EN 130 Assignment_07 (2018)

ASSIGNMENT 07

EN130 English Composition II

Directions: Be sure to save an electronic copy of your answer before submitting it to Ashworth College for grading. Unless otherwise stated, answer in complete sentences, and be sure to use correct English, spelling and grammar. Sources must be cited in APA format. Your response should be a minimum of two (2) double-spaced pages to a maximum of three (3) pages in length; refer to the "Assignment Format" page located on the Course Home page for specific format requirements.

 

Using what you've learned throughout this course, but especially in Lesson 7, write a well-developed argument essay on one of the following topics:

 

4  Do corporations have a social responsibility beyond just obeying the law?

4  Privatization of government services

4  Minimum wage

4  National Healthcare

4  Workplace electronic surveillance and privacy issues

4  Distance education or traditional education

4  Internet privacy

4  PC or Mac

4  Should there be an Internet sales tax?

 

You may use outside sources if you document them using APA format, or you may write this essay based entirely on your knowledge/experience.

 

 

 

EN 130 Assignment 05 (2018)

ASSIGNMENT 05

EN130 English Composition II

Directions: Be sure to save an electronic copy of your answer before submitting it to Ashworth College for grading. Unless otherwise stated, answer in complete sentences, and be sure to use correct English, spelling and grammar. Sources must be cited in APA format. Your response should be a minimum of two (2) double-spaced pages to a maximum of three (3) pages in length; refer to the "Assignment Format" page located on the Course Home page for specific format requirements.

 

Using what you've learned throughout this course, but especially in Lesson 5, write a well-developed comparison-contrast essay on one of the following topics:

 

4  Research and compare two online games.

4  Compare/contrast two computer programs.

4  Determine the best deal between two different computers.

4  Compare/contrast two business tactics.

4  Compare/contrast shopping online with traditional shopping.

4  Compare/contrast two music groups or two teams.

 

You may use outside sources if you document them using APA format, or you may write this essay based entirely on your knowledge/experience.

 

 

 

 

QNT561 Week 2 Case Study MBA Schools in Asia-Pacific

Case Study: MBA Schools in Asia-Pacific

 

The pursuit of a higher education degree in business is now international. A survey shows more and more Asians choose the master of business administration (MBA) degree route to corporate success. As a result, the number of applicants for MBA courses at Asia-Pacific schools continues to increase.

 

Across the region, thousands of Asians show an increasing willingness to temporarily shelve their careers and spend two years in pursuit of a theoretical business qualification. Courses in these schools are notoriously tough and include statistics, economics, banking, marketing, behavioral sciences, labor relations, decision making, strategic thinking, business law, and more.

 

After your MBA, you get a job at Bloomberg in its media division, Bloomberg Business. Your division publishes reviews and rankings for business schools in the US and internationally. Because of your strong analytical education from University of Phoenix, your boss assigns you to work on preparing an analysis for data gathered for leading business schools in the Asia-Pacific. The data set in the Excel^® file shows some of the characteristics of the leading Asia-Pacific business schools.

 

Case Study: MBA Schools in Asia-Pacific

Purpose of Assignment 

The purpose of this assignment is to develop students' analytical capabilities to evaluate, analyze, and apply descriptive statistics techniques to real-world datasets. 

Assignment Steps 

Resources: Microsoft Excel^®, Case Study: MBA Schools in Asia-Pacific 

Review the Case Study: MBA Schools in Asia-Pacific and the Case Study: MBA Schools in Asia-Pacific data set. 

Prepare a 1,050-word managerial report for your boss.

Use the following questions for guidelines and directions on what to include in the report:

1.    What is the type of data (Quantitative or Qualitative) for each of the columns (variables) in the dataset? If quantitative, is the data discrete or continuous? Neatly summarize your response in a table for all the columns (variables).

2.    Using Excel^®, find the mean, median, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, and the three quartiles for each of the quantitative variables identified in part 1 above. Neatly summarize in a table on this document. Comment on what you observe.

