Author: chris

Please see the attached assignment I am willing to pay $35 for this assignment that will be due 02/15/16. Once again, please follow all instruction and absolutely no plagiarism.

 

Students, please view the “Submit a Clickable Rubric Assignment” in the Student Center.

Instructors, training on how to grade is within the Instructor Center.

Scenario for Assignments 1-5

For Assignments 1-5, you are the new budgeting and finance administrator for your local government agency. Your first responsibility is to become familiar with the agency, the budget, programs, and capital projects. As the administrator, you will be responsible for analyzing, examining, proposing, and preparing the agency’s budget for the next five (5) years.

Note:Students cannot use New York City as a selected local government

Assignment 3:Presenting the Budget

Due Week 8 and worth 225 points

Refer the Scenario for Assignments 1–5. Prepare the financial plan and budget justification proposal.

The agency is contracted to work with New York City on several capital projects. To proceed with negotiations, an analysis of the city’s financial documents must be considered. Review the New York City Financial Plan, located at http://www.nyc.gov/html/omb/downloads/pdf/fp6_12.pdf,to answer questions listed. (Title this section “New York City Financial Plan”)

1. Answer Question 1 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: Are total revenues growing faster or more slowly than expenditures? Show the annual growth rates for revenues and expenditures in a table.

2. Answer Question 2 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What is New York City’s fastest-growing category of expenditures during the planning period? Justify the answer with examples.

3. Answer Question 3 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What percentage of New York City revenue comes from the general property tax? How much is this tax growing in each year of the financial plan? Justify the answer with examples.

4. Prepare a budget to support the proposal to partner with New York City to offer a job training program housed within the NYC Department of Social Services. (Title this section “Budget Justification Proposal.”) (Note: The agency has decided to partner with New York City.)

a)The agency proposes $500,000 over a three (3) year period beginning FY2013 to be included in the State Categorical Grants for the Department of Social Services to provide hands-on job training workshops in office administration, security, construction, and apartment maintenance.

b)Use Figure 7.2, Budget Justification, in Chapter 7 (pages 114-115) as an example.

5. Provide names and URLs of the Websites for the state’s budget(s) analyzed and any other government Websites used to support the assignment’s criteria.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

• 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 assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Analyze the basic skills and tools needed for budgeting for public sector agencies and / or departments.

• Recommend appropriate policy actions based on the evaluation.

• Evaluate a budgeting system at any governmental level.

• Analyze the scope and sequence of budgeting in terms of sources of revenues, purpose of government expenditures, budget cycles, budget preparation, and debt administration.

• Analyze the steps required for budgeting, such as preparing a budget, making a financial plan, conducting a cost-benefit analysis, and making budget decisions.

• Examine the key components for presenting and justifying the budget to decision makers.

• Prepare a preliminary budgeting system for presentation before Congress, state / local government, or other organization.

• Develop various budget charts that represent segments of the budgeting process.

• Use technology and information resources to research issues in public budgeting and finance.

• Write clearly and concisely about public budgeting and finance using proper writing mechanics.

