ECO561 Week 1 Influence of Economics on Household Decision Making....2019

Purpose of Assignment 

To locate, retrieve, and evaluate the effects of macroeconomic indicators on your own decision making. 

Assignment Steps 

Resources: Tutorial help on Excel^® and Word functions can be found on the Microsoft^® Office website. There are also additional tutorials via the web offering support for Office products. 

Scenario: Consider your last big purchase such as a car, appliances, home repairs, home purchase, computer equipment, college tuition, or another "big-ticket" item, which are often purchased using loans/financing (by borrowing money). Also consider your decision-making process that led you to choose a particular make, model, or brand of the product (or service) you purchased and whether it was the right time to make the purchase given economic conditions at the time of your purchase. While analyzing your decision, keep in mind everything from interest rates to the prices of complementary and substitute goods are driven by human economic behavior. 

Develop a minimum 1,050-word analysis of your decision-making process in which you include the following:

• Retrieve statistics on Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and on Real Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) by year for the last ten years. You can retrieve those statistics from internet sources including, but not limited to, the Federal Reserve of St. Louis's FRED web site, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) web site, or another credible source of your choice. Post these statistics in a single worksheet of an Excel^® workbook and submit your Excel^® file with your report. In your report, discuss the latest 10-year trends in both GDP and PCE. Also discuss how the trends in GDP compare with trends in PCE. You are encouraged to include graphs of these statistics in your report; you could create the graphs in Excel^® and copy them into your report.
• Retrieve statistics on the Effective Federal Funds Rate and on the Consumer Price Index: All Items Less Food and Energy by year for the last 30 years. You can retrieve those statistics from internet sources including, but not limited to, the Federal Reserve of St. Louis's FRED web site, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) web site, or other credible sources of your choice. Post these statistics in a single worksheet of an Excel^® workbook and submit your Excel^® file with your report. In your report, discuss how the trends in the Effective Federal Funds Rate compare with trends in inflation. If you took out a loan to pay for your "big-ticket" purchase, what was the interest rate on your loan? Were interest rates rising or falling at that time?  Were interest rates relatively high or low at that time? You are also encouraged to include graphs of these statistics in your report.
• Discuss the influence of any Federal government or state government programs, such as tax credits or tax deductions for energy-saving/efficiency purchases, on your decision to make your last big purchase; or if government incentives did not factor into your decision, explain why not.
• Develop conclusions about the economy's influence on personal and business decision-making relative to purchases of big-ticket items, investments, or other major purchases. 

Cite a minimum of three peer-reviewed sources. Note: The Federal Reserve of St. Louis, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics can be cited to fulfill this requirement.

MGT599 CASE 4 Coca-Cola

Module 4 - Case

STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION AND STRATEGIC CONTROLS

Assignment Overview

This final case involves an analysis of strategy implementation at the Coca-Cola Company. You will use the resources you identified in the SLP to gather information about the company and relate that information to your work in the previous four cases.

Required Reading

Refer to the required and optional readings related to strategic implementation and strategic controls, the themes for this module.

Case Assignment

In Module 4, we will conclude the case study process by researching the Coca-Cola Company's strategic controls and their fit with the company's chosen strategy.

Keys to the Assignment

·        Step One: Review your Case papers from Modules 1-3 so that you are familiar with the mission, vision, SWOT, strategy, and strategic choices you have identified over the course of the class.

·        Step Two: Research the structure, systems, people, and culture at the Coca-Cola Company. You will not be able to get answers to every single question, but you will need to answer at least one or two for each component.

·        Step Three: Describe the Coca-Cola Company's organizational design, key strategic control systems (e.g., budgeting and variance analysis systems), primary human resources concerns, and cultural factors, and the effect that these have had on the implementation of the Coca-Cola Company'sstrategy.

·        Step Four: In a 6 to 8 page paper, critically evaluate the fit—or the lack of fit—between the company's mission, strategy, and organizational components crucial to implementation. Do these components complement the strategy? Why or why not?

·        Step Five: Choose three (3) of the thirteen ethical "prescriptions" included in the following article: http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/business/strategic-plan.html.  Next, discuss the extent which the company's sense of business ethics has been embedded within its strategic management process, as evidenced by your chosen three indicators. 

·        Step Six: What changes would you—as the CEO—make to better assure the success of the company's strategy? This is the most important section of the Module 4 Case.

