Questions and Topics We Can Help You To Answer:
Paper Instructions:

You will complete case analysis to reinforce and develop critical thinking skills. 

You are currently (February 2020) a strategic product development manager at Lyft in Boston focusing on New England markets. 

Do an external analysis of the Autonomous Vehicles industry from the perspective of your company (in other words focus only on the ride-sharing industry) Conduct a thorough scenario planning analysis for Lyft’s New England market, looking into the future; 3-5 years from today.

The individual case write-up submitted MUST INCLUDE AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.  Your deliverable must resemble a document that you would hand to your manager with the understanding that she may share the document with other people.  

Do NOT follow a question-answer format, but rather create a professionally formatted analysis (see your slides from immersion and/or ethics for direction on what a professionally-formatted document looks like).

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Paper Instructions:

employee empowerment initiatives

For the Unit VI assignment, you will evaluate employee empowerment initiatives. Through this article review, you will learn how to determine whether an employee empowerment initiative is driven by Model I values or Model II values. The review will focus on the following article, found in the Waldorf Online Library.
Maxwell, J. R. (2005). Management of employee empowerment. Journal of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict, 9(1), 61. Retrieved from https://link-gale-com.libraryresources.waldorf.edu/apps/doc/A166935380/ITOF? u=for20674&sid=ITOF&xid=7d20a7f6
Write a review that is a minimum of two pages in length of the article listed above. Include the following elements in your article review:
an introduction to the overarching topic of the article,    
the authors' main points,
the author's supporting evidence for each main point,
your analysis of how the article relates to this course's content and how it applies to real-world situations,
your critical evaluation of the main points and supporting evidence presented in this article (Your evaluation should demonstrate critical thinking to inform and substantiate your opinion. In your critical evaluation, discuss how to distinguish whether an employee empowerment initiative is driven by Model I values or Model II values. Use the socio- cognitive systems learning model to inform your discussion.), and
a conclusion.

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Paper Instructions:

•How is P&G using collaboration systems to execute its business model and business strategy? List and describe the collaboration systems and technologies it is using and the benefits of each.

•Compare P&G’s old and new processes for writing up and distributing the results of a research experiment.

•Can you think of other ways P&G could use collaboration to foster innovation?

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Paper Instructions:

Discuss fully the role of management in a business organization. What is your understanding of effective management? How would you apply the concepts and tools learned to enhance business management and leadership?

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Paper Instructions:

The assignment will focus on an international (i.e., foreign) criminal justice agency.  Papers on domestic criminal justice agencies are not acceptable.  The paper will focus on how the agency works, what it does, where it falls in the greater scheme of government, etc.  The student is reminded that this is not a history class.  If a part of the paper must be devoted to the agency’s history, it cannot exceed 10% of the total content.  The paper, submitted in English, will be of approximately 2000 words, cited in MLA format, 1” margins, 12 pt. Times New Roman or Arial font.  It must be on white paper in vertical (portrait) document format and written in black ink

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Paper Instructions:

Walmart has just announced plans to open a superstore in your home town (or the city you currently live in).  You are a distinguished business school professor, and the City Council has asked for your advice on whether or not to permit the store to be built.  What would you recommend and why?  You may provide conditional advice (ie, the City Council should approve the proposal under certain conditions) or you could support or oppose the proposal without conditions. 

Name your actual home town or your current city, and write your paper as a report to the City Council - provide your analysis based on your understanding of the actual named city you are writing about.

GO DEEPER AND WRITE INSIGHTS!!!!! DON"T JUST SIMPLY ANSWER IT.

(up to 500 words)

Rubric - 1 Contents
Student have to provide a thoughtful answer to the question,
Does the student provide specific, actionable advice that reflects the complexity and importance of the issue, and the student's understanding of CSR and ethics? 

The rest 4 rubrics are uploaded.


Each rubric worth 2 points.

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Paper Instructions:

The topic presented by the finance director is a popular question for companies in the modern era of business. The IPO was once the ultimate mark of success, it was the end goal for any small company. The article the finance director has read talks about the decline in the number of IPO’s over the years and suggests that from a company’s standpoint, staying private may provide a simpler and more desirable to obtain capital. The task for me is to investigate the problems of IPO’s and its alternatives, and then present my findings to the board so they can make the right choice for the company to further its expansion. From my initial research it is clear there are several issues that need further research. I have identified 3 key areas that need investigation. The first of which will be looking at the successes and failings of companies that have gone public in recent years and the reasons for these results. Secondly, I will provide research the possible reasons for the clear decline in the number of IPO’s over the years. Lastly, I will provide a detailed analysis of the possible alternatives of raising finance to the company. 

