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Paper Instructions:

"One of the most important steps in launching a new business venture is fashioning a well-designed, practical, realistic financial plan." (Scarborough & Cornwall, 2015, p. 454).

With this assignment, you are creating two important elements of a financial plan: an Income Statement and Balance Sheet. You also are preparing an outline of a presentation of your business plan to potential investors or lenders.

Using the business you created from Assignments 2 and 3, write a three to four (3-4) page paper in which you:

Prepare a simple pro forma (projected) income statement and balance sheet for the first two years of operation, using income projections and incorporating an advertising plan.
Outline a plan for hiring and retaining competent, motivated employees for your business.
Prepare an outline for a "pitch," i.e., a short 20-30 minute business plan presentation that will be made to lenders or investors.
Include at least two (2) references outside the textbook.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

This course requires use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The format may be different than other Strayer University courses. Please take a moment to review the SWS documentation for details (more information and an example is included in the Strayer Writing Standards left menu link).
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 page length.

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Paper Instructions:

Research Amazon. How has this firm been able to combine overall cost leadership and differentiation strategies?
2.    Think of a firm that has attained a differentiation focus or cost focus strategy. Are its advantages sustainable? Why? Why not? (Hint: Consider its position vis-à-vis Porter’s five forces.)
3.    Think of a firm that successfully achieved a combination overall cost leadership and differentiation strategy. What can be learned from this example? Are the advantages sustainable? Why? Why not? (Hint: Consider its competitive position vis-à-vis Porter’s five forces.)

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Paper Instructions:

how tablets affect people lives, examples of computing devices are present, with concise, description of features for the tablet. Interesting, good title catch the reader attention, caption for images, good quality images

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Paper Instructions:

Scenario: You are the CEO of MegaGlobe Business Solutions, a financial consulting corporation based in Chicago that has just recently opened new offices in São Paulo, Brazil, and Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. As part of this transition, your employees will now be working collaboratively with employees at these locations to provide financial consulting services in these new markets. To assist with the transition, you will develop an internal leadership blog for your employees that addresses the implications of leading within a culturally-diverse and changing global business environment. This blog should focus on the need to positively adapt to a variety of leadership styles and individual differences within these cultures.

Write a 700- to 1,050-word internal leadership blog using the Leadership Blog template, and include the following:

Explain the implications of leading within a changing global business environment.
Describe the Team Leadership Model and how this relates to your current business practices.
Outline positive aspects of gender, diversity, culture, and teamwork that can improve overall business performance.
Apply principles of motivational leadership within a variety of diverse cultures.
Use at least one image, photo, chart, or graph to deliver a key concept within your blog.

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Paper Instructions:

d1:
Given the growth in telecommuting and other mobile work arrangements, how might offices physically change in the coming years?
Will offices as we think of them today exist by 2025? Why or why not?


d2:
Off-the-shelf enterprise IS, often forces an organization to redesign its business processes.
What are the critical success factors to make sure the implementation of an enterprise system is successful?

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Paper Instructions:

The continuous challenges of basic needs in a developing world

Define and explain what basic needs are with examples. 
Challenges that affect people's access to basic needs especially in South Africa. 
Why delivering basic needs is a challenge in South Africa. 
Solutions to help improve the basic needs in South Africa.

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Paper Instructions:

Each paper must be no longer than 15 pages - not including the title, table of contents, executive summary, references, and appendices pages. All papers must be done using a word processor. All papers must be double spaced, have one-inch margins, and use 12-point Times New Roman font. All papers must be properly referenced using APA style.
You must define the present problem, generate possible courses of action; complete a detailed analysis, develop decision criteria and matrix; make a decision or recommendation, including a plan of action that you believe will lead to a satisfactory outcome, and justify your choices through references to theory and practice. More information regarding how to analyze and present a Case will be discussed at length in-class.

There are a number of methods useful in analyzing and writing a case study. The following is based on the case analysis template, which will be distributed in class, and it should be noted that this is just one suggested method. Consider the following questions and tasks:
Ø    Who or what is the case going to focus on? Describe the person(s) and organization. What key information do you need to provide?
Ø    What appears to be the central issue, task or problem that currently needs to be addressed?
Ø    Why has the issue or concern arisen and what degree of impact might it have?
Ø    When does the organization or leader have to make a decision?
Ø    How does the focus of your case study fit within the course framework?  To what theoretical concepts, technology, or practical examples does it relate? 

