Author: chris

 

As an entrepreneur, you want to start a business. You know that the first step is to consider drafting a business plan proposal to organize all of your ideas. For this assignment, you will submit a business plan for your imaginary business. For research purposes, you can choose any state for the location of your business. You are creating your business based on biblical principles, which should be integrated throughout your plan.

 

Your business plan must include the following:

1. Introduction of the proposed business;
2. Description and explanation of the type of business entity that is best for your business;
3. Description of the specific steps needed to be followed to successfully and legally start the business;
4. A draft of a valid contract with a vendor, supplier, customer, etc. that illustrates all elements of a contract and takes into consideration some of the topics discussed in the contract chapters;
5. Description of possible ethical considerations for your business, including any social responsibility plans or attitudes that your business will embrace;
6. Description of a possible disagreement that could be encountered among the partners, or investors and shareholders, or other stakeholders in the business; and
7. Illustration of the various ways the disagreement could be resolved (referring back to the formal documents, such as the articles of incorporation or the partnership agreement).

 

This paper must be 1,500–2,100 words, double-spaced, Times New Roman font or similar, structured in APA form. Your analysis must be supported by at least 3 scholarly sources other than the Melvin textbook. Sources must be cited in current APA format.

Answer the questions below in no less than one page and no more than two pages. The assignment should be submitted on Microsoft Word with default margins, using 12 point Times New Roman black font, be double-spaced, and be in essay format. Use your textbook as a reference to complete this assignment. 1. What is the ‘clear and present danger’ test used to allow the government to restrict speech? Provide one example when the test would come into play. 2. Explain how fighting words are different than ordinary language. Provide one example of what would be considered ‘fighting words. 3. Provide a fictitious scenario where an assembly becomes ‘unlawful’ due to the use of ‘fighting words’ and the police determining a ‘clear and present danger’.

Discuss setting funtionsin A Rose for Emily. How or why is the setting necessary for your understanding of what the story is all about? Is there a relationship between setting and characters in the story? How is the setting presented or described? What kind of language is used?

You should analyze the film through the lens of one of the broad theories you have learned about in class (auteur theory, genre theory, formalist theory). Your analysis must address four main areas (contextual information, story/plot, aesthetic choices, and social/personal impact) and how these areas work together to develop the theme of the movie.

Your annual report analysis is due at the end of Week 6. Obtain an annual report from a corporation that is interesting to you. Using techniques thatyou have learned ofin the previous weeks, respond to the following questions:

1. Who are the firmâs auditors? Do they provide a clean opinion on the financial statements?
2. Have there been any subsequent events, errors and irregularities, illegal acts, or related-party transactions that have a material effect on the financial statements?
3. Describe the trend in total assets and total liabilities for the years presented.
4. What are the companyâs three largest assets for the most recent year presented?
5. What are the companyâs three largest liabilities for the most recent year presented?
6. What types of stock does the company have? How many outstanding shares are there for each type of stock for the most recent year presented?
7. Does the company use the single-step income statement, multiple-step income statement, or a variation of both?
8. Does the income statement contain any separately reported items, including discontinued operations or extraordinary items, in any year presented? If it does, describe the event that caused the item. (Hint: There should be a related footnote.)
9. Describe the trend in net income over the years presented.
10. Does the company have other comprehensive income? If yes, what is the nature of the transaction(s)?
11. Does the company use the indirect or direct method of the cash flow statement?
12. What is the trend in cash from operations for the years presented?
13. What are thetwo largest items included in cash from investing activities?

Organizational Design and Culture

Many companies find they are forced to remodel their traditional hierarchical structures, which were originally built around functional specialization and centralized authority, to compete in today’s marketplace. Companies often draw on the following five tools of organizational design to make their organizations leaner, flatter, and more responsive to change. The five tools are:

• Empower managers and workers
• Reengineer work processes
• Implementing self-directed work teams
• Rapid incorporation of Internet technology applications
• Networking with outsiders to improve existing capabilities and create new ones

In addition, there are many managerial tasks that shape corporate culture and the leadership skills needed to engage the full organization to produce great results. Examine the dynamics of the elements that must be brought together to create a corporate culture, such as core values and business principles, operating practices and behaviors, ethical standards and attitudes, and work climate and people management practices.