A clear cause for concern is the success of IPO’s in recent years. I will present information and data about the performance of companies that have gone public in recent years. From my initial research the majority of companies going public have largely underperformed, and it is important to investigate the possible reasons for the general failings of these companies. There are several arguments as to why this is presented in different articles e.g. the overall performance of the economy; the performance of stocks as a whole and an argument about the market ‘growing up’ (presented in the financial times)

The second key issue is that the number of IPO’s has significantly decreased in between 1999 and recent years. I will investigate the possible reasons for this decrease. Many of the points may link to points made to the previous section. There are a few common arguments in this space; many experts believe this is due to the post-financial crisis regulations discouraging the use of IPO’s;  some  believe that there is less need for money than there used to be in many industries so capital needs have become less intensive; as well as IPO’s being used to give investors and early stage employees a pay day is less important than it used to be.

Lastly, alternative ways of raising finance have become more popular. I will provide an analysis of the different methods available to companies in ther modern era and an explanation of the possible reasons they may be being used more as opposed to IPO’s. 

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Paper Instructions:

Identifies the relevant theoretical issues underlying the problem 

Identifies the theoretical framework that would be required to analyze the problem in detail
Adequate application of theoretical frameworks
Analyzes the issue with a clear sense of scope and context, including an assessment of audience.
Exceptionally well analyzed and presented

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Paper Instructions:

Here are the instructions for the coursework:

The coursework is to produce an academic report investigating Berlin Brandenburg Airport Project 

The coursework must have the following: 
-    An analysis of the project management of this project in terms of stakeholders, scope, technology, change issues and other project management issues. 
-    An analysis of academic theory versus practice of this project.     
-    Lessons learnt from this project and other similar projects (ie have similar projects effected how this project was managed or do you think this project will affect how other projects will be managed in the future). 

The coursework must not be longer than 2000 words.

The marking criterias are the following:

The structure of the academic report:
The selection of the right structure for the report, enabling the report to lead the reader through your research.    10%

Introduction to the Project:
Introducing the reader to the scale and type of the project.     20%

Introduction of the project’s Project Management:
Introducing the reader to how the project was managed, which Project Management method do you think they used and why? What material can you find about how the project was managed in terms of project management.    10%

Analysis of the project’s Project Management:
Analysis of how the project was managed, did the management relate to the accepted project management methods/techniques (eg comparing practice to theory).    30%

Identification of key lessons learnt and discussion why they are key for project management.
What were the key lessons learnt from the Project and why did you select these key lessons.    10%

Conclusions, including the discussion about whether the project was a success or failure.
What were the major conclusions you can draw from the Project? Was the project a success or a failure, what is your justification for your stance.    10%

Use of suitable sources of information and use of sources throughout the report.    10%

The report should include:
• Abstract 
• Introduction 
• Description of the project 
• Description about how the project was managed 
• Analysis of the project management of this project against theory 
• Lessons learnt from similar projects and their links to the Airport project 
• Conclusions 
• Recommendation 
• References  

I also uploaded an example of the coursework for a different project,

Tell me, if you have any question,

Thank you!

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Paper Instructions:

Compare and contrast Fast tracking and Crashing. When should each be used. What are the risks?
Also what is the impact on each from outsourcing tasks.

Questions and Topics We Can Help You To Answer:
Paper Instructions:

PART ONE                                                  45 Marks
1.    Using Carillion as case reference, outline the role business ethics plays in board level strategic decision making.  Consider the following issues in your analysis:

a.    Board of directors, committee structure and the responsibility of the board
b.    Discuss ethical decision-making techniques/frameworks for addressing ethical business dilemmas 
c.    Appraise the behaviour of accountants in this case based on your understanding of the code of ethics for professional accountants.
                                        