Points: 225	Assignment 3: Presenting the Budget
Criteria	Unacceptable Below 70% F	Fair 70-79% C	Proficient 80-89% B	Exemplary 90-100% A
1. Discuss Question 1 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: Are total revenues growing faster or more slowly than expenditures? Show the annual growth rates for revenues and expenditures in a table. Weight: 20%	Did not submit or incompletely discussed Question 1 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: Are total revenues growing faster or more slowly than expenditures? Did not submit or incompletely showed the annual growth rates for revenues and expenditures in a table.	Partially discussed Question 1 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: Are total revenues growing faster or more slowly than expenditures? Partially showed the annual growth rates for revenues and expenditures in a table.	Satisfactorily discussed Question 1 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: Are total revenues growing faster or more slowly than expenditures? Satisfactorily showed the annual growth rates for revenues and expenditures in a table.	Thoroughly discussed Question 1 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: Are total revenues growing faster or more slowly than expenditures? Thoroughly showed the annual growth rates for revenues and expenditures in a table.
2. Discuss Question 2 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What is New York City’s fastest-growing category of expenditures during the planning period? Justify the answer with examples. Weight: 20%	Did not submit or incompletely discussed Question 2 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What is New York City’s fastest-growing category of expenditures during the planning period? Did not submit or incompletely justified the answer with examples.	Partially discussed Question 2 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What is New York City’s fastest-growing category of expenditures during the planning period? Partially justified the answer with examples.	Satisfactorily discussed Question 2 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What is New York City’s fastest-growing category of expenditures during the planning period? Satisfactorily justified the answer with examples.	Thoroughly discussed Question 2 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What is New York City’s fastest-growing category of expenditures during the planning period? Thoroughly justified the answer with examples.
3. Discuss Question 3 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What percentage of New York City revenue comes from the general property tax? How much is this tax growing in each year of the financial plan? Justify the answer with examples. Weight: 20%	Did not submit or incompletely discussed Question 3 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What percentage of New York City revenue comes from the general property tax? How much is this tax growing in each year of the financial plan? Did not submit or incompletely justified the answer with examples.	Partially discussed Question 3 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What percentage of New York City revenue comes from the general property tax? How much is this tax growing in each year of the financial plan? Partially justified the answer with examples.	Satisfactorily discussed Question 3 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What percentage of New York City revenue comes from the general property tax? How much is this tax growing in each year of the financial plan? Satisfactorily justified the answer with examples.	Thoroughly discussed Question 3 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What percentage of New York City revenue comes from the general property tax? How much is this tax growing in each year of the financial plan? Thoroughly justified the answer with examples.
4. Prepare a budget to support the proposal to partner with New York City to offer a job training program housed within the NYC Department of Social Services. (Note: The agency has decided to partner with New York City.) (a) The agency proposes $500,000 over a three (3) year period beginning FY2013 to be included in the State Categorical Grants for the Department of Social Services to provide hands-on job training workshops in office administration, security, construction, and apartment maintenance. (b) Use Figure 7.2, Budget Justification, in Chapter 7 (pages 114-115) as an example. (Title this section “Budget Justification Proposal.”) Weight: 25%	Did not submit or incompletely prepared a budget to support the proposal to partner with New York City to offer a job training program housed within the NYC Department of Social Services. (Note: The agency has decided to partner with New York City.) (a) The agency proposes $500,000 over a three (3) year period beginning FY2013 to be included in the State Categorical Grants for the Department of Social Services to provide hands-on job training workshops in office administration, security, construction, and apartment maintenance. (b) Did not submit or incompletely used Figure 7.2, Budget Justification, in Chapter 7 (pages 114-115) as an example.	Partially prepared a budget to support the proposal to partner with New York City to offer a job training program housed within the NYC Department of Social Services. (Note: The agency has decided to partner with New York City.) (a) The agency proposes $500,000 over a three (3) year period beginning FY2013 to be included in the State Categorical Grants for the Department of Social Services to provide hands-on job training workshops in office administration, security, construction, and apartment maintenance. (b) Partially used Figure 7.2, Budget Justification, in Chapter 7 (pages 114-115) as an example.	Satisfactorily prepared a budget to support the proposal to partner with New York City to offer a job training program housed within the NYC Department of Social Services. (Note: The agency has decided to partner with New York City.) (a) The agency proposes $500,000 over a three (3) year period beginning FY2013 to be included in the State Categorical Grants for the Department of Social Services to provide hands-on job training workshops in office administration, security, construction, and apartment maintenance. (b) Satisfactorily used Figure 7.2, Budget Justification, in Chapter 7 (pages 114-115) as an example.	Thoroughly prepared a budget to support the proposal to partner with New York City to offer a job training program housed within the NYC Department of Social Services. (Note: The agency has decided to partner with New York City.) (a) The agency proposes $500,000 over a three (3) year period beginning FY2013 to be included in the State Categorical Grants for the Department of Social Services to provide hands-on job training workshops in office administration, security, construction, and apartment maintenance. (b) Thoroughly used Figure 7.2, Budget Justification, in Chapter 7 (pages 114-115) as an example.
5. Provide names and URLs of the Websites for the state’s budget(s) analyzed and any other government Websites used to support the assignment’s criteria. Weight: 5%	No references provided	Does not meet the required number of references; some or all references poor quality choices.	Meets number of required references; all references high quality choices.	Exceeds number of required references; all references high quality choices.
6. Clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting requirements Weight: 10%	More than 6 errors present	5-6 errors present	3-4 errors present	0-2 errors present

lease see the attached assignment I am willing to pay $35 for this assignment that will be due 02/15/16. Once again, please follow all instruction and absolutely no plagiarism.

