Author: chris

ou have just been promoted from front-line supervisor to be one of the firm’s senior managers. During your business education, you learned that the primary role of a manager is to make good decisions. As a supervisor, you had frequently been making routine decisions, but you realize that decision making for the overall company can and will have far greater impact on the company and its employees.

Your boss, the chief executive officer (CEO), realizes that you do not have much practice in this higher level, decision-making process and has asked you to write a memo describing your understanding of how to make important decisions.

Your memo should address the following questions:

• Describe at least 3 criteria that would determine whether the manager is making good decisions. What should be done to better assure that you are making a good decision?
• In the realm of decision making, what are assumptions? Rather than use a dictionary definition, cite several specific assumptions that would go with any real-life decision you have made or have seen made at a company at which you have worked.
• Given the importance of proper assumptions, your boss asked you to assess the accuracy of certain business assumptions and what could you do to test or confirm the credibility of them. The following were major assumptions for each firm:
  • An automobile manufacturer’s assumption that the demand for SUVs would continue because gas prices would continue to rise
  • An airline’s assumption that there was a need for an airline that provided no added amenities

The objective of the Course Project is to provide you with practice in creating, justifying, and explaining a decision-making proposal. All elements involved in the creation of this proposal, from problem definition through action plan, must be covered. Further, the proposal, as constructed, must meet the tests of any sound business plan, namely that it has specific and measurable goals and objectives, clearly defined activities, stipulated time frames during which those activities will take place, and clearly defined measurable outcomes.

 

The subject matter of your paper should be business-oriented in nature and should avoid decisions that depend largely on intuition to solve.

 

Guidelines

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Although the length of the paper is not predetermined, a 10–15 page analysis, including data and appendices, is probably correct. You will also share a summary PowerPoint presentation with fellow students during the Week 6 Discussion.

 

The Final Course Project Proposal with the PowerPoint presentation is due by the end of Week 7 (graded).

 

Required Outline

 

The following outline is required for your Course Project.

 

Executive Summary (less than one page)

This summary is a short, carefully worded description of the problem situation that identifies the recommended solution. A brief justification and explanation of the selection method is to be included, highlighting factors that contributed to selecting the recommended alternative.

Decision Problem Overview

Describe the nature and scope of the decision problem selected, its history together with causes, and the outcomes of any previous attempts to deal with it.

In order to define the problem correctly, the following questions should be addressed.

What is the general nature of the problem?

What event triggered the situation?

Are we imposing any constraints on the situation?

What are the underlying elements of the problem?

Are there dependencies on other decisions?

Briefly introduce the key decision elements—objectives, alternatives, consequences, and uncertainties; details are to be discussed in the following sections.

 

Objectives Statement

Explain each objective in detail. Separate objectives into fundamental and means objectives. A minimum of three objectives is required.

 

Alternatives

Describe each alternative, and explain how the alternatives differ from one another. A minimum of three alternatives is required.

 

Selection

Describe the alternative recommended and why. Explain the tradeoffs you utilized or present a weighted scoring model. Explain why you feel that this report contains sufficient information to make a decision on the problem. Describe any additional information that would be useful to have.

 

Consequences

Explain how you determined the values for each alternative and their corresponding objectives. Show your consequence table, either in this section or as an appendix. Include the bases for forecasts and any techniques or tools used to estimate consequences. Discuss the reliability of your predictions. Indicate what events were considered to be uncertain, explain the probabilities of their occurrence, and what information you used to establish your confidence level in these probabilities. A minimum of two uncertainties is required for the paper.

 

Implementation, Monitoring, and Control

This section contains a detailed implementation plan. There will be an explanation of how the recommended alternative will be implemented, resources dedicated to accomplishing it, and key individuals who will be responsible for the plan’s success. Details should be included on how the plan will be monitored, subsequent evaluation criteria, and how the plan can be amended.

