Ashford ACC202 Week 5 Discussion 2 Capital Budgeting Decisions

Prior to beginning work on this discussion, please read the article Capital Investment Appraisal Techniques: A Survey of Current Usage (Links to an external site.) by Sangster (1993).

After setting the company's goals, managers evaluate capital investment projects and decide which should be funded. Suppose a company has four different capital budgeting projects from which to choose but has constrained funds and cannot implement all of the projects.

The following table contains information about four projects in which X Corporation has the opportunity to invest. This information is based on estimates that different managers have prepared about the company's potential project.

Project	Investment Required	Net Present Value	Life of Project	Internal Rate of Return	Profitability Index	Payback Period in Years	Accounting Rate of Return
A	$ 226,000	$ 36,908	5	21%	1.17	2.97	20%
B	$ 406,000	$ 50,740	6	24%	1.13	3.13	15%
C	$1,040,000	$152,325	3	19%	1.16	2.18	14%
D	$1,630,000	$ 19,870	4	14%	1.02	3.00	23%

 

Part 1: Rank the four projects in order of preference by using the following table:

	(a) Net Present Value	(b) Profitability Index	(c) Internal Rate of Return	(d) Payback Period	(e) Average Rate of Return
1st preferred	Project A, B, C, or D?
2nd preferred
3rd preferred
4th preferred

 

Part 2: Write a response in an initial post of at least 200 words discussing the usefulness of capital investment techniques (net present value, profitability index, internal rate of return, payback period, and average rate of return) in selecting the four alternative investment opportunities in part 1.

 

Ashford ACC202 Week 5 Discussion 1 Capital Expenditures at General Dollar

Prior to beginning work on this discussion, please read the article by Hayley Peterson, 15 Companies That Are Defying the Retail Meltdown by Opening Hundreds of New Stores (Links to an external site.).

While many retailers are closing stores, some are rapidly building new locations, with at least one—Dollar General (NYSE: DG)—adding as many as 900 stores this year (Peterson, 2018).

Obtain Dollar General's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending on December 31, 2017. Form 10-K can be obtained either from the SEC (Links to an external site.)'s EDGAR Filing system or the "Investor Relations" link on the company's website at www.dollargeneral.com (Links to an external site.). Read the "Growth Strategies" and the "Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows" sections of Dollar General's 10-K Form to answer the following questions in an initial post of at least 200 words:

• How many stores is Dollar General planning to open during its 2018 and 2019 fiscal years? By what percentage would these new stores increase the size of the company?
• How much cash did General Dollar spend on investing activities during its 2016, 2017, and 2018 fiscal years? Do you think the amount spent on investing activities represents the full costs that General Dollar incurred to open new stores? Explain you answer.
• Where did General Dollar get the cash used to make these investments?

 

Ashford ACC202 Week 4 Discussion 2 Budget of the U.S. Government

Prior to beginning work on this discussion, please read the Budget of the United States Government (Links to an external site.).

Congress is responsible for creating the federal government's annual budget. For agencies and their programs to be funded, Congressional authorization committees must pass, and the President must sign, all 12 authorization bills by September 30—the last day of the current fiscal year—so the country can have a new budget in time for the start of the next fiscal year (USA.gov, n.d.).

Access the Government Publishing Office (Links to an external site.) to obtain Historical Budgetary Tables following the steps below:

• Click on the link to access the Budget of the United States Government (Links to an external site.)
• Click on the "Fiscal Year 2018" link
• Scroll down and select "Historical Tables"
• Obtain the .xls (Excel) file format of Table 1.1 and Table 1.2 to complete the two requirements below:
• Table 1.2 shows the budget of Surpluses or Deficits (–) as Percentages of gross domestic product (GDP). Determine how many times since 1950 the budget has shown a surplus and how many times it has shown a deficit using the data in the Total column, "Surplus or Deficit." Also, identify the 3 years with the highest deficits, and the year with the highest surplus as a as a percentage of GDP. What were the surplus and deficit percentages for these years?
• Table 1.1 shows the budget Summary of Receipts, Outlays, and Surpluses or Deficits (–) from 1789–2022. Identify whether the highest deficits incurred in the identified years from Table 1.2 were paid with tax revenues (receipts) or borrowed funds (outlays). Discuss how the government gets money and where the government spends money on.
• Click on the "Fiscal Year 2018" link, scroll down and obtain the PDF file for "Major Savings and Reforms" to complete the last requirement. The Major Savings and Reforms volume describes major savings and reform proposals included in the 2018 President's Budget.
• Discuss major discretionary budget eliminations. Why is it important that government budgets accurately estimate future revenues during economic downturns?