3.    What are the minimum and maximum full-time enrollments? Which schools have the minimum and maximum full-time enrollments?

4.    What is the average number of students per faculty member? Is this low or high? What does this mean to prospective applicants who are interested in pursuing an MBA in one of the leading international business schools?

5.    What are the mean, median, and modal ages? What does this mean to prospective applicants?

6.    What is the mean percentage of foreign students? How many and which schools have 1% and 0% foreign students? Which schools have highest percentage of foreign students? Please state these percentages.

7.    What percentage of schools require the GMAT test?

8.    What percentage of schools require English tests such as Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)?

9.    What percentage of schools require work experience? From this percentage, does this appear to be a significant factor in gaining admissions?

10.  What are the mean and median starting salaries? Which schools have the minimum and maximum starting salaries? How much are these minimum and maximum salaries?

11.  What are the mean tuition for foreign students and for local students? Does there appear to be a significant difference? What is the difference between the two means?

12.  How many schools require work experience and how many of them don't? What is the mean starting salary for schools requiring work experience? What is the mean starting salary for schools requiring no work experience?

13.  How many schools require English tests and how many don't? What is the mean starting salary for schools requiring English tests? What is the mean starting salary for schools requiring no English tests?

14.  Does there appear to be a correlation between age and starting salaries? Comment on the strength and the direction of the correlation.

15.  Comment on the skewness for the data on starting salaries:

a.     Plot a histogram and determine the skewness.

b.    Find the skewness coefficient.

c.     Find the mean, median, and mode for starting salaries and compare the three measures to determine skewness.

16.  Finally, use Empirical Rule on the starting salaries and determine whether the salaries follow the Empirical Rule.

Format your assignment consistent with APA format. 

Click the Assignment Files tab to submit your assignment

 

 

QNT561 Week 1 Statistics Concepts and Descriptive Measures

Statistics Concepts and Descriptive Measures

Purpose of Assignment 

The purpose of this assignment to orient students to the key concepts in statistics. This assignment will introduce students to the language of statistics. Students will also get a chance to warm-up on evaluating some basic descriptive statistics using Excel^® prior to the course start. 

Assignment Steps

This assignment has an Excel^® dataset spreadsheet attached.  You will be required to only do one of the three datasets. 

Resource: Microsoft Excel^®, Statistics Concepts and Descriptive Measures Data Set

Download the Statistics Concepts and Descriptive Measures Data Set. 

Choose one of the following datasets to complete this assignment:

·         Consumer Food

·         Financial

·         Hospital

Answer each of the following in a total of 90 words:

·         For each column, identify whether the data is qualitative or quantitative.

·         Identify the level of measurement for the data in each column.

·         For each column containing quantitative data:

o    Evaluate the mean and median

o    Interpret the mean and median in plain non-technical terms

o    Use the Excel =AVERAGE function to find the mean

o    Use the Excel =MEDIAN function to find the median

·         For each column containing quantitative data:

o    Evaluate the standard deviation and range

o    Interpret the standard deviation and range in plain non-technical terms

o    Use the Excel =STDEV.S function to find the standard deviation

o    For range (maximum value minus the minimum value), find the maximum value using the Excel =MAX function and find the minimum value using the Excel's =MIN function

 

 

 

ECO561 Week 4 Inflation and Analyses of Monetary Policies

Purpose of Assignment 

This assignment will introduce students to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data and provide students with the skills to calculate inflation and interpret the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Note: The BLS is the primary source of information on inflation, but their data is re-posted in other sources, such as the St. Louis Federal Reserve FRED site, among others. 

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. 

Use an internet search or the University Library to locate information on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Internet sites you might find useful include the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Federal Reserve of St. Louis FRED web site although you are allowed to use other sources. 