 

Students, please view the “Submit a Clickable Rubric Assignment” in the Student Center.

Instructors, training on how to grade is within the Instructor Center.

Scenario for Assignments 1-5

For Assignments 1-5, you are the new budgeting and finance administrator for your local government agency. Your first responsibility is to become familiar with the agency, the budget, programs, and capital projects. As the administrator, you will be responsible for analyzing, examining, proposing, and preparing the agency’s budget for the next five (5) years.

Note:Students cannot use New York City as a selected local government

Assignment 3:Presenting the Budget

Due Week 8 and worth 225 points

Refer the Scenario for Assignments 1–5. Prepare the financial plan and budget justification proposal.

The agency is contracted to work with New York City on several capital projects. To proceed with negotiations, an analysis of the city’s financial documents must be considered. Review the New York City Financial Plan, located at http://www.nyc.gov/html/omb/downloads/pdf/fp6_12.pdf,to answer questions listed. (Title this section “New York City Financial Plan”)

1. Answer Question 1 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: Are total revenues growing faster or more slowly than expenditures? Show the annual growth rates for revenues and expenditures in a table.

2. Answer Question 2 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What is New York City’s fastest-growing category of expenditures during the planning period? Justify the answer with examples.

3. Answer Question 3 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What percentage of New York City revenue comes from the general property tax? How much is this tax growing in each year of the financial plan? Justify the answer with examples.

4. Prepare a budget to support the proposal to partner with New York City to offer a job training program housed within the NYC Department of Social Services. (Title this section “Budget Justification Proposal.”) (Note: The agency has decided to partner with New York City.)

a)The agency proposes $500,000 over a three (3) year period beginning FY2013 to be included in the State Categorical Grants for the Department of Social Services to provide hands-on job training workshops in office administration, security, construction, and apartment maintenance.

b)Use Figure 7.2, Budget Justification, in Chapter 7 (pages 114-115) as an example.

5. Provide names and URLs of the Websites for the state’s budget(s) analyzed and any other government Websites used to support the assignment’s criteria.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

• 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 assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Analyze the basic skills and tools needed for budgeting for public sector agencies and / or departments.

• Recommend appropriate policy actions based on the evaluation.

• Evaluate a budgeting system at any governmental level.

• Analyze the scope and sequence of budgeting in terms of sources of revenues, purpose of government expenditures, budget cycles, budget preparation, and debt administration.

• Analyze the steps required for budgeting, such as preparing a budget, making a financial plan, conducting a cost-benefit analysis, and making budget decisions.

• Examine the key components for presenting and justifying the budget to decision makers.

• Prepare a preliminary budgeting system for presentation before Congress, state / local government, or other organization.

• Develop various budget charts that represent segments of the budgeting process.

• Use technology and information resources to research issues in public budgeting and finance.

• Write clearly and concisely about public budgeting and finance using proper writing mechanics.