Considering the five tools of organizational design, managerial tasks and leadership skills, examine the practices followed by your selected organization and include the following in a 8–10 page APA formatted paper in MS Word:

Describe which of the five tools of organizational design your selected organization uses to maintain and improve productivity while achieving cost savings. Use detailed examples in your response.

Explain how work groups are utilized in your organization to accomplish the stated goals of the company.

Describe the motivational practices used by the organization to promote better strategy execution. Include some illustrative examples in your response.

Explain how, if at all, the reward system in the organization ties incentives directly to achieving higher productivity and performance targets.

Explain the evaluation and feedback process used in your company to assess employee performance.

Identify the elements in the organization that affect how cultural change is implemented.

Describe the ethical model being used by the company.

Present your overall opinion of the organization’s corporate strategy approach. Is the strategy execution effort delivering the expected results? Explain and illustrate your conclusions.

 

Describe what specific actions have been taken to delegate authority to middle and junior managers and to create a sense of empowerment among employees. Explain and illustrate your answers.

Text Book – Ethical theory and business(7th ed.) – Beauchamp, T. & Bowie, N. (2004)  Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Chapters 7-8 Ethical Issues in Marketing and Information Technology

Question 5a

As presented by David M. Holley in “Information Disclosure in Sales” (Beauchamp & Bowie, 2004, p. 427) discuss the five (5) rules of information disclosure. (25 points) (A 1½-page response is required.) Single-space within paragraph and Double-space between paragraphs

Question 5b

The Right to Privacy is central to ethical issues in information technology and the Internet. Address the following issues concerning this concept. (25 points) (A 1½-page response is required.) Single-space within paragraph and Double-space between paragraphs

 

 

 

1.     Discuss two (2) personal viewpoints and two (2) organizational viewpoints related to the issues of privacy and the exchange of information.

 

2.     Discuss the (2) ethical foundations involved in determining privacy issues.

 

3.     Which issue specifically is key to a Kantian viewpoint of privacy? Explain.

 

 

 

Activity 5c

 

 

 

Activity Instructions: Image Ad

 

 

 

Cut out a self-identity image ad (as defined in Beauchamp & Bowie, pp. 417-426) from a full-color magazine. Prepare a 3-page written analysis of the ad, addressing the following issues. Submit the ad, in addition to your 3-page analysis, for grading.

 

 

 

1.     Why is this advertisement characterized as an image ad?

 

2.     Does the ad imply any false promises?

 

3.     Identify the underlying presuppositions of the ad.

 

4.     What is your assessment of the cumulative effect of the ad on an individual’s self- identity?

 

5.     Identify the viewer gaze and the implied gaze of the ad.

 

6.     Discuss the ethical and autonomy issues of the ad.

 

7.     Give your personal opinion of the ad and its impact on you.

 

 

 

You may not use an ad from any of the companies mentioned in the article Is Self-Identity Image Advertising Ethical? You may, however, use these as process guides in your own analysis. Your Activity responses should be both grammatically and mechanically correct, and formatted in the same fashion as the Activity itself. If there is a Part A, your response should identify a Part A, etc. In addition, you must appropriately cite all resources used in your response and document in a bibliography using APA style. (125 points) (A 3-page analysis is required.) Single-space within paragraph and Double-space between paragraphs

 

 

 

Ethical theory and business (7th ed.) – Beauchamp, T. & Bowie, N. (Eds.). (2004) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

 

 

 

Chapters 9-10 Ethics, International Business, and Justice Issues

 

 

 

Question 6a

 

 

 

In Chapter 10, Beauchamps and Bowie state, “There could be, based on this analysis, libertarian societies, egalitarian societies, utilitarian societies, and communitarian societies, as well as societies based on mixed theories or derivative theories of taxation and redistribution.” Describe the basic elements of each of these four (4) societies, and discuss how each of these societal concepts relates to our democratic process in terms of American economics, government, or ethics. (25 points) (A 1½-page response is required.) Single-space within paragraph and Double-space between paragraphs

 

 

 

Question 6b

 

 

 

When, if ever, is paying bribes to do business in foreign countries ethical? (25 points) (A 1½-page response is required.) Single-space within paragraph and Double-space between paragraphs

 

 

 

1.     Using the Internet, develop a research bibliography, in APA format, of three (3) sources that address the concept of international bribery.