 

Works Cited (at least two external sources should be used)

 

Presentation

Once you have outlined your paper, you should be ready to begin a PowerPoint presentation. As you develop the contents of the sections in your paper, you should extract bullet-point ideas that best express your intended message. If you prefer, use the slides to brainstorm and organize your thoughts before writing the paper. Then refer to your presentation to guide and remind you of the flow of your storyline.

The objective of the Course Project is to provide you with practice in creating, justifying, and explaining a decision-making proposal. All elements involved in the creation of this proposal, from problem definition through action plan, must be covered. Further, the proposal, as constructed, must meet the tests of any sound business plan, namely that it has specific and measurable goals and objectives, clearly defined activities, stipulated time frames during which those activities will take place, and clearly defined measurable outcomes.

 

The subject matter of your paper should be business-oriented in nature and should avoid decisions that depend largely on intuition to solve.

 

Guidelines

Back to Top

Although the length of the paper is not predetermined, a 10–15 page analysis, including data and appendices, is probably correct. You will also share a summary PowerPoint presentation with fellow students during the Week 6 Discussion.

 

The Final Course Project Proposal with the PowerPoint presentation is due by the end of Week 7 (graded).

 

Required Outline

 

The following outline is required for your Course Project.

 

Executive Summary (less than one page)

This summary is a short, carefully worded description of the problem situation that identifies the recommended solution. A brief justification and explanation of the selection method is to be included, highlighting factors that contributed to selecting the recommended alternative.

Decision Problem Overview

Describe the nature and scope of the decision problem selected, its history together with causes, and the outcomes of any previous attempts to deal with it.

In order to define the problem correctly, the following questions should be addressed.

What is the general nature of the problem?

What event triggered the situation?

Are we imposing any constraints on the situation?

What are the underlying elements of the problem?

Are there dependencies on other decisions?

Briefly introduce the key decision elements—objectives, alternatives, consequences, and uncertainties; details are to be discussed in the following sections.

 

Objectives Statement

Explain each objective in detail. Separate objectives into fundamental and means objectives. A minimum of three objectives is required.

 

Alternatives

Describe each alternative, and explain how the alternatives differ from one another. A minimum of three alternatives is required.

 

Selection

Describe the alternative recommended and why. Explain the tradeoffs you utilized or present a weighted scoring model. Explain why you feel that this report contains sufficient information to make a decision on the problem. Describe any additional information that would be useful to have.

 

Consequences

Explain how you determined the values for each alternative and their corresponding objectives. Show your consequence table, either in this section or as an appendix. Include the bases for forecasts and any techniques or tools used to estimate consequences. Discuss the reliability of your predictions. Indicate what events were considered to be uncertain, explain the probabilities of their occurrence, and what information you used to establish your confidence level in these probabilities. A minimum of two uncertainties is required for the paper.

 

Implementation, Monitoring, and Control

This section contains a detailed implementation plan. There will be an explanation of how the recommended alternative will be implemented, resources dedicated to accomplishing it, and key individuals who will be responsible for the plan’s success. Details should be included on how the plan will be monitored, subsequent evaluation criteria, and how the plan can be amended.

 

Works Cited (at least two external sources should be used)

 

Presentation

Once you have outlined your paper, you should be ready to begin a PowerPoint presentation. As you develop the contents of the sections in your paper, you should extract bullet-point ideas that best express your intended message. If you prefer, use the slides to brainstorm and organize your thoughts before writing the paper. Then refer to your presentation to guide and remind you of the flow of your storyline.