Points: 225	Assignment 3: Presenting the Budget
Criteria	Unacceptable Below 70% F	Fair 70-79% C	Proficient 80-89% B	Exemplary 90-100% A
1. Discuss Question 1 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: Are total revenues growing faster or more slowly than expenditures? Show the annual growth rates for revenues and expenditures in a table. Weight: 20%	Did not submit or incompletely discussed Question 1 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: Are total revenues growing faster or more slowly than expenditures? Did not submit or incompletely showed the annual growth rates for revenues and expenditures in a table.	Partially discussed Question 1 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: Are total revenues growing faster or more slowly than expenditures? Partially showed the annual growth rates for revenues and expenditures in a table.	Satisfactorily discussed Question 1 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: Are total revenues growing faster or more slowly than expenditures? Satisfactorily showed the annual growth rates for revenues and expenditures in a table.	Thoroughly discussed Question 1 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: Are total revenues growing faster or more slowly than expenditures? Thoroughly showed the annual growth rates for revenues and expenditures in a table.
2. Discuss Question 2 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What is New York City’s fastest-growing category of expenditures during the planning period? Justify the answer with examples. Weight: 20%	Did not submit or incompletely discussed Question 2 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What is New York City’s fastest-growing category of expenditures during the planning period? Did not submit or incompletely justified the answer with examples.	Partially discussed Question 2 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What is New York City’s fastest-growing category of expenditures during the planning period? Partially justified the answer with examples.	Satisfactorily discussed Question 2 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What is New York City’s fastest-growing category of expenditures during the planning period? Satisfactorily justified the answer with examples.	Thoroughly discussed Question 2 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What is New York City’s fastest-growing category of expenditures during the planning period? Thoroughly justified the answer with examples.
3. Discuss Question 3 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What percentage of New York City revenue comes from the general property tax? How much is this tax growing in each year of the financial plan? Justify the answer with examples. Weight: 20%	Did not submit or incompletely discussed Question 3 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What percentage of New York City revenue comes from the general property tax? How much is this tax growing in each year of the financial plan? Did not submit or incompletely justified the answer with examples.	Partially discussed Question 3 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What percentage of New York City revenue comes from the general property tax? How much is this tax growing in each year of the financial plan? Partially justified the answer with examples.	Satisfactorily discussed Question 3 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What percentage of New York City revenue comes from the general property tax? How much is this tax growing in each year of the financial plan? Satisfactorily justified the answer with examples.	Thoroughly discussed Question 3 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What percentage of New York City revenue comes from the general property tax? How much is this tax growing in each year of the financial plan? Thoroughly justified the answer with examples.
4. Prepare a budget to support the proposal to partner with New York City to offer a job training program housed within the NYC Department of Social Services. (Note: The agency has decided to partner with New York City.) (a) The agency proposes $500,000 over a three (3) year period beginning FY2013 to be included in the State Categorical Grants for the Department of Social Services to provide hands-on job training workshops in office administration, security, construction, and apartment maintenance. (b) Use Figure 7.2, Budget Justification, in Chapter 7 (pages 114-115) as an example. (Title this section “Budget Justification Proposal.”) Weight: 25%	Did not submit or incompletely prepared a budget to support the proposal to partner with New York City to offer a job training program housed within the NYC Department of Social Services. (Note: The agency has decided to partner with New York City.) (a) The agency proposes $500,000 over a three (3) year period beginning FY2013 to be included in the State Categorical Grants for the Department of Social Services to provide hands-on job training workshops in office administration, security, construction, and apartment maintenance. (b) Did not submit or incompletely used Figure 7.2, Budget Justification, in Chapter 7 (pages 114-115) as an example.	Partially prepared a budget to support the proposal to partner with New York City to offer a job training program housed within the NYC Department of Social Services. (Note: The agency has decided to partner with New York City.) (a) The agency proposes $500,000 over a three (3) year period beginning FY2013 to be included in the State Categorical Grants for the Department of Social Services to provide hands-on job training workshops in office administration, security, construction, and apartment maintenance. (b) Partially used Figure 7.2, Budget Justification, in Chapter 7 (pages 114-115) as an example.	Satisfactorily prepared a budget to support the proposal to partner with New York City to offer a job training program housed within the NYC Department of Social Services. (Note: The agency has decided to partner with New York City.) (a) The agency proposes $500,000 over a three (3) year period beginning FY2013 to be included in the State Categorical Grants for the Department of Social Services to provide hands-on job training workshops in office administration, security, construction, and apartment maintenance. (b) Satisfactorily used Figure 7.2, Budget Justification, in Chapter 7 (pages 114-115) as an example.	Thoroughly prepared a budget to support the proposal to partner with New York City to offer a job training program housed within the NYC Department of Social Services. (Note: The agency has decided to partner with New York City.) (a) The agency proposes $500,000 over a three (3) year period beginning FY2013 to be included in the State Categorical Grants for the Department of Social Services to provide hands-on job training workshops in office administration, security, construction, and apartment maintenance. (b) Thoroughly used Figure 7.2, Budget Justification, in Chapter 7 (pages 114-115) as an example.
5. Provide names and URLs of the Websites for the state’s budget(s) analyzed and any other government Websites used to support the assignment’s criteria. Weight: 5%	No references provided	Does not meet the required number of references; some or all references poor quality choices.	Meets number of required references; all references high quality choices.	Exceeds number of required references; all references high quality choices.
6. Clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting requirements Weight: 10%	More than 6 errors present	5-6 errors present	3-4 errors present	0-2 errors present

Create a five to seven (5-7) slide PowerPoint presentation in which you:

1. Propose a solution that will relieve friction in your company’s age diverse workforce.
2. Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
   1. Format the PowerPoint presentation with headings on each slide and at least one (1) relevant graphic (photograph, graph, clip art, etc.). Ensure that the presentation is visually appealing and readable from up to 18 feet away. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
   2. Include a title slide containing the title of the assignment, your name, your professor’s name, the course title, and the date.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Explain effective approaches to the broad spectrum of employee relations, including career development, fostering ethical behavior, discipline, labor relations, and dismissals.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in human resource management.
• Write clearly and concisely about human resource management using proper writing mechanics.

utline a plan that will assess the effectiveness of the market structure for the company’s operations. Note: In Assignment 1, the assumption was that the market structure [or selling environment] was perfectly competitive and that the equilibrium price was to be determined by setting Qd equal to Qs. The market structure in the first assignment was competitive. This means that the firm does not have control over the price and it has to charge the equilibrium price. You are now aware of recent changes in the selling environment that suggest an imperfectly competitive market where your firm now has substantial market power in setting its own “optimal” price.

• Since the company has control over the price, it has to decide how much to charge and how much to produce to maximize profit. 
• The profit-maximizing/loss-minimizing quantity and price can be determined by setting the MR = MC. This involves the following.

o   Find the total revenue: TR = P x Q

o   Find the marginal revenue by calculating the derivative of the total revenue function.

o   Set MR equal to the provided MC function and solve for Q, and then for P.

• Based on the results, the company should make a decision to continue producing or shut down.

 

Question 2

Given that business operations have changed from the market structure specified in the original scenario in Assignment 1, determine two (2) likely factors that might have caused the change. Predict the primary manner in which this change would likely impact business operations in the new market environment.

• Consider the change in the degree of competition.
• Review the sections “Industry Performance” and “Competitive Landscape” in the IBISWorld report provided.
• Factors that might have caused change could be for example consolidation of the industry, i.e., firms become bigger and have now some control on the price.  Also, firms can differentiate their product from the products of their competitors, which again results in more control over the price.  Firms’ actions are interdependent and now their decisions are affected not just by the demand and supply conditions, but by what moves their major competitors make.  These are just examples.  You might come up with other factors.

 

Question 3

Analyze the major short run and long cost functions for the low-calorie, frozen microwaveable food company given the cost functions below. Suggest substantive ways in which the low-calorie food company may use this information in order to make decisions in both short and the long-run.

TC = 160,000,000 + 100Q + 0.0063212Q²

VC = 100Q + 0.0063212Q²

MC= 100 + 0.0126424Q

• To maximize profit, the firm has to find ways to maximize its total revenue and minimize its cost. You should also consider the difference between short and long run.  In the short run, at least one of the costs is fixed.  In the long run, all costs can be changes, i.e., all costs are variable. A review of the IBISWorld Industry Report on the frozen food production in the US can also help you answer this question.  The cost functions affect the profit. The cost functions are to be used to answer question 4 as well.
• Using the provided cost data for the firm, determine whether the firm is making a profit or a loss by charging the equilibrium price determined in Assignment 1.

o   Calculate the total revenue.

o   Calculate the total cost.

o   Find the difference between TR and TC, which is the profit or the loss. 

o   Review the section “Cost Structure Benchmarks” (p. 22) in the IBISWorld report.

 

Question 4

Determine the possible circumstances under which the company should discontinue operations. Suggest key actions that management should take in order to confront these circumstances. Provide a rationale for your response. (Hint: Your firm’s price must cover average variable costs in the short run and average total costs in the long run to continue operations.)

• Here, you have to find the profit maximizing or loss-minimizing quantity and price. Then, determine whether the company is making a profit. To find the value of Q and P, you should use the marginal rule MR = MC. 
• MC function is given. 
• You should calculate MR by using the demand function from Assignment 1: Qd = 38,650 – 42P.

o   First, inverse the demand function to show the price in terms of quantity:  P = 920.238 – 0.0238Q.

o   Then, find the TR function, which is equal to price times quantity TR = (920.24 – 0.0238Q)*Q = 920.24Q – 0.0238Q². 

o   Finally, find MR which is the derivative of TR with respect to quantity, i.e., MR = 920.238 – 0.0476Q.

• Next, set MR equal to the MC given in the second assignment and solve for the profit maximizing or loss minimizing Q and P.
• When you find the values of Q and P, you can plug in the number for Q into the TR function to find the TR and in the TC function, to find the TC.
• Then subtract TC from TR to find the total profit. 

o   If you get a negative number, the firm is making a loss. 

o   If the number is positive, the firm is making a profit.