Your initial post must be a minimum of 200 words

 

Ashford ACC202 Week 4 Discussion 1 Beyond Budgetin

Prior to beginning work on this discussion, please read the articles Who Needs Budgets?, Traditional Budgeting vs. Beyond Budgeting (Links to an external site.) in the Financial Planning page of the CFO Edge website, and Traditional Budgeting Versus Beyond Budgeting: A Literature Review (Links to an external site.).

In the words of GE's legendary ex-CEO Jack Welch, Jack Welch, "The budgeting process at most companies has to be the most ineffective practice in management. It sucks the energy, time, fun, and big dreams out of an organization (…) [and] brings out the most unproductive behaviors (…)" (Welch & Welch, 2005, p. 189).

Some argue that the purposes of budgeting can be achieved without the conventional budgeting process. These companies espouse an idea called beyond budgeting that proposes to replace annual budgets with rolling forecasts of key performance indicators (Hope & Fraser, 2003). Others disagree, pointing out that the work of continuous planning is costlier than budgeting and that doing something continuously tends to make the process superficial.

So, the jury is still out. But so far, GE still prepares budgets! Discuss in an initial post of 200 words whether the controversial concept of beyond budgeting is a better approach for financial planning and analysis (FP&A) than traditional budgeting.

Ashford ACC202 Week 3 Discussion 2 Balanced Scorecard and Economic Value Added (EVA)

Prior to beginning work on this discussion, please read about the Economic Value Added® (EVA®) and the Balanced Scorecard management systems on the websites of the Corporate Finance Institute (Links to an external site.) (CFI) and the Balanced Scorecard Institute (Links to an external site.) (BSI) respectively. 

The consulting firm Stern Value Management designed the EVA® and the Palladium Group designed the Balanced Scorecard as breakthrough performance measures to rank ordering processes for investments and help clients create value.

Prepare in an initial post of at least 200 words a report describing the Balanced Scorecard and the Economic Value Added and their claimed advantages. Then compare these two systems to corporate and divisional performance measurement.

 

Ashford ACC202 Week 3 Discussion 1 Pricing Decisions and Markup on Variable Costs

Prior to beginning work on this discussion, go to American Airlines (Links to an external site.)' and Samsung Electronics (Links to an external site.)' most recent annual reports by clicking on the "Investor Relations" link found at each company's website. The companies and their Internet addresses are listed below.

Company Name	Website	Product
American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL)	http://www.aa.com (Links to an external site.)	Airline tickets
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (SSNLF)	https://www.samsung.com/us/ (Links to an external site.)	Electronics

 

American Airlines and Samsung are offering their products and services like many other companies over the internet. In an initial post of at least 200 words use the most recent annual filings for American Airlines and Samsung Electronics in Form 10-K to answer the questions below:

• Determine the following for each company:
• A product description
• A product price
• A list of costs that are required to produce and sell the product selected in the product description as listed in the annual report on SEC Form 10-K
• Whether the costs identified above are fixed costs or variable costs.
• Which of the products do you believe has the largest markup on variable cost?
• While Samsung is a hugely popular brand, holding its shares has never been easy for U.S. investors. How can an investor buy Samsung stock in the US?\

• 
  

COM303 Week 8 FInal Exam SCORE 99 PERCEN

Question 1 (2 points)
 
Perception is considered selective because ____.
Question 1 options:

a) there are too many stimuli competing for the attention of your senses



b) life's lessons teach you to see the world in a particular way



c) culture teaches you the meaning of most of your experiences



d) once you perceive something in a particular manner that interpretation does not usually change

Question 2 (2 points)
 
Because we view the world through a subjective lens influenced by a number of variables, perception is considered:
Question 2 options:

a) selective



b) learned



c) inaccurate



d) consistent



e) culturally determined


Question 3 (2 points)
 
Countries whose cultures reflect a comfort with uncertainty (low uncertainty avoidance) include Greece, Portugal, and Guatemala.
Question 3 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 4 (2 points)
 
Cultural patterns are integrated and can be contradictory.
Question 4 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 5 (2 points)
 
For low-context cultures, the verbal message contains most of the information and very little is embedded in the context or the person's nonverbal activity.
Question 5 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 6 (2 points)
 
Chinese culture has a strong focus on the present time orientation.

