Questions We Can Help You To Answer

ebook:Essentials of Strategic Management
After completing Chapter 6 in our textbook, compose your answers to the following questions and post them on this Discussion Board by Wednesday evening.  You will also want to do some additional research on the internet or through additional texts/articles, etc.,to add a more complete picture for your overall market strategy and chosen strategic plan. Also be certain to investigate any cultural implications which may affect the locations where your expansion will be taking place.

You work for a company in the soft drink industry that has developed a line of carbonated fruit-based beverages. You have already established a significant presence in your home market, and now you are planning for the global strategy development of your company in the soft drink industry. On the basis of what you know from this description, incorporate the following considerations in a 2-3 short paragraph strategic plan (approximately 300 - 350 words):

1. What overall strategy would you pursue: global, multidomestic, international or transnational? Why did you choose this approach?

2. Which entry strategy would you pursue (franchising, joint venture, wholly-owned subsidiary)?

3. Which markets would you enter first, and why?

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You were recently hired as the VP of Logistics for the ABC Manufacturing Company. This is a new position. During the lengthy interview process, the CEO shared her strategic plans for worldwide growth in the company’s consumer sales. Previously, sales had been confined to domestic sales only. As a result of little staff logistics expertise, the company had kept the traditional logistics model of shipping all finished products from its warehouse and factory location on the East Coast of the United States, even though there was a growing market on the West Coast that competition was serving from a West Coast warehouse. However, the CEO pointed out that despite its national popularity from a feature and quality perspective, it seemed to penetrate poorly on the West Coast because of her need to charge higher prices as the result of higher shipping costs.

The marketing manager tried to mitigate this competitive disadvantage by freight equalization so that end customers would pay the same amount of shipping costs as West Coast competition charged, regardless of where they were located. This met with some insignificant success because timeliness of delivery was another important issue. Therefore, the CEO had asked you, as your first assignment, to write a white paper to address the following specific points. She remembered that you had quite a bit of experience addressing some or all of these issues during your career. As a stickler for formatting, she has specifically asked you to use the following Roman numeral sections and headings in the paper: 

Section I: Introduction (200 words)
A.In general, what are the qualitative pros and cons for domestic sales of having multiple distribution centers and shipping locations in the United States? 

Section II: Decision-Making Criteria (300 words) 

The CEO is considering three options with the same total construction and operating costs: expanding the warehouse next to the East Coast manufacturing plant; building a West Coast distribution center; or building a combination manufacturing and warehouse location on the West coast given the following general information, what are at least 5 criteria that must be considered when locating a new or expanded shipping warehouse domestically?
a.The products are primarily medium- and large-size insulated coolers, like you might use for a picnic or trip to the beach. Transportation firms charge by space, or cubic feet, rather than weight, which is the more normal method. 
b.The coolers are made of  3 components, which are all produced by suppliers solely on the East Coast; the raw materials to make this product are bulky, and inbound shipping from the East Coast suppliers currently represents 20% of total raw material costs. 
c.The market is very competitive with generally stable or decreasing marketplace prices. 
d.In states that are warm year-round, sales are pretty steady; in states that have seasons, 90% of sales occur in the May–August period. 
e.Right now, to keep West Coast customers happy, the CEO says that they only charge those customers the local freight cost of shipping, which is $200 for anything up to half a truckload. 

Section III: Metrics to Assess Success (250 words)  
A.Describe 3 metrics that you would use to assess the success of any logistics plan involving you as a manufacturer and a mass merchandiser. Provide support for your selections. 

Section IV: Qualitative Factors (200 words) 



Identify 3 subjective, qualitative factors to consider in the recommendation.

Section V: Quantitative Factors (Excel Spreadsheet) 



Provide a detailed recommendation as to whether you should open a West Coast distribution center, add on to the existing East Coast factory and warehouse, or build a combination West Coast manufacturing location and warehouse? Your response must be quantitatively based using the data in section II, the additional data below, and from external resources as needed.
Use this template to show your numeric calculations. Without calculations shown for how you reached your conclusion, section V will earn 0 points. REMEMBER: Decisions like this are based on a comparison of option A versus current methods, or option B versus current methods. 

