Points)

 

Synthesis of   Concepts

 

55

 

Clear Citations   using APA format

 

10

 

Writing Standards

 

10

 

Timeliness

 

10

 

Peer Reviews   (minimum of 2)

 

15

This assignment is a formative assessment for Course Objective 4.

 

  

Part 3- APA Format-1 full page

Assignment Instructions

In order to complete assignment #4 you will need to answer the below questions. Please complete the questions in a Word document and then upload the assignment for grading. Use examples from the readings, lecture notes and outside research to support your answers. The assignment must be a minimum of 1-full page in length with a minimum of 2 – outside sources. Please be sure to follow APA guidelines for citing and referencing source.

RESEARCHING INTRUSION DETECTION SYSTEMS

Using the Internet and other print material, gather data about intrusion-detection systems (IDSs). Research 3-5 different vendor systems. Compare their list of features (active IDS, passive IDS, network-based, host-based, anomaly systems, etc.). Create a table that compares the features. Based on your research, which system would you recommend and why? 
 

  

Assignment Rubric ( 100 Points)

 

Synthesis   of Concepts

 

60

 

Writing   Standards – APA format

 

20

 

Timeliness

 

20

Part 4- APA Format- 1 Full Page

Assignment Instructions

In order to complete assignment #4 you will need to answer the below questions. Please complete the questions in a Word document and then upload the assignment for grading. Use examples from the readings, lecture notes and outside research to support your answers. The assignment must be a minimum of 1-full page in length with a minimum of 2 – outside sources. Please be sure to follow APA guidelines for citing and referencing source. 
 

Chapter 6

Chapter 6 noted that Friendster has obtained a number of social networking patents that it could potentially assert against other social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. Suppose you are corporate counsel at one of these two companies and you expect that you may eventually be sued by Friendster. In addition to contesting the validity or enforceability of the Friendster patents, what are some of your other options?

 

Porter's 5 Forces

3 Page Essay summarizing Porter's 5 forces- APA style with Cover and Reference page. Cover and Reference Pages aren't included in the 3 page requirement

 

Assignment 1-1

What are the most important things you have learned thus far in your academic and professional careers through this bachelor in health administration class ? 

What accomplishments are you looking to achieve during this capstone project class that you can integrate into your professional careers?

 

Discussion Question

Examine the relationship between an  organization’s values and ethics and its culture. Discuss the relevance  of Hofstede (1983), Dorfman et al. (2012), or Minkov & Hofstede  (2012); then explain how global leaders can apply this research to  establish a culture of ethics in their organizations. 
 

(Do not  attempt to address all of these points in your first post. Challenge  yourself to develop your understanding and interaction with the course  concepts as the discussion progresses.) 
 

Discussion posts  should reflect scholarly analysis and interpretation of the topic as  well as supporting research. Follow APA formatting guidelines (current  edition) to integrate your research and cite your sources. Each post  (the initial post as well as the response posts) should be between  300-500 words in length.

 

Assignment On Project Management

 Solve Problems on Page 101, # 6 and Page 103, # 12 of your textbook. Please show your network and solution. 

 

Textbook that is being used is :  Jacobs, F. R., Chase, R. B. & Aquilano, N. J. (2013).Operations and supply management (14th Ed). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. 

 

WORLD CULTURES HELP

• Assignment 1: Essay
    Due Week 4 and worth 100 points
  Choose  one (1) of the three (3) reading selections from the list of topic  choices below. The focus is on brief but important primary source  material written by major authors. Read the selections  as identified  with each topic below. Write a three to four (3-4) paragraph essay (250  words minimum) which analyzes the “surprise ending” of the reading  selection. 
  Topic Choices
   
• Reading selection from  Descartes’ Discourse on the Method (Part IV). Descartes begins with a   proof of one basic conclusion and ends with a proof of something much  grander. Remember to focus on the surprise and point of realization, not  the details of the philosophical argument. Read Part IV of the  Discourse on the Method located at http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/descartes1637.pdf(then scroll down to Part 4, pp. 14-18). This is only four or five (4 or 5) pages of the larger work.
   