·        Step Seven: Consider the Case as a formal business report that you are developing for the Board of Directors and CEO as the Coca-Cola Company's consultant. This is a professional document. Follow the format below:

o   Executive summary: This is a synopsis of the main points, conclusions and recommendations made in the longer report. If you would like a refresher on writing an executive summary, check this website: http://www.csun.edu/~vcecn006/summary.html

o   Introduction: State the main purpose of the paper (thesis statement), what you hope to accomplish, and how you will go about doing it.

o   Main Body: The "meat" of the paper. Emphasize analysis, not just description. Delineate separate topics or sections with headings.

o   Conclusion: Summarize your paper in the light of your thesis statement.

 

MGT 599 SLP 4

Module 4 - SLP

Strategy Implementation and Strategic Controls

Simulation

In Module 4, you will continue with the CVP analysis you completed in the Module 3 SLP.

Scenario Continuation:

It is still January 2, 2012. You have just completed your revised SLP3 strategy using CVP analysis, and you are eager to implement your decisions for 2012 through 2014.

Using the CVP analysis from SLP3, run the simulation for a final time. Again, be sure to take notes about your analysis and the document the reasoning behind your decisions.

Finalize your report showing the strategy you have used.

Assignment Overview

Using the strategy that you developed in SLP3, run the simulation. Document your results as you did previously. Review and analyze these results, and develop a final strategy.

Please turn in a 6- to 8-page paper, not including cover and reference pages.

Keys to the Assignment

The key aspects of this assignment that should be covered and taken into account in preparing your paper include:

• The revised strategy consists of the Prices, R&D Allocation %, and any product discontinuations for the X5, X6, and X7 tablets for each of the four years: 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.
• You must present a rational justification for this strategy. In other words, you must provide support for your proposed strategy using financial analysis and relevant theories.
• Use the CVP Calculator and review the PowerPoint that explains CVP and provides some examples.
• You will need to crunch some numbers (CVP Analysis) to help you determine your prices and R&D allocations.
• Make sure your proposed changes in strategy are firmly based in this analysis of financial and market data and sound business principles. Your goal is to practice using CVP and get better at it.
• Present your analysis professionally, making strategic use of tables, charts, and graphs.

 

MBA Semester 3 Exam_Part II_Ver 1

Expansion Plans for Scooter Land

Scooter Land had been headquartered and doing business solely in the United States for five years.  They had an excellent reputation for a quality product and demand was at an all-time high. The CEO of the company decided to explore the possibility of expanding into two or three foreign countries. Each foreign facility would include operations, distribution, and sales of the scooters.

 

The CEO assigned John, the Director of Operations, to be in charge of performing the preliminary work in making the decisions regarding the expansion into other countries. John started by visiting Central America and Africa because of the reported low cost of doing business in these areas. After his visits, however, John rejected these countries because of the dangerous business climates and insufficient disposable income in their marketplaces.

 

John also performed a detailed analysis of 75 additional countries, hiring an expensive consultant to assist him with the analysis of the extensive amount of information obtained. By the time that John and the consultant finished their analysis, six months had passed and they had spent more than $100,000.

 

Before completely giving up on the project, the CEO asks you to provide input to John. He feels that the project can be saved if John heads in the right direction. He asks you to first describe five (5) external sources of information that John should have used to collect country information for analysis purposes.  Because you oversee operations, he also asks you to identify and discuss three (3) control instruments that the business might use to govern the international operations.  This is critical to know if the company moves forward with the expansion.

 

Spencer and Frank's Faux Pas

 

Aluminum Fencing Company (AFC) was a sizeable distributor of chain-link fencing for commercial and residential use. The company had four regional locations in the United States. Each location included a large warehouse facility for storing the chain link parts needed to assemble the fencing.  At every location there was a president; a director of workplace security; and various vice presidents, senior managers, and managers in charge of shipping and receiving, training, computer service and maintenance, accounts payable and receivable, advertising, marketing, customer service, and sales.

 

Spencer and Frank were employed at the southern-region facility. They were both hourly employees, with no employment contract.  Spencer was an accounts payable associate, and Frank was a clerk in the shipping and receiving department. Both were part of a labor union and were covered by a collective bargaining agreement. Although the men worked at completely different locations within the facility – at opposite ends of the physical plant – they initially met at a division meeting. Then one day, shortly after they had met, the two happened to run into each other at a local restaurant on their lunch breaks.