PART TWO                                                                         55 Marks
2.    Identify key stakeholders in the Carillion case study and use appropriate theories to assess the effectiveness of corporate governance regulations in protecting stakeholder interests.  Key points to be included in your analysis:

a.    Corporate governance and the responsibility of the board.
b.    Identify and analyse the regulatory framework for corporate governance
c.    Corporate governance and firm theory; Stewardship and agency theory debate
d.    The influence of corporate governance codes on board of directors' activities
e.    Decision-making on board reward systems








    






Carillion: UK Parliamentary Investigation Report Summary
Carillion’s rise and spectacular fall was a story of recklessness, hubris and greed. Its business model was a relentless dash for cash, driven by acquisitions, rising debt, expansion into new markets and exploitation of suppliers. It presented accounts that misrepresented the reality of the business, and increased its dividend every year, come what may. Long term obligations, such as adequately funding its pension schemes, were treated with contempt. Even as the company very publicly began to unravel, the board was concerned with increasing and protecting generous executive bonuses. Carillion was unsustainable. The mystery is not that it collapsed, but that it lasted so long.
Carillion and its collapse
Carillion was an important company. Its collapse will have significant and as yet uncertain consequences, not least for public service provision:
♣    It had around 43,000 employees, including 19,000 in the UK. Many more people were employed in its extensive supply chains. So far, over 2,000 people have lost their jobs.
♣    Carillion left a pension liability of around £2.6 billion. The 27,000 members of its defined benefit pension schemes will now be paid reduced pensions by the Pension Protection Fund, which faces its largest ever hit.
♣    It also owed around £2 billion to its 30,000 suppliers, sub-contractors and other short-term creditors, of whom it was a notorious late payer. Like the pension schemes, they will get little back from the liquidation.
♣    Carillion was a major strategic supplier to the UK public sector, its work spanning from building roads and hospitals to providing school meals and defence accommodation. The Government has already committed £150 million of taxpayers’ money to keeping essential services running.
♣    Carillion’s collapse was sudden and from a publicly stated position of strength. The company’s 2016 accounts, published on 1 March 2017, presented a rosy picture. On the back of those results, it paid a record dividend of £79 million—£55 million of which was paid on 10 June 2017. It also awarded large performance bonuses to senior executives. On 10 July 2017, just four months after the accounts were published, the company announced a reduction of £845 million in the value of its contracts in a profit warning. This was increased to £1,045 million in September 2017, the company’s previous seven years’ profits combined. Carillion went into liquidation in January 2018 with liabilities of nearly £7 billion and just £29 million in cash.
Carillion’s board
Carillion’s board are both responsible and culpable for the company’s failure. They presented to us as self-pitying victims of a maelstrom of coincidental and unforeseeable mishaps. Chiefly, they pointed to difficulties in a few key contracts in the Middle East. But the problems that caused the collapse of Carillion were long in the making, as too was the rotten corporate culture that allowed them to occur. We are particularly critical of three key figures:
♣    Richard Adam was Carillion’s Finance Director for 10 years. He was the architect of Carillion’s aggressive accounting policies and resolutely refused to make adequate contributions to the company’s pension schemes, which he considered a “waste of money”. His voluntary departure at the end of 2016 and subsequent sale of all his shares were the actions of a man who knew where the company was heading.
♣    Richard Howson, Chief Executive from 2012 to 2017, was the figurehead for a business that careered progressively out of control under his misguidedly self-assured leadership.
♣    Philip Green joined the board in 2011 and became Chairman in 2014. He was an unquestioning optimist when his role was to challenge. Remarkably, to the end he thought he was the man to head a “new leadership team”.
We recommend that the Insolvency Service, in its investigation into the conduct of former directors of Carillion, includes careful consideration of potential breaches of duties under the Companies Act, as part of their assessment of whether to take action for those breaches or to recommend to the Secretary of State action for disqualification as a director.
Checks and balances
A system of internal and external checks and balances are supposed to prevent board failures of the degree evident in Carillion. These all failed:
♣    The company’s non-executive directors failed to scrutinise or challenge reckless executives.
♣    Carillion’s accounts were systematically manipulated to make optimistic assessments of revenue, in defiance of internal controls. Despite being signatories of the Prompt Payment Code, Carillion treated suppliers with contempt, enforcing standard payment terms of 120 days. Suppliers could be paid earlier in return for a fee, a wheeze that Carillion used to effectively borrow more, under the radar.