Assignment 2: Complementary Partners Due Week 6 and worth 200 points Imagine you are working with a partner to plan and host a workshop on leadership. There will be 100 people attending. Review the following optional articles and videos that detail creating a PowerPoint presentation for this assignment: •“Create your first PowerPoint 2013 presentation” by Microsoft, found at  •“Top Ten Slide Tips” by Garr Reynolds, found at •“Top 10 Best Practices When Using PowerPoint for Presentations” found at . Write a five to seven (5-7) slide narrated PowerPoint presentation in which you: 1.Describe what strengths you would like your partner to have for this particular task, and why. 2.Explain how the strengths you have chosen for your partner would complement your strengths. 3.Identify the top two leadership points you would want to share at the workshop, and discuss why you selected those points. 4.Address two additional leadership traits that can assist in managing conflict and improve communication within the organization. 5.Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements: a.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. b.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: •Describe the primary functions of management (planning, organizing, leading, controlling) and the associated skills, tools, and theoretical approaches that can be used to accomplish these functions. •Explain the multiple aspects of the managerial planning process and the application of various business- and corporate-level strategies. •Explain the principal theories of leadership and motivation, and describe the fundamental considerations in managing and motivating individual and group behavior. •Describe actions to improve communications, manage conflict, develop strong organizational culture, and improve the ethical behavior in organizations. •Use technology and information resources to research issues in management concepts. •Write clearly and concisely about management concepts using proper writing mechanics. Click here to view the grading rubric for this assignment.

Assignment 2: Complementary Partners Due Week 6 and worth 200 points Imagine you are working with a partner to plan and host a workshop on leadership. There will be 100 people attending. Review the following optional articles and videos that detail creating a PowerPoint presentation for this assignment: •“Create your first PowerPoint 2013 presentation” by Microsoft, found at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/support/create-your-first-powerpoint-2013-presentation-RZ102925085.aspx?CTT=5&origin=HA102809627. •“Top Ten Slide Tips” by Garr Reynolds, found at http://www.garrreynolds.com/preso-tips/design/. •“Top 10 Best Practices When Using PowerPoint for Presentations” found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtygW25vj_I. Write a five to seven (5-7) slide narrated PowerPoint presentation in which you: 1.Describe what strengths you would like your partner to have for this particular task, and why. 2.Explain how the strengths you have chosen for your partner would complement your strengths. 3.Identify the top two leadership points you would want to share at the workshop, and discuss why you selected those points. 4.Address two additional leadership traits that can assist in managing conflict and improve communication within the organization. 5.Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements: a.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. b.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: •Describe the primary functions of management (planning, organizing, leading, controlling) and the associated skills, tools, and theoretical approaches that can be used to accomplish these functions. •Explain the multiple aspects of the managerial planning process and the application of various business- and corporate-level strategies. •Explain the principal theories of leadership and motivation, and describe the fundamental considerations in managing and motivating individual and group behavior. •Describe actions to improve communications, manage conflict, develop strong organizational culture, and improve the ethical behavior in organizations. •Use technology and information resources to research issues in management concepts. •Write clearly and concisely about management concepts using proper writing mechanics. Click here to view the grading rubric for this assignment.

It is easy to criticize society for not using renewable resources, but in reality, how difficult would this transition be? What processes and procedures would be involved? How would such a transition be made?

The purpose of this assignment is for you to consider what type of energy your neighborhood is currently powered by and what it would really take to convert this source to a renewable one. How much would it take to switch your community to a renewable resource and what would this mean for the environment?

For the assignment, complete the following:

• Identify three primary types of energy that powers your home as well as all of the homes in your community. You may find this information on your community Web site or the Web sites of the local power companies. For example, your community may use electricity and solar panels.
• Explain how the sources of energy you identified impact the environment. Consider the following:
  • Does the use of these types of energy resource have a negative impact on the environment in your area?
  • Does your community have nuclear waste to dispose of?
  • Has your community always used these three power sources? If so, how do you feel this has impacted the environment over time?
  • How much of an impact have these sources of energy had on local air and water quality?
• Considering the current source(s) of power available, determine how much energy your house uses each month. You can find this information on your monthly energy bill.

  Calculate your annual usage for a year. Using this value, estimate the energy consumption for your community. The US Census Bureau is one resource you can use to estimate the number of households in your community.