• Reading  selection of Swift’s A Modest Proposal. It is essential to recognize  the genre of this work, as discussed in our class text, which you should  consult and cite. Swift promotes a radical solution, but subtle options  are mentioned. You are looking for surprise and a point of realization.  Read and focus on A Modest Proposal located at http://www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/swift/modest.html. 

   

• Two  (2) reading selections from Voltaire’s Candide. Consider how these  readings start and end in terms of the action and the beliefs. You are  looking for surprise and a point of realization. These selections can be  found on pp. 840-841 in the textbook. In addition, consult the class  text at pp. 824-825.
• For the reading selection you choose:
   

1. Clearly  state in your own words the “surprise ending” in the reading you  selected. Clearly identify the point in the reading when you realized  that there were elements in the reading that surprised you. Not all of  the surprises come at the end.
2. Evaluate how successful the  author was in convincing you to accept the validity of the “surprise  ending” that was different from what you expected. 
3. Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
    

• Be  typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with  one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA  Style format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.  (Note: Students can find APA style materials located in the Additional  Resources section of their Student Center within their course shell for  reference)
• Include a cover page containing the title of the  assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title,  and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in  the required assignment page length.
• Use the source(s)  identified above for the topic you choose, focusing on the main primary  source of that author. You may use additional sources also if they are  of good academic quality for college papers (Wikipedia and similar  websites do not qualify). Use proper APA style in-text citing and also a  matching APA style References list at the end.  
• The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
   
• Explain how key social, cultural, and artistic contributions contribute to historical changes.
• Explain the importance of situating a society’s cultural and artistic expressions within a historical context. 
• Examine  the influences of intellectual, religious, political, and  socio-economic forces on social, cultural, and artistic expressions. 
• Identify major historical developments in world cultures from the Renaissance to the contemporary period. 
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in the study of world cultures.
• Write clearly and concisely about world cultures using proper writing mechanics.
• Grading  for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic/organization  of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following  rubric found here.
    

 

Exploring Interests To Identify Research Problems

The most important task in preparing to write a dissertation is identifying a current problem that is of interest to you. Conducting research can be a daunting task; however, conducting research on a topic or area that is of interest to the researcher can be motivating and make the research process easier. In this assignment, you will conduct research to identify a current problem in your dissertation topic or area of interest.

Using the module readings and the Argosy University online library resources, address the following:

• Research at least five articles in appropriate trade journals or academic peer-reviewed journals to find a current problem in your dissertation topic or area of interest.
• Describe the problem.
• Discuss why you are interested in this topic.
• Explain why addressing this problem might aid the field of study both practically (actual organizational setting) and academically.
• Identify professional organizations that might assist your research efforts in your topic or area or perhaps be interested in your dissertation study findings.

Write a 2–3-page paper in Word format. Note: The title page, references, and appendices are not included in the page count.

 

Write your responses in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M2_A2.doc.

 

Operations Management

Assignment 1: LensCrafters Case Study Due Week 4 and worth 250 points 
 This assignment requires student complete an analysis of the LensCrafters case from Chapter 6 of the text. Write a six to seven (6-7) page paper in which you:   

1. Evaluate  LensCrafters’ operations strategy and explain how the organization  seeks to gain a competitive advantage in terms of sustainability.
2. Analyze  how operation management activities affect the customer experience.  Select two (2) operation management challenges and provide the solutions  for confronting them.
3. Examine LensCrafters’ value chain and  evaluate its effectiveness to operations in terms of quality, value  creation, and customer satisfaction. 
4. Determine the different  types of performance measurements that can be used to measure  LensCrafters’ service-delivery system design. Select at least two (2)  types that can be applied and provide justifications for the selection. 
5. Examine  the different types of technologies applied to LensCrafters’ service  operations and evaluate how the technologies strengthen the value chain.
6. Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:   

• Be  typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with  one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA  or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional  instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the  assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title,  and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in  the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:   

• Apply the concept of operations management. 
• Compare and contrast the difference between a supply chain and a value chain.
• Analyze the types of measures used for decision making. 
• Analyze the five key competitive priorities and their relationship to operations strategy.
• Analyze different types of technology and their role in manufacturing and service operations.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in operations management. 
• Write clearly and concisely about operations management using proper writing mechanics.