Question 6 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 7 (2 points)
 
Individual orientation vs. group orientation is thought of as one of the basic pattern variables that determine human action.

Question 7 options:

a) True

b) False


Question 8 (2 points)
 
The United States is among the top five countries for high power distance.
Question 8 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 9 (2 points)
 
Flexhumility cultures place less value on education than monumentalist ones.
Question 9 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 10 (2 points)
 
The GLOBE Study differentiated between two types of collectivism:
Question 10 options:

a) in-group and societal



b) in-group and out-group



c) ethnic and inter-ethnic



d) local and national



e) selective and exhaustive


Question 11 (2 points)
 
What time orientation do most Americans in the United States favor?

Question 11 options:

a) past



b) future



c) present



d) linearity



e) polychromic


Question 12 (2 points)
 
Perception is learned because once you perceive something in a particular way, which interpretation does not usually change.
Question 12 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 13 (2 points)
 
Identify which of the following is not among the five universal questions for cultures, according to Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck.  
Question 13 options:

a) what is the character of human nature?    



b) what is the relation of humankind to nature?;



c) what is the value of wealth



d) what is the relationship of people to each other?



e) what is the value placed on time?


Question 14 (2 points)
 
Optimism and emphasis on the future reflect which of Kohls American values?
Question 14 options:

a) idealism



b) individualism



c) time and its control



d) change



e) privacy



Question 15 (2 points)
 
The extent to which members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous and unknown situations is referred to as ____.
Question 15 options:

a) uncertainty avoidance



b) tolerance for ambiguity



c) equivocality



d) ethnocentricity



e) neoplasticity


Question 16 (2 points)
 
Perceptions of self that set you apart from other people and life-forms are ____.          
Question 16 options:

a) human identities



b) societal identities



c) personal identities



d) identities of separation



e) identities of conformation


Question 17 (2 points)
 
Cyber and fantasy identities don't exist.
Question 17 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 18 (2 points)
 
Phinney's three stage model of identity acquisition includes:
Question 18 options:

a) unexamined ethnic identity,ethnic identity search, ethnic achievement



b) biological inheritance, ethnic identification, ethnic presentation



c) ethnic identification, ethnic clarification, ethnic emancipation



d) unexamined ethnic identity, examined ethnic identity, insulated ethnic identity



e) biological inheritance, unexamined ethnic identity, examined ethnic identity


Question 19 (2 points)
 
Racial and ethnic identity are the same thing.
Question 19 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 20 (2 points)
 
According to Hall, the three levels of identity that each individual has are personal, relational, and communal.
Question 20 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 21 (2 points)
 
Social identities can be based on all of the following except:
Question 21 options:

a) demographic categories



b) roles



c) membership in formal and informal organization



d) associations or vocations;



e) all of these



Question 22 (2 points)
 
Which of the following is not a type of identity discussed in the text?
Question 22 options:

a) organizational



b) personal



c) neurobiological



d) cyber



e) fantasy


Question 23 (2 points)
 
The process of creating and recreating cultural identity through communication is referred to as ____.
Question 23 options:

a) conditioning



b) embedding



c) redacting



d) enacting



e) morphing


Question 24 (2 points)
 
One can have both a national and regional identity at the same time.

Question 24 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 25 (2 points)
 
An example of regional identity would be a/n:
Question 25 options:

a) Italian



b) Southerner



c) American



d) Columbian



e) German


Question 26 (2 points)
 
Societal identity is 'one's sense of belonging to a particular cultural or ethnic group.
Question 26 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 27 (2 points)
 
Personal identity is what sets you apart from other out-group members and marks you as special or unique.
Question 27 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 28 (2 points)
 
Identity is important to the study of intercultural communication because it influences expectations about your own and others' social roles.
Question 28 options:

a) True

b) False


Question 29 (2 points)
 
Identity is normally not associated with commemorative events.
Question 29 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 30 (2 points)
 
It is through communication that we are able to express and make known our similarities and dissimilarities to others.
Question 30 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 31 (2 points)
 
The frequent use of the word 'I' in American conversations reflects:
Question 31 options:

a) ethnocentrism



b) the cultural value of the individual



c) elitism



d) the cultural value of collectivism


Question 32 (2 points)
 
Differences in spelling between American English and that used in England were the result of ____.
Question 32 options:

a) the natural evolution of language



b) a calculated effort



c) limited access to dictionaries and other resources in Colonial America



d) simple but repeated errors


Question 33 (2 points)
 
The principal difference between translation and interpretation is ____.
Question 33 options:

a) contextual nuances in interpretation don't apply to translation



b) written content is generally the focus of translation whereas interpretation involves spoken words


c) translation occurs as it is happening while interpretation occurs after the fact



d) the two terms are used synonymously to mean the same thing


Question 34 (2 points)
 
Communicative interaction, especially conversation, is not important to most Mexicans.
Question 34 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 35 (2 points)
 
The most common language among Internet users is English.