  You can use the following formulae for this calculation:

  (monthly energy usage) × (12 months per year) = (household energy usage per year); (yearly energy estimate for your house) × (estimated number of houses in your community) = (estimated yearly energy use for your community)

  The following is an example of the above calculation:

  52.8 kilowatt hours (kwh) per month × 12 months = 633.6 kwh; 633.6 kwh × 200 houses in your community = 126,720 kwh

• Recommend a realistic, renewable resource to power your community, using your calculated power needs. Consider the following sources: hydropower, solar power, wind turbines, and geothermal energy.
  • Which source would be the best for your community?
  • Justify your choice based on the kind of resources that are available, how much power these alternative sources can produce, and your estimated energy demands for the community.
• Having recommended an alternative power source, conclude by addressing the following:
  • How realistic is this alternative power source for your community?
  • How will people in your community respond to energy conversion? Will they support it or be against it? Give reasons.
  • How expensive would it be to convert to the alternative power source you recommended? How would this new source impact the environment?
  • What organisms would benefit most from this conversion?

Support your statements with appropriate examples and approximately 4–6 credible resources.

Write an 8–10-page paper in Word format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M5_A1.doc.

By Monday, February 8, 2016, deliver your assignment to the M5: Assignment 1 Dropbox.

Grading Criteria and Rubric

Download the rubric and carefully read it to understand the expectations.

Assignment 1 Grading Criteria	Maximum Points
Identify three primary types of energy that powers your home as well as all of the homes in your community.	36
Explain how your current sources of energy impact the environment, and answer all additional required questions in the assignment.	52
Determine how much energy your house uses each month and calculate the energy consumption for your entire city.	40
Recommend a realistic renewable resource to power your city, using your calculated power needs. Justify your response.	40
Explain how realistic this new resource is for your area, what the expense to convert energy sources would be, and whether you feel that people would support an energy conversion.	40
Explain how this new energy source would impact the environment and what organisms would benefit most from this conversion.	28
Writing Components: Organization (16) Usage and Mechanics (16) APA Elements (24) Style (8)

It is easy to criticize society for not using renewable resources, but in reality, how difficult would this transition be? What processes and procedures would be involved? How would such a transition be made?

The purpose of this assignment is for you to consider what type of energy your neighborhood is currently powered by and what it would really take to convert this source to a renewable one. How much would it take to switch your community to a renewable resource and what would this mean for the environment?

For the assignment, complete the following:

• Identify three primary types of energy that powers your home as well as all of the homes in your community. You may find this information on your community Web site or the Web sites of the local power companies. For example, your community may use electricity and solar panels.
• Explain how the sources of energy you identified impact the environment. Consider the following:
  • Does the use of these types of energy resource have a negative impact on the environment in your area?
  • Does your community have nuclear waste to dispose of?
  • Has your community always used these three power sources? If so, how do you feel this has impacted the environment over time?
  • How much of an impact have these sources of energy had on local air and water quality?
• Considering the current source(s) of power available, determine how much energy your house uses each month. You can find this information on your monthly energy bill.

  Calculate your annual usage for a year. Using this value, estimate the energy consumption for your community. The US Census Bureau is one resource you can use to estimate the number of households in your community.

  You can use the following formulae for this calculation:

  (monthly energy usage) × (12 months per year) = (household energy usage per year); (yearly energy estimate for your house) × (estimated number of houses in your community) = (estimated yearly energy use for your community)

  The following is an example of the above calculation:

  52.8 kilowatt hours (kwh) per month × 12 months = 633.6 kwh; 633.6 kwh × 200 houses in your community = 126,720 kwh

• Recommend a realistic, renewable resource to power your community, using your calculated power needs. Consider the following sources: hydropower, solar power, wind turbines, and geothermal energy.
  • Which source would be the best for your community?
  • Justify your choice based on the kind of resources that are available, how much power these alternative sources can produce, and your estimated energy demands for the community.
• Having recommended an alternative power source, conclude by addressing the following:
  • How realistic is this alternative power source for your community?
  • How will people in your community respond to energy conversion? Will they support it or be against it? Give reasons.
  • How expensive would it be to convert to the alternative power source you recommended? How would this new source impact the environment?
  • What organisms would benefit most from this conversion?

Support your statements with appropriate examples and approximately 4–6 credible resources.