Direct quotations from any source -- print or electronic -- should not comprise more than 2% of the text of your paper and must be properly referenced. Cutting and pasting without attribution is academically dishonest and is plagiarism and can result in you failing both the paper and the course. All papers will be run through Grammarly to check both the grammar and plagiarism thus I would encourage you also run your paper through Grammarly prior to submitting it so that you can address any necessary change a-priori.

The paper should consider the following -- but is not limited to -- the following elements: (Note: This is simply a list of potential ideas to motivate your thinking and it is not a fixed outline or list of questions to be answered directly!).
Ø    Who are you – what role have you assumed in the case?
Ø    If relevant and/or necessary (but only if relevant and/or necessary) briefly introduce and describe the organization, its history of operations and business outcomes over identified periods of its existence. Depending on where it has been in the organizational life cycle at different periods, what strategies did it undertake to grow and/or change the business? How successful were these?
Ø    Analyze how the organization is structured (type of structure) and governed (its board and senior management), with a critique of whether this structure and governance approach fit its mission and strategy now.
Ø    What has been the performance of the organization over time, with particular emphasis on the past five years? What have been its revenues and profits (or surpluses)? Have any of the performance indicators been affected by changes in products or services by the organization, or by other strategic changes by the organization or in its external operating environment? Have similar factors affected their principal competitors?
Ø    In terms of its operations today, conduct a detailed analysis – e.g. SWOT, Porter’s five-forces + complimentary, Financial, and PESTEL, etc. including a description of the organization’s directional strategies, and why have they chosen these? Also identify the advantages and limitations of your analysis?
Ø    What are the organization’s marketing, financial, and research & development strategies? Do these fit well with its operations strategy?
Ø    Identify and develop the relevant decision criteria (which if possible should be quantified) that you employed in order to guide your choice of alternatives.
Ø    Identify 3 or 4 feasible alternatives (may not be limited to those put forward in the case).
Ø    How would you assess and rate the organization’s leadership? Do the persons in leadership at the management or board level appear to have the appropriate skills and experience for the challenges the organization now faces? What is your evidence for your opinion?
Ø    Has the organization engaged in joint ventures or strategic alliances, or value-chain partnerships? What has been the effect of these?
Ø    How does the organization measure its own performance? Do its documents and reports indicate the methods or benchmarks and external measures to which they subject the organization?
Ø    What is your recommendation – which should follow a discussion of the pros and cons of each of your alternatives (relative to the decision criteria).
Ø    What changes, if any, would you suggest to their strategy or structure in order for them to be more successful in fulfilling their mission now and in the future? When and how should these be implemented? Your recommendations and timelines should be displayed in a GANTT or PERT-type chart and discussed in-class. You must provide supporting evidence for your arguments.
Ø    If necessary provide a contingency plan.
Your paper must include a proper Title Page, Executive Summary, and Table of Contents. Figures and Tables must be numbered and labeled and sourced, both in the text and any appendices. To repeat, you are not limited to the above items (you should include other items you believe may be of importance to understanding the organization and its strategies). You must also relate this information to key ideas and frameworks covered in your text.

The written cases will be graded (by your instructor) using three criteria: First and foremost, they will be graded to the extent they address the case goal/purpose/issue(s)/problem(s). Secondly, they will be graded based on professionalism, grammar, style and proper formatting. Lastly, your paper/report will be graded based on the degree to which it conveys a comprehensive and logical story that identifies and resolves the issue(s)/problem(s) identified. See the course outline for a detailed marking rubric and format.

We will be devoting a considerable amount of class-time working through a template/model for analyzing and presenting both your oral and written paper and presentation. 

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Paper Instructions:

Select a company of your choice and obtain their latest annual report. Ensure your chosen company will enable you to meet all of the criteria below.

There are lots of companies to choose from and normally their annual reports are available easily from the company's web site. if you are struggling for a suitable company, just have a look at the Financial Times (either hard copy or on the web) where you will see a comprehensive list of company names that are listed on the FTSE, this would be a good starting point.

Using your chosen company, you are required to:

1) Explain the key sources of finance for your company. For example what is the mix of share capital and long term loans, does this company appear to be risky from a gearing point of view? (350-500 words)

2) Identify the key elements of working capital and discuss any particular strengths or weaknesses which you feel the company has in this area. (350-500 words)

3) Discuss the company's exposure to risks generally and exchange rate risk in particular as a result of their involvement in international markets. How does the company manage these risks, and how successful do you think the company is in this? (400-500 words)

4) Evaluate the success of corporate restructuring activities undertaken by your chosen company in the last five years or so. For example, has it acquired new subsidiary companies, entered into joint ventures or undertaken divestment, and how successful has this been? (400-500 words)

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Paper Instructions:

-Evaluate two key changes in the selected company's management style from the company's inception to today. Indicate whether you believe the company is properly managed and provide support for your position.