 

After that time, Spencer and Frank kept in contact in an extremely discreet manner and began seeing each other after working hours. The majority of the time, they met at one or the other's residence. When they did go out, it was after dark, in a part of town that was at least 30 miles away from the AFC facility. Their relationship began to get serious, but they still did not indicate to others that they were more than casual acquaintances through their employment with AFC.

 

One day, Spencer and Frank arranged to bring their lunches and meet at lunchtime. Their meeting place was a deserted storage room, used to house sensitive company computer software. Because Frank knew there was a lock on the door and no one ever used that storage room, Spencer and Frank felt safe to meet there unnoticed.  They decided, in advance, to take different routes to the storage room and to arrive and depart at separate times.

 

After they finished with their lunches, one thing led to another and they engaged in a sexual liaison. Since they had taken strict precautions to ensure that they would not be seen together, they did not worry that their sexual relationship in general or their sexual encounter in the storage room would be discovered. What they did not realize was that there were hidden security cameras in every room that housed sensitive data, machinery, or equipment, and the room in which they met still had a surveillance camera behind one of the walls.

 

The director of workplace security brought the fact that a camera had captured

Spencer and Frank in a compromising position to the attention of both Spencer's and

Frank's managers. Both employees were fired and then decided to bring suit against AFC based on sexual discrimination.

 

 

 

Answer the following questions related to this case:

 

1. Did AFC have the right to fire Frank and Spenser over something they did in a very discreet manner during their lunch break?

 

2. Do Frank and Spencer have a legitimate lawsuit based upon sexual discrimination?

 

3. Is there an issue with employment-at-will? 

 

4. Is there a right to privacy issue? 

 

5. Using deontological, utilitarian and virtue ethics as your guides, define each of these three ethical theories and discuss how you believe the company would act based upon each of these three ethical viewpoints.

 

 

 

MBA Semester 3 Exam Part I

1.    If a company bases its operation on religious perceptions, it is following the _________ law of that country.

A.    civil
B.    common
C.    theocratic
D.    economic
E.    utilitarianism and Kantian ethics.

Answer:    __________


2.    If a company wishes to use its resources to specialize in the production of goods and services that are already productive and profitable, it is doing so to gain a/an __________ advantage.

A.    absolute
B.    acquired
C.    comparative
D.    natural

Answer:    __________


3.    When Company A controls a foreign operation rather than collaborating with a foreign business, it is called:

A.    a franchise.
B.    internalization.
C.    a consortium.
D.    a licensing agreement.

Answer:    __________







4.    Many governments have reduced restrictions on cross-border movements of goods, services, and capital, because they believe that this is good for consumers, producers, and the national economy. Opponents of this practice have failed to stop this type of trading. This type of cross-border movement is known as:

A.    internationalization.
B.    liberalization.
C.    exporting.
D.    importing.   

Answer:    __________


5.    A/an __________ sourcing strategy is one in which nominally independent suppliers work together to manage the flow of goods and services along the entire value-added chain.

A.    horizontal integration
B.    vertical integration
C.    transmodel
D.    arm's length purchase
E.    network

Answer:    __________


6.    A measure of the dispersion, or spread, of a distribution from its expected value is known as:

A.    mean variance.
B.    average deviation.
C.    medium difference.
D.    standard deviation.

Answer:    __________


7.    The two types of data that need to be collected during each reporting period are actual performance data and:

A.    the cost performance index.
B.    changes to the project scope, schedule, or budget.
C.    the budgeted cost of the work performed.
D.    the budgeted cost of the work scheduled.

Answer:    __________


8.    Generally speaking, an RFP offers one of two types of contracts to the winning bidder: __________ or ___________.

A.    adjustable price; time and materials
B.    fixed price; time and materials
C.    fixed price; cost-reimbursement
D.    adjustable price; cost- reimbursement

Answer:    __________


9.    A __________ is a popular network planning technique sometimes called a bar chart. It lists each task and the associated time scale.

A.    Gantt Chart
B.    PERT
C.    Responsibility Matrix
D.    Work Breakdown Structure

Answer:    __________


10.    __________ is a technique used in problem solving in which all members of a group contribute spontaneous ideas.