Write an 8–10-page paper in Word format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M5_A1.doc.

By Monday, February 8, 2016, deliver your assignment to the M5: Assignment 1 Dropbox.

Grading Criteria and Rubric

Download the rubric and carefully read it to understand the expectations.

Assignment 1 Grading Criteria	Maximum Points
Identify three primary types of energy that powers your home as well as all of the homes in your community.	36
Explain how your current sources of energy impact the environment, and answer all additional required questions in the assignment.	52
Determine how much energy your house uses each month and calculate the energy consumption for your entire city.	40
Recommend a realistic renewable resource to power your city, using your calculated power needs. Justify your response.	40
Explain how realistic this new resource is for your area, what the expense to convert energy sources would be, and whether you feel that people would support an energy conversion.	40
Explain how this new energy source would impact the environment and what organisms would benefit most from this conversion.	28
Writing Components: Organization (16) Usage and Mechanics (16) APA Elements (24) Style (8)	64

o support your work, use your course and text readings and also use outside sources. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.

In many of our graduate courses, you will be asked to locate peer-reviewed journals to support your discussions as well as your written assignments. To understand the review process click here.

Refer to the Webilography of the course to learn more about Peer review.

Next, visit the South University Online Library and locate a peer-reviewed “Professional Nursing” article that deals with an ethical dilemma in health care. Download and read the article.

Discuss the following with your classmates:

• What is the ethical issue involved?
• Which ethical principle is of concern?
• How does this ethical issue impact nursing and health care?
• What is the relevance of this ethical issue?

This assignment entails development of a comprehensive strategic marketing plan for a new product or service that is ready to “go to market”. A Project Template is provided that allows you to organize your work in increments and see how the sections come together to produce a comprehensive plan.

PRODUCT/SERVICE

This assignment requires application of concepts learned to build a strategic marketing plan for a new product or service that is ready to “go to market”. You will not be allowed to mimic plans or ideas from larger or already “in-place” campaigns. You must develop the business concept in its entirety.

• Describe the new product or service.
• Discuss the qualities that make this product/service new to the marketplace and the rationale for your decision to pursue the concept. Be sure to pick a product or service that is ready to market. If you are developing a new product, assume that the development phase is over and you are ready to launch the product into the marketplace.

OBJECTIVES/MISSION STATEMENT

Create a Mission Statement. State your short-term MARKETING objectives (one year). Assume that the product/service is ready to launch at the beginning of the year (planning and testing have been completed).

• Marketing objectives include goals for sales, profits, market share (as examples)
• Objectives need to be quantifiable. Use the SMART acronym—simple, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-specific—in formulating your objectives. An objective with a 100% goal is not acceptable

TARGET MARKET

Identify your target market. Provide a specific demographic profile and rationale for this decision. Another source that may help you: The US Census Bureau’s American Fact Finder. Consider the size of the market and its purchasing power. Research is required to back-up your selection and to provide statistics to show that it is a viable market.

COMPETITION

Analyze your competition. Who are they? Who are the biggest players? How large is the market? What are the trends/forecasts in the industry? How does your product/service fit in? Hoover’s Pro in the Library is a good tool for this section; it may be accessed under Find Web Resources.

PRODUCT/SERVICE FEATURES

Provide a brief overview of the product or service.

• State the features of your product/service. Show how it’s innovative and different. It may be unique because of the area in which you plan to market it.
• Discuss legal and ethical implications that could affect the marketing process. This will require research.

CORE STRATEGY

Discuss your Core Strategy and make sure to connect it to your Mission & Objectives. Include a discussion on Product/Service Positioning.

MARKETING MIX: COMMUNICATIONS & PROMOTION

The Marketing Mix is the set of decisions about communications and promotion, price, channels of distribution, and customer relationship management. An integrated marketing communications (IMC) approach delivers a clear and consistent message to your consumers and is connected to your Core Strategy.