 

2.     Write a summary and analysis of your findings. Use and quote sources, and relate your findings to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977.

 

 

 

Activity 6c

 

 

 

Activity Instructions: Far-East Designs

 

 

 

You have discovered that the company you work for, Far-East Designs, has been running plants in Vietnam for the manufacture of a women’s designer clothing line you sell. A customer brought this to your attention and asks how you can justify the fact that he or she should continue to buy from you when you are taking advantage of foreign workers who continue to live in poverty. You return to your company president and share your concerns. His claim is that the workers are paid at a level far above the minimum wages set forth by the local government. In fact, they have excellent working conditions and are happy workers.

 

 

 

The company president tells you to prepare a PowerPoint presentation, for the customer, which supports the work that is being done in Vietnam. Your task is to develop a PowerPoint presentation justifying salaries and working conditions in Vietnam and defending your company. Be sure to provide illustrations of your company’s policies relating to the issues you discuss. Refer to several of the standards covered in your reading to strengthen your argument. Your presentation should provide a logical and consistent argument that supports your company. Your Activity responses should be both grammatically and mechanically correct, and formatted in the same fashion as the Activity itself. If there is a Part A, your response should identify a Part A, etc. In addition, you must appropriately cite all resources used in your response and document in a bibliography using APA style. (125 points) (A minimum of 15 slides are required in your PowerPoint presentation.)

 

 

Global Supply Chain Management: Quality Strategy

This assignment is based on a case study that is in Ashford University’s library. Please read Soltani, Azadegan, Liao, and Phillips (2011) which may be found in the Ashford University library (EBSCO database). You are the senior executive in charge of supply chain management for the focal firm or buyer in the United States. M-case and H-case are two important suppliers for your firm. The CEO of the focal firm wants action. The CEO has asked you to respond to the following statements.

• Examine the problems and causes that may contribute to low quality throughout the supply chain. Soltani, et al. (2011) recommended that the leadership in the focal firm or buyer select good partners, ensure cooperation, and motivate loyalty to the buyer.
• Describe how you would implement the recommendations developed in the case study.
• Propose changes to the supplier contract in order for the supply chain to be successful.

Submit your three to four-page paper (not including the title and reference pages) written according to APA style as shown in the approved style guide. The CEO has also asked you to include two scholarly sources in addition to the textbook to support your answers

Your annual report analysis is due at the end of Week 6. Obtain an annual report from a corporation that is interesting to you. Using techniques thatyou have learned ofin the previous weeks, respond to the following questions:

1. Who are the firmâs auditors? Do they provide a clean opinion on the financial statements?
2. Have there been any subsequent events, errors and irregularities, illegal acts, or related-party transactions that have a material effect on the financial statements?
3. Describe the trend in total assets and total liabilities for the years presented.
4. What are the companyâs three largest assets for the most recent year presented?
5. What are the companyâs three largest liabilities for the most recent year presented?
6. What types of stock does the company have? How many outstanding shares are there for each type of stock for the most recent year presented?
7. Does the company use the single-step income statement, multiple-step income statement, or a variation of both?
8. Does the income statement contain any separately reported items, including discontinued operations or extraordinary items, in any year presented? If it does, describe the event that caused the item. (Hint: There should be a related footnote.)
9. Describe the trend in net income over the years presented.
10. Does the company have other comprehensive income? If yes, what is the nature of the transaction(s)?
11. Does the company use the indirect or direct method of the cash flow statement?
12. What is the trend in cash from operations for the years presented?
13. What are thetwo largest items included in cash from investing activities?