Develop a minimum 700-word analysis of inflation by including the following:

• Choose a product or service you currently consume/use, such as apparel or educational services, that is included in the CPI's "market basket."  Find the annual CPI index numbers for your chosen good or service for the years 1995, 2005, 2010, and 2015.  Enter those index numbers in an Excel^® file and calculate the percent change (inflation rates) in those index numbers from 1995 to 2005, from 1995 to 2010, and from 1995 to 2015.   
• Analyze the trends in overall inflation over the last five years and whether your income has kept pace with inflation.  How has inflation over the last five years affected you and/or your family?
• Discuss how a business manager, such as a human resources manager, might use CPI statistics. 

Cite a minimum of three scholarly, peer-reviewed references.

ECO561 Week 3 Research Analysis for Business

Purpose of Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is the creation of a research analysis. Every day, consumers make millions of decisions that impact the marketplace and influence firms' decisions. Firms use economic concepts, models, and other "tools" of economics to help determine pricing, output, and profit maximization. As an MBA student of economics, you can apply the "tools" of economics to microeconomic and macroeconomic data to create recommendations for how firms can maximize revenue, profit and market share.

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: Imagine you are a business consultant to a firm of your choice. You have been asked to analyze, advise, and create recommendations on how the firm can ensure its future success in its current market. 

Work with your instructor to choose a firm that matches the following criteria: a publicly-traded company operating in the U.S. market. Note: A publicly-traded company is a private-sector firm owned by its shareholders/stock holders. 

Prepare a minimum 1,050-word analysis of economic data and business data to explain how the core economic principles impact the sustainability of the firm and what actions the firm can take to ensure success. 

Address the following:

• Identify the market structure your chosen firm operates in, analyze your chosen firm's current market share, and identify the firm's local/global competitors. Analyze the barriers to entry in this market to illustrate the potential for new competition and its impact on your firm's future in the market. Hints: Be sure you review the barriers to entry discussed in the course text.  You might consider presenting the data graphically.
• Identify and explain trends in current macroeconomic indicators for last three years including:
• Current stage of the business cycle.
• Real gross domestic product (GDP).
• Inflation as measured by the consumer price index (CPI).
• Unemployment rate.
• Federal funds rate.
• Current rate for borrowing funds such as the so-called "prime rate."  Note: A requirement of the Week 1 Influence of Economics on Household Decision Making report was to gather data on the CPI, GDP, and interest rates, so you should consider reviewing the feedback you received on the Week 1 report.
• Evaluate trends in demand over last three years and explain their impact on the industry and the firm. Include quarterly (last two quarters) and annual sales (last three years) figures for the product your firm sells. Create business strategies by analyzing information and data related to the demand for and supply of your firm's product(s) to support your recommendation for the firm's actions. Remember to include a graphical representation of the data and information used in your analysis.
• Examine available, current data and information, such as pricing and the availability of substitutes, and explain how you could determine the price elasticity of demand for your firm's product. Assess how the price elasticity of demand impacts the firm's pricing decisions and revenue growth.
• Apply the concepts of variable and fixed costs to your firm for informing its output decisions. For instance, analyze how different kinds of costs (labor, research and development, raw materials) affect the firm's level of output.
• Based on the data gathered and analysis performed for this report write a conclusion in which you:
• Create business strategies, including price and non-price strategies, based on your market structure to ensure the market share and potential market expansions and explore global opportunities for your business in a dynamic business environment and provide recommendations.
• Develop a recommendation for how the firm can manage its future production by synthesizing the macroeconomic and microeconomic data presented.
• Propose how the firm's position within the market and among its competitors will allow it to take your recommended action.
• Recommend strategies for the firm to sustain its success going forward by evaluating the findings from demand trends, price elasticity, current stage of the business cycle, and government policies. 

Cite a minimum of three peer-reviewed references and a minimum of two government economic data sources/references. 

 

 

 

ECO561 Week 1 Influence of Economics on Household Decision Making

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.