1. Discuss the aspects of the IMC. (The elements of the communication mix include: advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, publicity/public relations and personal selling.) Define each and discuss the pros and cons of the individual elements.
2. Provide a detailed description of your IMC approach. Explain your rationale for choosing or rejecting the specific elements (include applications to the earlier research section). What changes do you expect to make as the product/service matures?
3. Describe the message you wish to communicate based on your core strategy. Explain your rationale for the message. Formulate how you will communicate with your target market? Be specific. How will the internet be used in your IMC approach?
4. Select and explain the most suitable method for measuring advertising effectiveness. Your decision must include research to back up the selected method. Be sure to explain why this is the most effective method to measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaign.

MARKETING MIX: PRICE

Discuss what pricing objectives you would consider for your product/service. The Objectives should be based on the various theories presented in marketing literature and take in to account competitor pricing. Including background on value proposition, positioning, and target market is necessary. All of these components provide rationale for the chosen pricing scheme.

MARKETING MIX: CHANNELS OF DISTRIBUTION

Channels of Distribution: Specify the type of distribution channel you will use and include rationale.

MARKETING MIX; CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

Customer Relationship Management -Detail how you will incorporate CRM into your plan. Be sure to include a discussion on the role of technology that will be used to support your CRM.

CONCLUSION

 

THIS IS THE BUSINESS:

I will be assisting everyone with their financial future. Manay people assume that they have it covered to sum extend however, the uniqueness of my firm is to assist them in saving monies. I will review the financial history of each client, no matter the age and assist accordingly with certain recommendations. What differenciates me from other similar firms would be the personal one on one service that would be offered. My role would be the minute you enter the doors of my office, I litterally hold your hands and walk you through a better financial future. Whether you are overloaded with debt or not. Whatever the finacial problem be will be fixed, once visited.

 

 

I personally believe in providing that service given the fall in the market in 2008. There are too many people hurting financially and have no idea how to fix it and they are overloaded with debt. For those who are not in the hole I will review their portfolio and give them updated information just so that they can see what is trending in the financial market, For those who require debt consolidation I will assit accordingly. I will start with 4 carefully personally hand picked staff members that works towards the same goal of assisting our clients needs. I will address the 3 p’s as that is key to getting the customers to my office. The office will be a one stop shop for all financial needs.

hortly after the CNO (Chief Nurse Officer) completed her annual performance appraisal and salary evaluations, as required by the Joint Commission; you are confronted by a minority female RN that claims that her wages are substantially less than her male RN counterpart who is performing the exact same job in the oncology department. She feels as if she is being discriminated against. You realize you have no procedures in place to address these issues. Although minorities continue to be underrepresented within the healthcare workforce, your healthcare systems has continued to diversify with an increased number of ethnic and racial employees. You are aware that minorities and women will continue to comprise the highest percentage of new entrants into the labor force. You also notice that this is a pattern as this is the fourth employee that has confronted you with an issue regarding diversity (i.e. specifically differences in racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds) in the last six weeks from the oncology department.

 

Directions:

 

create a 15-20 slide PowerPoint Presentation to make a recommendation to the CEO to create a diversity office. The presentation should include the following:

 

• Explanation of the issues associated with awarding pay increases as it relates to performance appraisal to ensure consistency.
• Identification of components of compensation.
• Determination of the impact on diversity in the healthcare organization.
• Discussion of the role leadership plays in managing diversity and strategies to employ to effectively manage diversity
• Identification of major laws impacting the healthcare industry as it relates to hiring, terminating, and discriminating against employees.

 

Assignment 1 Grading Criteria
Explained issues associated with awarding pay increases.
Identified components of compensation.
Determine the impact on diversity in the organization.
Discuss role of leadership in managing diversity.
Recognize strategies to effectively manage diversity.
Identify major laws impacting healthcare industry.
Style: Tone, audience, and word choice Organization: Introduction, transitions, and conclusion Usage and Mechanics: Grammar, spelling, and sentence structure APA Elements: In text citations and references, paraphrasing, and appropriate use of quotations and other elements of style