-Explain senior management's role in preparing the organization for its most recent change. Provide evidence of whether the transition was seamless or problematic from a management perspective. Provide support for your rationale.

-Evaluate management's decision on its use of vendors and spokespersons. Indicate the organizational impact of these decisions.

-As a manager within the selected company, suggest one innovative idea that could have a positive effect on both employees and customers. Indicate the approach you will take in implementing the new idea. Provide support for your suggestion.

-Predict the selected company's ability to adapt to the changing needs of customers and the market environment. Indicate how open communication channels are critical for successfully implementing change in the organization. Provide support for your prediction.

*The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is:
Evaluate the role of a manager as it relates to preparation, innovation, and open communication in change management and decision making.


Please choose from the following companies for Assignment 2:

1. Starbucks

2. McDonalds

3. Proctor and Gamble

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Paper Instructions:

Your Human Resources Workforce Plan should address the following question: In order to guide a company to meet its strategic initiatives, what considerations must a human resources professional contemplate in the proposal of human resource solutions? Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
Introduction: Introduce your audience to the purpose and scope of your chosen company.

I. Give an overview of your company, including the type of company (profit/non-profit, public/private), years in existence, products/services offered, and strategic goals and objectives.
Current State: An assessment of the current state of a company’s workforce is often used as starting place for desired changes. Specifically, address the questions below.
I. Competency Gaps
a. What is the current state of the workforce of your company?
b. Based on the company’s strategic goals, are there gaps in the competencies of the current workforce? Explain how you identified these gaps (or lack of gaps).
c. Does the company systematically identify competency (or skill) gaps for workforce planning and development purposes? If so, explain their current process, including the types of data used for analysis. If not, provide a framework for identifying gaps in the current workforce.
d. What is the current human resources strategy for your company? Is it integrated with the company’s business strategy?
II. Strategies
a. What is the strategic talent development strategy for your organization? Is it apparent to employees? b. Does this strategy align with employee goals? Discuss.
c. Does the strategy align with organizational goals? Discuss.
III. Training
a. Identify the training and employee development needs at your company.
b. Are these needs currently integrated in a training and development program? Explain.
Recommendations: An important part of a workforce plan is the recommendations, based on valid evidence. These recommendations should support a company’s strategic goals, leading the company in its desired direction.
I. Forecast – In order to alleviate gaps in the current workforce to future needs, forecast and provide recommendations based on alignment with organizational goals for company: a. Growth
b. Reduction
II. Training Plans – As part of a company workforce plan, individual employees’ training and talent development must be considered. For your chosen
company, address the following:
a. Evaluate succession planning for its relationship to organizational sustainability. If the company does not utilize succession planning, give reasons for the omission of such a feature.
b. What recommendations would you make to this company in regards to succession planning? Explain your rationale.

Conclusion: Provide concluding thoughts on the use of the following to advance the company’s organizational mission and vision:
a. Human resource opportunities
b. Human resource challenges

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Paper Instructions:

You have been asked to design an innovative product that you think will make money. 

Prepare a business pitch presentation during which you advertise and present a business product. The presentation should last around 5 minutes and it should be supported by visuals (e.g. PowerPoint) in maximum 8 slides. You’ll be asked to record your voice over the slides to accompany the content of the presentation.
In preparation for your sales pitch, you must do the following:
    1. Produce a drawing/picture of the product / or adapt an existing drawing or picture
    2. Design a company name and logo, identifying your target audience
    3. Present information including the cost of market research, materials, packaging, distribution, and marketing, as well as the recommended retail price
    4. Report on your market research to persuade audience that people will want your product (e.g. case studies)
    5. Advertise your product to attract an investment.

The presentation should include:
    • Images
    • Drawings
    • Key text
    • Diagrams/tables

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Paper Instructions:

To Answer the Question: Discuss three ways that strategic reporting, i.e. management’s commentary of strategy and business model adds to the content of the annual reports.

Helpful instruction: The question is about strategic reporting and your role is to discuss at least 3 ways in which strategic reporting on annual reports adds value to the information in financial statements.
Putting it in plain terms, why can't stakeholders of an ogranisation just rely on the numbers of the financial statements? What is it in strategic reports that is useful for stakeholders' decisions that is not already found in financial statements? You have to keep the decision context in mind. For example for shareholders the underlying decision is investment decision (buy, hold, sell), for employees it is stability, retention, recognition and satisfaction, for governemnt it is societal benefits and taxation. So it may help if your discussion focuses on one stakeholder group