Question 35 options:

a) True

b) False

Question 36 (2 points)
 
Japanese language reflects the culture's emphasis on one's social position.

Question 36 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 37 (2 points)
 
Dialects reflect the variations in pronunciation that occur when people are speaking the same language.
Question 37 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 38 (2 points)
 
The idea that language is a dominant influence in shaping one's worldview and perception of reality is commonly known as ____.
Question 38 options:

a) the synergy of language and culture



b) the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis



c) the many-worlds interpretation



d) the perceptual interface



e) the linguistic theory of mind


Question 39 (2 points)
 
Argot is the specific term for specialized vocabulary shared by a group and  jargon is the more general term.
Question 39 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 40 (2 points)
 
The 'noisy, animated speech' form often associated with Arabs is normally limited to interactions with elders and superiors.
Question 40 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 41 (2 points)
 
Examples of regional accents in the United States include:
Question 41 options:

a) Northern and Southern



b) Australian and Canadian



c) English and German



d) Coptic and Nordic


Question 42 (2 points)
 
Dialect refers to:
Question 42 options:

a) pronunciation of shared vocabulary



b) someone who speaks two languages



c) differences in vocabulary and grammar



d) pronunciation of non-shared vocabulary



Question 43 (2 points)
 
What is the most important consideration when choosing an interpreter:
Question 43 options:

a) language knowledge



b) dialect knowledge



c) specialized terminology



d) cultural knowledge



e) all of these things


Question 44 (2 points)
 
Accents refer to differences in vocabulary, grammar, and even punctuation.
Question 44 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 45 (2 points)
 
Being mindful, monitoring your speech rate, and selecting appropriate vocabulary are all ways to improve intercultural communication competence.
Question 45 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 46 (2 points)
 
African Americans tend to use less inflection and vocal range than most white Americans.
Question 46 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 47 (2 points)
 
Identify the "unintentional" example of nonverbal communication:
Question 47 options:

a) smiling to let a friend know you're happy



b) giving a "thumbs up" sign when asked about how you did on your intercultural communication test


c) looking at your watch because you want to leave a conversation (Incorrect)



d) looking at your watch to see what time it is


Question 48 (2 points)
 
What dimension of nonverbal communication puts an increased burden on you whether you are the sender or the receiver?
Question 48 options:

a) nonverbal sensitization



b) nonverbal ambiguity



c) nonverbal monomorphism



d) nonverbal polymorphism



e) nonverbal sensitivity


Question 49 (2 points)
 
A conceptualization in which time is viewed as a finite, scarce resource which must be rationed and controlled is referred to as:
Question 49 options:

a) m-time



b) bounded time



c) p-time



d) unbounded time



e) f-time



Question 50 (2 points)
 
The "thumbs up" sign is considered positive in the U.S. as well as in Australia and West Africa.
Question 50 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 51 (2 points)
 
If a person say's "ok" while gesturing with a 'thumbs-up' or 'a-ok' sign, what is the function o the nonverbal communication?
Question 51 options:

a) regulating



b) repeating



c) substituting



d) creating identity



e) conforming display


Question 52 (2 points)
 
Which of the following is true about agreement gestures?
Question 52 options:

a) they mean the same thing in every culture



b) always indicates agreement



c) are culturally based



d) none of these


Question 53 (2 points)
 
Which of the following is true regarding the nonverbal message value of clothing?
Question 53 options:

a) it can convey social and economic status;



b) moral standards



c) belief system



d) athletic abilities or interests



e) all of these


Question 54 (2 points)
 
Umms, ers, likes, and you knows in a stream of speech are referred to as vocal segregates.