• If the firm is making a loss, you should figure out whether the firm should continue to produce at a loss in the short run, or shut

o   To answer this question, you should compare the TR with VC, or price with AVC.  If the firm is making a loss and the TR is higher than VC or the price is higher than the AVC, then it would be better off producing rather than shutting down because it will be able to cover some of its fixed cost. But if TR is smaller than VC, or if price is smaller than AVC, the firm will be better of shutting down.

Question 5

Suggest one (1) pricing policy that will enable your low-calorie, frozen microwavable food company to maximize profits. Provide a rationale for your suggestion.

(Hints:

• In Assignment 1, you determined your firm’s market demand equation. Now you need to find the inverse demand equation. Having found that, find the Total Revenue function for your firm (TR is P x Q). From your firm’s Total Revenue function, then find your Marginal Revenue (MR) function.
• Use the profit maximization rule MR = MC to determine your optimal price and optimal output level now that you have market power. Compare these values with the values you generated in Assignment 1. Determine whether your price higher is or lower.)

• Use the profit-maximizing rule MC = MR to find the price and quantity that maximize profit.

 

Question 6

Outline a plan, based on the information provided in the scenario, which the company could use in order to evaluate its financial performance. Consider all the key drivers of performance, such as company profit or loss for both the short term and long term, and the fundamental manner in which each factor influences managerial decisions.

(Hints:

• Calculate profit in the short run by using the price and output levels you generated in part 5. Optional: You may want to compare this to what profit would have been in Assignment 1 using the cost function provided here.
• Calculate profit in the long run by using the output level you generated in part 5 and cost data in part 3 and assuming that the selling environment will likely be very competitive. Determine why this would be a valid assumption.)

• You can also review the section “Key Statistics” on p. 38 of the IBISWorld Industry Report Report.

 

Question 7

Recommend two (2) actions that the company could take in order to improve its profitability and deliver more value to its stakeholders. Outline, in brief, a plan to implement your recommendations.

 

• Review the sections “Industry Performance” and “Products and Markets” in the IBISWorld report.

Using your favorite search engine, locate the website for two research firms. Conduct a review of the services offered by these two different research firms. What types of tools do they use, and how effective are those tools? Be sure to respond to the following questions/topics, evaluating each research firm’s capability of providing valuable services to its customers.

1. Contrast the services and tools provided by the two research firms. 2. Explain the advantages of utilizing these research firms. 3. Discuss why a company might decide to save the money and utilize its in-house team as opposed to one of these firms. 4. Explain how the tools discussed in the lecture might enable more companies to complete their research internally.

Your APA-formatted submission must be a minimum of three pages (not including the title or reference pages). References must include the two websites and a minimum of one additional credible reference. All sources used must be referenced. Paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations.

Research a succession planning initiative in a company of your choice. Describe the process and its outcome. Would you do anything differently? Why? How do we avoid making costly mistakes when naming successors? Can we add something for them to think about this? Explain your

n Unit I, you have been reading about European explorers and their reports on their findings when coming to the “New World” and interacting with the native populations. You have been asked to look closely at how Columbus’s report was designed to “sell” his explorations to his queen, and you have been asked to compare Columbus’s report of his contact with natives to native culture revealed in native stories.

Now, you are asked to critique a 2012 book review by Jeremy Adelman, entitled “The First Global Man: The Americas Before Columbus.” Adelman’s book report discusses journalist Charles Mann’s two major books that re-explore significant events in 1492 and 1493 and their lasting controversial legacies. It can be found in the CSU Online Library’s Academic OneFile database.

For this assignment, you are to write a brief article critique of Adelman’s book review. Your article critique must include the following information and answer the following questions:

 Briefly introduce and summarize Adelman’s book review.

 Identify Adelman’s main points about Mann’s books.

 Who is Adelman’s intended audience for the book review?

 What specific issues are addressed in Adelman’s article about Mann’s books?

 Discuss how Adelman’s book review relates to what you have learned about Columbus and the legacy of early European explorers and their lasting impact on controversial issues still relevant today.

 Use a minimum of three of this unit’s key words in your critique.

Your article critique must be a minimum of one page in length. Format your short essay and cite your sourc

For this assignment you will be continuing to write about your own workplace experiences as they relate to power and politics. Think of one of the largest political battles you witnessed or were apart of during your career, and think carefully about how the concepts from the background materials apply to what you experienced.