♣    KMPG was paid £29 million to act as Carillion’s auditor for 19 years. It did not once qualify its audit opinion, complacently signing off the directors’ increasingly fantastical figures. In failing to exercise professional scepticism towards Carillion’s accounting judgements over the course of its tenure as Carilion’s auditor, KPMG was complicit in them.
♣    Carillion paid other big-name firms as badges of credibility in return for lucrative fees. Deloitte, paid over £10 million by the company to act as its internal auditor, failed in its risk management and financial controls role. EY was paid £10.8 million for six months of failed turnaround advice.
♣    The company’s shareholders suffered from an absence of reliable information and were ill-equipped to influence board decision-making. In the main, they sold their shares instead.
♣    The key regulators, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) and the Pensions Regulator (TPR), were united in their feebleness and timidity. The FRC identified concerns in the Carillion accounts in 2015 but failed to follow them up. TPR threatened on seven occasions to use a power to enforce pension contributions that it has never used. These were empty threats; the Carillion directors knew it and got their way.
♣    The Government’s Crown Representative system provided little warning of risks in a key strategic supplier. We recommend an immediate review of that system.
♣    It is far from apparent that the potential for legal action for wrongful trading or failure to exercise directors’ duties acted as a restraint on the behaviour of the board.
The lessons of Carillion
Most companies are not run with Carillion’s reckless short-termism, and most company directors are far more concerned by the wider consequences of their actions than the Carillion board. But that should not obscure the fact that Carillion became a giant and unsustainable corporate time bomb in a regulatory and legal environment still in existence today. The individuals who failed in their responsibilities, in running Carillion and in challenging, advising or regulating it, were often acting entirely in line with their personal incentives. Carillion could happen again, and soon.
The economic system is predicated on strong investor engagement, yet the mechanisms and incentives to support engagement are weak. This makes regulators such as the FRC and TPR more important. The Government has recognised the regulatory weaknesses exposed by this and other corporate failures, but its responses have been cautious, largely technical, and characterised by seemingly endless consultation. It has lacked the decisiveness or bravery to pursue bold measures recommended by our select committees that could make a significant difference. That must change. That does not just mean giving the FRC and TPR greater powers. Chronically passive, they do not seek to influence corporate decision-making with the realistic threat of intervention. Action is part of their brief. They require cultural change as well.
There is a danger of a crisis of confidence in the audit profession. KPMG’s audits of Carillion were not isolated failures, but symptomatic of a market which works for the Big Four firms but fails the wider economy. There are conflicts of interest at every turn. KPMG were Carillion’s external auditors; Deloitte were internal auditors and EY were tasked with turning the company around. Though PwC had variously advised the company, its pension schemes and the Government on Carillion contracts, it was the least conflicted of the Four and could name its price as Special Manager of the liquidation. Waiting for a more competitive market that promotes quality and trust in audits has failed. It is time for a radically different approach. We recommend that the Government refers the statutory audit market to the Competition and Markets Authority. The terms of reference of that review should explicitly include consideration of both breaking up the Big Four into more audit firms and detaching audit arms from those providing other professional services.
Correcting the systemic flaws exposed by the Carillion case is a huge challenge. But it can serve as an opportunity for the Government. It can grasp the initiative with an ambitious and wide-ranging set of reforms that reset our systems of corporate accountability in the long-term public interest. It would have our support in doing so.
SOURCE
UK Parliament Work and Pensions Committee (2018): Carillion joint inquiry. Available at:  https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmworpen/769/76903.htm (Accessed 16/01/2020)
ADDITIONAL NOTE
Full report on Carillion can be found at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmworpen/769/769.pdf 
NB: Reading the full report is recommended.
Assessment Criteria
Knowledge of relevant concepts and issues;
20%
Understanding of concepts and critical application to relevant issues;
30%
Structure of answers, logic of argument and use of evidence;
30%
Writing style, clarity of expression and presentation;
10%
Evidence of reading, use of references.
10%

Questions and Topics We Can Help You To Answer:
Paper Instructions:
What is meant by the term group dynamics?  What are the characteristics that determine whether a group will be cohesive or not in an organizational context?  Some authors have claimed that organizational groups in certain eastern cultures are far more cohesive than working groups in western cultures.  Provide an analysis of this statement.