Question 54 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 55 (2 points)
 
According the spatial rules of the dominant U.S. culture, two people standing approximately 3 feet apart are likely to be:
Question 55 options:

a) family or a close friend



b) business acquaintances



c) intimate partner or significant other



d) strangers



e) colleagues


Question 56 (2 points)
 
Nonverbal behavior has little role in regulating interactions.
Question 56 options:

a) True

b) False

Question 57 (2 points)
 
While all people use various movements to communicate,
Question 57 options:

a) some movements are more common than others



b) culture teaches people how to use and interpret those movements



c) actors are better at it than others



d) it is only those movements that are innate


Question 58 (2 points)
 
The correct way to beckon or call someone over to you nonverbally is with:
Question 58 options:

a) one hand palm up, fingers together, moving toward the body



b) cupping a hand palm down pulling fingers in toward the body



c) right hand up palm out fingers opening and closing



d) it depends on the cultural rules


Question 59 (2 points)
 
If you say "good job" while giving the 'thumbs up' sign, you are substituting the message with nonverbal communication.
Question 59 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 60 (2 points)
 
All of the following are purposes of silence except:
Question 60 options:

a) give participants time to think



b) provide feedback



c) reward



d) punishment



e) suppress an emotion


Question 61 (2 points)
 
A holistic worldview results in a uniform approach to understanding the causes of illness.
Question 61 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 62 (2 points)
 
Which of the following would not help teachers communicate empathically?
Question 62 options:

a) attend to student's nonverbal and verbal behaviors



b) emphasize a competitive climate



c) accurately reflect and clarify feelings



d) be genuine and congruent



e) none of these


Question 63 (2 points)
 
Cultures such as Germany and Israel view assertiveness as a deficit.
Question 63 options:

a) True

b) False

Question 64 (2 points)
 
When negotiating with Brazilians, representatives of American businesses should:          
Question 64 options:

a) emphasis the universal rather than the specific



b) emphasize task over relationship



c) emphasize group over individual



d) none of these


Question 65 (2 points)
 
Ineffective communication strategies in multicultural classrooms include:
Question 65 options:

a) provide lots of opportunities to discuss global issues relevant to students



b) be sensitive to cultural customs that may differ from the mainstream



c) remind students that the classroom is a safe place for learning



d) encourage conversations that perpetuate us and them discussions



e) none of these


Question 66 (2 points)
 
Chinese tend to think in terms of role fulfillment where employees are given a job role or title to fulfill, though they are not necessarily expected to perform the job.
Question 66 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 67 (2 points)
 
The general intercultural negotiation skills recommended include all of the following except ____.
Question 67 options:

a) avoid and resist ambiguity



b) be prepared



c) develop sensitivity to the use of time



d) listen carefully



e) locate areas of agreement


Question 68 (2 points)
 
A person's native language had deep significance because it is the seed of identity that blossoms as children grow.
Question 68 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 69 (2 points)
 
Mexican's rarely use honorific titles.
Question 69 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 70 (2 points)
 
Chinese business culture is associated with all of the following except:
Question 70 options:

a) a collectivist, high-context culture that diffuses decision-making responsibilities



b) Chinese make decisions based on relationships



c) rarely defer personal interests to those of the group



d) discourage independent expression



e) power relationships are the ultimate determinant of Chinese social interaction



Question 71 (2 points)
 
The Indian economy is sometimes compared to an elephant because it is not capable of running swiftly as some smaller "tiger-like" Asian economies but enjoys the advantage of being stable and less affected by upsets and disturbances.
Question 71 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 72 (2 points)
 
In the business sector, culture determines:
Question 72 options:

a) protocol



b) management and leadership



c) decision-making



d) negotiation and conflict management



e) all of these


Question 73 (2 points)
 
For the Chinese, a contract is a rigid agreement to which parties are expected to adhere precisely to the various provisions.
Question 73 options:

a) True

b) False
Question 74 (2 points)
 
The shared understanding of the meaning of communication and the behaviors appropriate for specific situations reflect what basic assumption?  
Question 74 options:

a) communication is culturally determined



b) communication is rule governed



c) communication has a consequence



d) communication is unavoidable



e) communication is dynamic


Question 75 (2 points)
 
Domestically, all of the following statements about businesses in the U.S. are false except ____.
Question 75 options:

a) increases in minority co-cultures have impacted both workplace and marketplace



b) minority owned businesses grew by about 45% between 2002-2007



c) more than 2.3 million businesses in the U.S. owned by Hispanics



d) most business transactions involve a culturally homogeneous population