In preparation for the SLP, make sure you have a thorough grasp of the terminology from the background materials including the main individual and organizational factors that lead to political behavior and the types of political behavior. Once you are comfortable with the terminology and concepts from the background materials, write a 2- to 3-page paper addressing the following issues:

1. Briefly describe a political battle that took place in your workplace. Explain who the main players were and what issues were at stake.
2. What individual and organizational factors lead to this political battle? Refer to the background readings in your answer, and in particular, pages 370–372 of the Nair textbook in your answer. Refer to Nair (2010), Aswathappa (2010), or the Pearson tutorial in your answer.
3. What types of political behaviors did your coworkers exhibit in your political battle? Be specific and use the types of political behaviors discussed by Nair (2010) and Aswathappa (2010).
4. Do you think any of the participants behaved unethically during this political battle? Consider the factors of utility, individual rights, and distributive justice discussed by Nair (2010) and Aswathappa (2010) in your answer.

Final Project: Using Visuals to Communicate a Message

Visual media can have a significant impact on how effectively a message is communicated. Appropriate and strategic visuals can inspire the audience, lend clarity to a message, and, in general, say things that words alone cannot.

Throughout this course, you decided on a message to communicate, determined the most effective platform or medium for that message, and selected the most appropriate visuals to support the message. For the Final Project, incorporate a minimum of three different types of visual design, such as typography, graphics, and images to deliver your intended message. Note that if you did not create the visual, you must include a reference for the visual(s) contained in the project.

For this project, use the concepts you’ve learned in this course to effectively apply visuals to a business-related message. Below, you will find just a few examples of how visuals can be utilized to communicate a message in the business setting. Feel free to use any of the examples listed below, or if you choose to select examples not included on the list, be sure to request instructor approval prior to completing the Final Project.

Examples of Business Communication	How Each Example Might Look for Your Assignment
Presentation on department achievements	PowerPoint slides with visuals such as video clips, images, and charts and associated speech in the Speaker’s Notes section at the bottom..
Print advertisement for your own business	Word document or PDF version of an advertisement, complete with appropriate image(s), embedded (or links to) video clips, composition, typography, and company logo and website.
Training materials on your job responsibilities	Word document or PDF version of job instructions using typography, composition, and relevant images and video to promote clarity.
Company website	Word document, PowerPoint, or PDF mock-up that illustrates what you would want your website to look like. Complete with appropriate images, effective composition and color usage, company logo, video clips, and shapes representing where the buttons would be.

 

Your Final Project must contain aspects of each element discussed in the course as it applies to your example communication piece. It must use appropriate typefaces, deliver a clear message, and have clear brand identity. It must also use an appropriate composition of graphics, photos, video, or other visual media. In addition to the text, your paper must contain a minimum of five scholarly sources, two of which must be from the Ashford University Library.

In your five- to seven-page paper (not including the title and reference pages or the three visual media examples), be sure to address the following:

 

• Discuss the rationale behind choosing each of the three media elements and support your discussion with concepts from the course material.
• Explain why the media elements contained in your Final Project deliver the message you intended to communicate.
• Describe the intent of the message.
• Apply a minimum of five concepts from the course material to support your choice of media elements. For example you may use concepts such as visual literacy, perception, visual marketing, storytelling, design, branding, social media, communication theories, or any of the other concepts presented during the course. Be sure to discuss the relationship of the concepts to the media elements that you have chosen.

Writing the Final Paper

The Paper:

 

1. Must be five to seven double-spaced pages in length (not including the title and reference pages or the three visual media examples) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the approved APA style guide. Title page, reference page, and any exhibits or appendices are not counted in the paper length.
2. Must include a cover page that includes:
   1. Title of paper
   2. Student’s name
   3. Course name and number
   4. Instructor’s name
   5. Date submitted
3. Must include a title page and an abstract.
4. Must include an introductory paragraph with a succinct thesis statement.
5. Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
6. Must conclude with a restatement of the thesis and a conclusion paragraph.
7. Must use a minimum of five scholarly in addition to the text, two of which must be from the Ashford University Library.
8. Must use APA style to document all sources.
9. Must include a reference page that includes the scholarly sources that you relied upon in constructing your paper per APA guidelines.
10. Must be written in the third person.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.