a.The products are primarily medium- and large-size insulated coolers, like you might use for a picnic or trip to the beach. Each cooler occupies 2 cubic feet of trailer truck space; trailers are 10 x 10 x 40’ long and cost $1,000 to ship from the East Coast to the West Coast. 
b.The coolers are made of 3 components: 1 lb of raw material A, 1/4 lb of raw material B, and 1 gallon of material C, weighing 10 lbs. Based on this information, the added freight cost to get raw materials to a West Coast manufacturing location would be $0.20, $0.20, and $0.60 per finished-good unit, respectively. 
c.The mass merchandiser location on the West Coast will be purchasing 10,000 units per week, but in lots of only 1,000 at a time because of their retail store space constraints. 
d.The market is very competitive, with generally stable or decreasing marketplace prices. 
e.In states that are warm year-round, sales are pretty steady In states that have seasons, 90% of sales occur in the May–August period. 
f.The raw materials to make this product are bulky, and inbound shipping from the suppliers to the manufacturing plant represents 20% of total raw material costs. These raw materials are supplied in the United States from the East Coast; they are not available elsewhere. 
g.In the past, to keep West Coast customers happy, the CEO agreed to freight equalize customer shipping charges to be competitive with West Coast competition. She says that they only charge those customers the local freight cost of shipping, which is $200 per delivery for anything up to half-truckload quantities. 

Section VI: Conclusion (200 words)  



What are the 3 most important points that you want the CEO to understand about this entire decision-making process?

Questions We Can Help You To Answer

The Human Resources Department of a corporation is preparing a series of training modules for its managers.  You have been asked to prepare one of these modules.  Prepare a PowerPoint presentation to address three learning objectives for your intended audience:
1.Explain the difference between System 1 and System 2 Thinking.


2.Demonstrate the application of the six basic steps in the rational decision process of System 2 Thinking as outlined in this week’s readings: Define problem, identify criteria, weigh criteria, determine alternatives, rate alternatives based on criteria, and determine optimal decision;


3.Introduce the managers to a minimum of three biases that can influence decisions that are made through both System 1 and System 2 Thinking.

When addressing objective #2 above, use a real or hypothetical example of a decision (Example: Selecting a supplier), at least three real or hypothetical alternatives (Example: Supplier 1, Supplier 2, and Supplier 3), and at least three criteria (Example:  Historical On-Time-Delivery Performance, Whether ISO 9000-Certified, Price) to demonstrate the application of the six basic steps.  You must arrive at and clearly state the optimal solution by using the six-step process.  You will find a good demonstration of how to apply these six steps in the videos provided in this week’s books and resources.  

Incorporate appropriate animations, transitions, and graphics as well as speaker notes for each slide. The speaker notes may be comprised of brief paragraphs or bulleted lists.

Support your presentation with at least three scholarly resources.  In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources may be included.

Length: 12-15 slides (with a separate cover slide, agenda slide, and reference slide)
Notes Length: 100-150 words for each slide
Cover Slide and Reference Slide are not included in the 12 slides.

Be sure to include citations for quotations and paraphrases with references in APA format and style where appropriate. Save the file as PPT with the correct course code information. Upload your assignment using the Upload Assignment button below.

Use the mandatory sources I have attached as well as three other resources. Total references will be 6 minimum. 3 from the attached pdf's or websites below and 3 of your choice.

Dvorsky, G. (2013). The 12 cognitive biases that prevent you from being rational.
http://io9.gizmodo.com/5974468/the-most-common-cognitive-biases-that-prevent-you-from-being-rational

Alanis Business Academy. (2014). The rational decision making model, part 1 [Video File].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJARNLbe9NA

Alanis Business Academy. (2014). The rational decision making model, part 2 [Video File].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnm4QWhAELw

Questions We Can Help You To Answer

According to the videos and readings for this week, you learned that the goal of financial management is to maximize shareholder wealth. Write a short paper discussing the relationship between this goal and the goal of maximizing the firm’s profits. Specifically, what are the similarities and differences between these goals? Provide an example of how maximizing profits might not lead to shareholder wealth maximization.

In addition, find at least one scholarly article that criticizes the goal of shareholder wealth maximization. Briefly summarize the criticism(s) offered and discuss whether you believe the criticism is valid. In particular, does the article make you question the shareholder wealth maximization goal? If so, why and if not, what flaws do you see in the criticism?

Length: 150-250 words not including cover and reference pages

Your response should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course and provide new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards.

Video references:

Financial Management (1999). 
http://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=http://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=6281&xtid=10838

Fundamental Concepts in Financial Management (1995).
http://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=http://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=6281&xtid=5845

Money Never Sleeps: Global Financial Markets (2011). 
http://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=http://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=6281&xtid=29353

Questions We Can Help You To Answer

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is the most widely published and best known stock market indicator in the world. The DJIA appears daily in nearly every major newspaper around the globe, is discussed on all financial newscasts, and is understood by most to be a leading indicator of the state of the economy. When the DJIA is rising, the U.S. economy is generally healthy and when the DJIA crashes, a recession is usually on the horizon.