A.    Mediation
B.    Collaboration
C.    Critical thinking
D.    Brainstorming

Answer:    __________


11.    The two historical ethical theories that have permeated most business ethics discussions are:

A.    utilitarianism and virtue ethics.
B.    feminine ethics and rights theories.
C.    Kantian ethics and common moral theory.
D.    common moral theory and rights theories.
E.    utilitarianism and Kantian ethics.


Answer:    __________


12.    When a corporation publishes a set of values and beliefs that both management and labor agree to, it establishes a:

A.    union contract.
B.    mission statement.
C.    corporate culture.
D.    employee handbook.
E.    policy and procedure manual.

Answer:    __________


13.    A person takes technological information from work and adapts it for use in his own personal business outside the office. This is an example of:

A.    utilitarianism.
B.    Kantian ethics.
C.    egoism.
D.    relativism.
E.    common moral theory.

Answer:    __________


14.    The two major ethical theories supporting issues in the right to privacy debate are:

A.    relativism and virtue ethics.
B.    feminine and equal rights ethics.
C.    common moral theories and character ethics.
D.    distributive justice and utilitarianism.
E.    Kantian and utilitarian ethics.


15.    Unwelcome sexual conduct that unreasonably interferes with work performance or creates an offensive work environment is known as _____ harassment.

A.    harmful environment
B.    hostile environment
C.    quid pro quo
D.          offensive   

Answer:    _____________




16.    What type of center should be used when a company is organized into divisions of separate product lines?

A.    Profit center
B.    Expense center
C.    Investment center
D.    Revenue center
E.    Standard cost center

Answer:    __________


17.    Instead of conducting traditional market research, a number of companies are:

A.    simply following what the market leader does.
B.    probing potential markets with early versions of new products to see which have 
            potential.
C.    developing new, much more sophisticated market research techniques which involve
            global testing.
D.    forming alliances to pool their research findings.


Answer:    __________

18.    When public organizations are privatized, the trend is to have:

A.    clients pay a higher percentage of the costs.
B.    clients pay a lower percentage of the costs.
C.    clients apply for subsidies from the government
D.    organizations solicit state agencies for more funding.
E.    organizations sponsor fundraising events.

Answer:    __________


19.    All of the following ratios are used in the calculation of a company's Z-value EXCEPT:

A.    working capital/total assets.
B.    retained earnings/total assets.
C.    current assets/current liabilities.
D.    market value of equity/total liabilities.
E.    sales to total assets.

Answer:    __________


20.    The purchasing strategy in which the purchasing company orders a particular part from several vendors is:

A.    sole sourcing.
B.    multiple sourcing.
C.    just-in-time sourcing.
D.    backup sourcing.
E.    parallel sourcing.

Answer:    __________

MBA Semester 2 Exam_Part I_Ver 1MULTIPLE CHOICE

1.    One role of Human Resources should be to:

A.    ensure that the right employees are available to do the work that upper management
    identifies.
B.    improve the processes that seem to be causing productivity delays.
C.    participate as an equal partner in the strategic planning process.
D.    direct the organization in the way that it should go for the benefit of the employees.

Answer:    __________


2.    An organization director proposes to deliver an employee attitude survey. What is he trying to accomplish?

A.    Improve team effectiveness
B.    Unfreeze management and employees by revealing problems
C.    Implement structural change
D.    Establish a sense of urgency

Answer:    __________


3.    You are an Employee Relations Manager. Another manager turns in several performance appraisals he recently completed. You notice that he often uses the more neutral ratings - 3s, 4s, and 5s, on a 7 point scale. He may be guilty of:

A.    the halo effect.
B.    trying to get his employees to like him.
C.    central tendency.
D.    trying to get a raise.

Answer:    __________








4.    In demonstrating an employment  test's validity, which of the following would you use?

A.    Criterion validity
B.    Content validity
C.    Reliability
D.    Both A and B ensure validity in employment testing.
Answer:    __________


5.    If you are a "home-country national," you are:

A.    a noncitizen of the country in which you are working.
B.    a local.
C.    a citizen of the country in which the multinational company has headquarters.
D.    an expatriate.

Answer:    __________


6.    An indicator of earnings management is the:

A.    inventory costs on the first-in, first-out basis, regardless of the physical flow of the goods.
B.    use of the straight-line method of depreciation for all fixed assets.
C.    continued overestimation of the useful lives and residual values of fixed assets.
D.    front-end loading of expenses.