Although most Americans have heard of the DJIA, it is amazing how few actually know how it is calculated or exactly what it means. Do you? For this assignment, you will research and write a paper about the calculation, composition, and history of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. To facilitate your research, begin by investigating the wealth of information available on the Dow Jones website at:

http://www.djaverages.com/?go=industrial-overview

Click and read the links for Overview, Components, Editorial, Calculation, Milestones, and Learning Center. In the Learning Center, be sure to read some of the Decade Articles associated with the different time periods in the graph.

After you learn about the DJIA from the Dow Jones website, find and read at least two scholarly articles discussing the index. Then write a well-structured paper about the index. Your goal is to explain the index and its history in simple and straightforward terms to someone with little or no background in finance or business. Additionally, critically evaluate the DJIA in light of the fact that it is a price weighted index (as opposed to a more robust value weighted measure like the S&P 500 Index) and it is comprised of such a limited number of the over 2800 different company stocks that trade on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

Length: 3-5 pages not including title page and references

Your response should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course and provide new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards.

Video References:

Financial Management (1999). 
http://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=http://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=6281&xtid=10838

Fundamental Concepts in Financial Management (1995).
http://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=http://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=6281&xtid=5845

Money Never Sleeps: Global Financial Markets (2011). 
http://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=http://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=6281&xtid=29353

Questions We Can Help You To Answer

Consider your current or any former work location at which you have been employed. In a power point or word document, please tell us how the employees vs. management (owners, government, etc.) would feel about each of the issues below. In addition, please discuss potential resolution of the different perspectives and how this information should be communicated back to leadership and the workforce.
•                Alternative Work Schedules (i.e. flexible work)
•                Transfers
•                Restriction of Overtime
•                Any other one issue of your choice 
Firstly, describe the scene and discuss the place of employment...size, work done, types and number of employees.
Secondly, state for each item above what the employees would want the policy to be and why. 
Thirdly, for each item, state what the management/owners would want. 
Finally, state what a fair and reasonable agreement would be considering the desires of both sides.

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Prepare Cost Production Reports: Decision Case

Introduction:
There are two methods of preparing cost of production reports, the weighted-average costing method and the FIFO method. In this assignment, you need to prepare a cost of production report using "both" of the methods. In addition, you will identify the appropriate method and reasons for choosing that method for a specific type of business.

Task:
To work on this assignment you need to ensure it is finalized according to the schedule on an MS Excel spreadsheet. Read the Decision Case on pages 205-206 of the textbook, Managerial Accounting, (attached in PDF) and work to solve the questions that follow. After finalizing the solution, submit it.

Deliverables and Format:
Submit your answer in one Microsoft Excel worksheet.
Font: Arial; 12-point

Questions We Can Help You To Answer

An engineering service firm that performs repair and maintenance of laboratory equipment asks its technicians to write weekly journal entries describing their work experiences. The company owner reviews them each week and provides feedback to the technicians. What implications might this practice have for fostering employee engagement? Can you think of any other benefits?

Questions We Can Help You To Answer
1. The New Zealand Defence Force subscribes to three levels of military operations. Describe the relationship between the three levels.
2. According to Jordan et al, “the use of military force can be divided into six categories: defence, deterrence, compellence, posturing, offence, and miscellaneous.” Select two categories and using examples from a conflict or conflicts, describe how they were achieved.
3.  Describe the relationships between policy 'ends', strategic 'ways' and military 'means' in the New Zealand context.
4. What will be some of the major challenges for military operations over the next ten years?
Referencing.  You are expected to provide proper attribution for all direct quotations and for any information that is summarised or paraphrased from published material that you include in your essay.  You may use either APA  style.  You will be penalised for mixing styles.  You will include at least 6 documents (books, journal articles, etc.) in the Bibliography or List of References

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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COPING STYLES, STRESS AND SELF-EFFICACY

Questions We Can Help You To Answer

Write answers to the following statements. Each answer should be approximately 250 words and should use 1–2 sources in addition to the textbook. Use real-life examples to support your reasoning. 

Demonstrate how a cost of capital estimation is performed.
Discuss an IPO valuation.
Illustrate the effects of financial leverage on risk and return.
Evaluate the implications of new, lower dividend and capital gains rates. 

Fundamentals of Corporate Finance 10e

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What other changes would you suggest to Grolsch’s historical strategy or historical mode of entry?