Answer:    __________


7.    Company X does not capitalize an asset leased from Company Y because it is not required to do so under GAAP. In analyzing Company X, one would capitalize the leased asset when:

A.    GAAP permits the option of doing so.
B.    the benefits of leasing an asset outweigh those of purchasing it.
C.    Company Y does not want to capitalize the leased asset.
D.    Company X assumes the risks and rewards associated with the leased asset.

Answer:    __________







8.    An analyst uses analytical judgment primarily to understand:

A.    pro forma financial statements.
B.    generally accepted accounting principles.
C.    the economic reality that underlies the financial disclosures.
D.    the nominal dollar concept of capital maintenance.

Answer:    __________


9.    Which of the following situations would cause analysts to be alarmed?

A.    An increase in the cash collected as a percentage of revenues.
B.    A decrease in cash collected from customers compared to that paid to suppliers.
C.    An increase in cash collected from customers compared to that paid to suppliers.
D.    A decrease in the cash paid as a percentage of cost of goods sold

Answer:    __________


10.    A financially distressed entity's balance sheet would most likely consist of:

A.    immaterial amounts of current assets and a substantial amount of long-term assets.
B.    substantial amounts of long-term debt and a relatively small and non-productive long-    term asset base.
C.    large amounts of both current assets and current liabilities.
D.    sufficient revenues but insufficient earnings.

Answer:    __________


11.    Tort liability is based on which of the following?

A.    In a civilized society, people do not intentionally injure other people or their property.
B.    All people will exercise absolute care in their actions.
C.    Deterring potential violators
D.    Proof beyond a reasonable doubt

Answer:    __________







12.    That the federal and state governments share power is based on:

A.    federalism.
B.    the establishment clause.
C.    preemption.
D.    the supremacy clause.

Answer:    __________


13.    When a patent expires, the invention is said to be _______ and others may use it without limitation.

A.    conditionally restricted
B.    in the public domain
C.    in the fair use category
D.    usable for a license fee

Answer:    __________


14.    Insiders are prohibited from trading for profit in order to prevent:

A.    over-activity in trading in the market.
B.    use of the information not available to the public.
C.    a shortage of available stock.
D.    unfriendly takeovers.

Answer:    __________


15.    When an administrative agency is investigating wrongdoing, it may:

A.    not obtain any document from other government offices.
B.    use subpoena power to obtain reports and documents.
C.    not examine any individual under oath.
D.    completely freeze operations before a conclusion is reached.

Answer:    __________






16.    In analyzing the feasibility of a business concept, the ability to identify the primary customer is based on:

A.    A competitive reaction.
B.    Government regulation.
C.    Recognizing a need in the market place.
D.    Board procedure.

Answer:    __________


17.    Having more money to start a business than an entrepreneur needs does not seem like a problem; however, this situation often results in poor decisions made quickly and:

A.    lots of interest by venture capitalists.
B.    early success.
C.    plenty of money to allow for mistakes.
D.    more publicity.

Answer:    __________


18.    To forecast cash flow in an effort to determine how much start-up capital is needed, the business must have a good estimate of its:

A.    cost of goods sold.
B.    operation expenses.
C.    retained earnings.
D.    potential sales.

Answer:    __________


19.    When setting up your new venture, the three (3) key factors for determining value in real estate are:

A.    location, location, and location.
B.    economic base, financial incentives, and demographics.
C.    trade area, competition, and location character.
D.    accessibility, cost of labor, and technology availability.

Answer:    __________



20.    When juggling the demands of stakeholders, it is important for the entrepreneur to hold to his or her code of ethics and not succumb to:

A.    lessons learned from others' mistakes.
B.    making a deal in the best interests of the company.
C.    doing what is legal.
D.    peer pressure.

Answer:    __________

MBA Semester 2 Exam_Part II_Ver 1

MBO

ABC company management has decided to revamp their performance appraisal system. As human resources director, you have been tasked with outlining a new program. The goal is to move every business unit to an MBO performance system. The company's goals as a whole have been set for the year. Now it is time to deliver the program to the various business units. The first area being converted is the sales department. To prepare for the change, you are tasked with the following.

 

1.      Define an MBO performance appraisal system, including a description of its six (6) steps.

 

2.      Identify and describe the three (3) areas where there may be problems implementing an MBO system.

 

3.      Include one (1) possible solution to overcome each of the identified problems that is directly related to implementing the system with salespeople.