How does Aristotle’s list of virtues and vices differ from our modern conceptions of vice and virtue?

How might we determine  which is  better: Aristotle’s system or our own?

Ethanol Fires can be difficult to extinguish. Discuss why this is true and what approach firefighters might use to fight this type of fire.

 In the elements of communications already discussed in class, pick an element to write about in communication (Listening, Verbal Communications, Non-Verbal Communication, Perception, etc.), identify, and expand its significance in communication as if it were a literature review.  Also included in your essay you will find and articulate three (4) peer reviewed research articles based on the chosen element.  It will be uploaded onto Dropbox on D2L by the assigned date, no later than 5 p.m.

Acquisition Analysis and Valuation Outline: The proposal must conform to the following conditions: (1) each manager will be representing an acquiring company or investment group whose business growth strategy involves an acquisition and (2) the target firm must be in the same industry.

The acquisition is to be a purely hypothetical acquisition of a financial services company or submit your alternative idea for approval from the Professor:

The use of publicly traded companies as comparables will facilitate data collection, and the selection of a single company and companies in the same industry will simplify the analysis. Based on analysis, define scenarios where an acquiring firm [might] overpay, underpay, or pay “fair market value” for the target firm and why.

The purpose of this Acquisition Simulation is to give students the opportunity to apply the tools they have learned in an increasingly common real world situation, i.e., mergers and acquisitions. In no more than 12 pages plus supporting charts, tables, financial statements and appendices, each proposal must address the following areas:

1. Executive summary [<1 page]: Identify the industry/market in which the acquiring firm is seeking to grow and discuss why a particular firm was chosen as the target. Moreover, discuss the rationale for the magnitude and composition of the initial offer price and your recommendation as to how it should be financed and why. This section should be no more than one page in length.

2. Industry/market overview[1 page]: Describe the industry/market in terms of size, growth rate, product offering, and other pertinent characteristics. Furthermore, describe industry/market dynamics in terms of customers, competitors, potential entrants, product/service substitutes, and suppliers.

3. Opportunities/threats [1/2 page]: Discuss major opportunities and threats that exist because of the industry’s competitive dynamics including any barrier to entry. Be sure that you can show how these threats or opportunities are a consequence of industry dynamics described in (2).

4. Objectives [1 page]: Assume FINANCIAL BUYER. Specify how the acquisition will enable the new company (i.e., the combination of the acquirer and target firms) to grow and create shareholder value. Cite specific objectives the acquirer hopes to achieve (e.g., gain access to new customers or products or proprietary technologies, improve shareholder value by achieving economies of scale or scope, etc.) and quantify whenever possible. Note that objectives can include the exploitation of opportunities or defense against threats identified in section (3).

5. Negotiating strategy [1/2 page]: Once the primary target has been identified

–Describe what you believe to be the primary issues/needs of the parties involved (i.e., target firm stakeholders)

–Recommend a deal structure that addresses the primary needs of all parties. Identify and explain the rationale for choosing the main elements of the structure including the proposed acquisition vehicle, post closing organization, form of payment, form of acquisition, and tax structure. Indicate how you might “close the gap” between the seller’s expected price and the offer price, if the seller rejects the initial offer, by making a counter-offer.

6. Financials and valuation [3-4 pages]: For the acquiring and target firms, provide projected three-five year income and balance sheet and estimate each firm’s value based on its projected DDM. List key forecast assumptions. Provide projected five year income, balance sheet, and cash flow statements for the consolidated acquirer and target firms including the effects of potential synergy.

Clearly state potential sources and destroyers of value. Develop a preliminary minimum and maximum purchase price range for the target firm. Identify an initial offer price, the composition (i.e., cash, stock, debt, or some combination) of the offer price, and why you believe this price is appropriate in terms of meeting the primary needs of both target and acquirer shareholders. The appropriateness of the offer price should reflect your preliminary thinking about the deal structure.

7. Financing plan [1/2 page]: Using the combined/consolidated financial statements, determine if the proposed offer price can be financed through some combination of cash, stock, or borrowing without endangering the combined firm’s credit worthiness or seriously eroding near-term profitability and cash flow.

8. Integration plan [1/2 page]: Identify potential integration challenges and possible solutions. (For those characterizing themselves as financial buyers, integration may not apply. Instead, they should identify an appropriate “exit” strategy.)

9. Conclusion: [<1 page] Recommendations for achieving value in the proposed acquisition supported by key evidence discussed in the narrative.

10. References: List articles read and data sources.

11. Appendices: Any detailed analyses and charts-tables used to support statements made in the “body” of the paper should be included here. If a chart or table is cited it should have a narrative of no more than 150 words. Unnecessary or un-narrated elements of a chart-table have no grade value. All work must be shown for equation calculations and equations must be plain-language specified. (Source ratio, e.g., Morningstar, must have an equation spec.)

APA Format

DDM = dividend discount model

As citizens of the democratic city-state of Athens, why did Cleon and Diodotus disagree about the value and role of public debate and democracy, especially for deciding issues of foreign policy?

2. Using evidence from Suetonius’ Life of Julius Caesar, explain how a Roman citizen became politically influential during the period of the Late Republic (the first century BCE).

3. Using evidence from Josephus’ account of the the situation in Judea in the decades before the outbreak of the Jewish War in 67 AD, explain why segments of the Jewish population rebelled against Roman rule? (Keep in mind that Josephus’ account covers over half a century. Don’t focus excessively on events from a single year, especially if the events took place forty years before the rebellion.)

Essay requirements and grading criteria

1. It should be between 1000 and 1200 words in length.

2. The introduction paragraph must contain an analytical statement (thesis) that answers the topic question and states the argument you are making in the essay.

3. Any subsequent paragraphs (body paragraphs) should begin with an analytical topic sentence.

4. It must not quote more than 75 words.

5. It should make at least seven references to the text. You must provide page citations for these references.  You may use parenthetical references for these citations.  For example, cite in the following manner, (Josephus, 54).

6. It should be free of spelling or grammatical mistakes.

This is not a research paper but an essay in which you develop an argument about one of the primary sources we have read. No other research is required.  Using uncited information from a web source constitutes plagiarism. 

You’ve just been hired onto ABC Company as the corporate controller. ABC Company is a manufacturing firm that specializes in making cedar roofing and siding shingles. The company currently has annual sales of around $1.2 million, a 25% increase from the previous year. The company has an aggressive growth target of reaching $3 million annual sales within the next 3 years. The CEO has been trying to find additional products that can leverage the current ABC employee skillset as well as the manufacturing facilities.

As the controller of ABC Company, the CEO has come to you with a new opportunity that he’s been working on. The CEO would like to use the some of the shingle scrap materials to build cedar dollhouses. While this new product line would add additional raw materials and be more time-intensive to manufacture than the cedar shingles, this new product line will be able to leverage ABC’s existing manufacturing facilities as well as the current staff. Although this product line will require added expenses, it will provide additional revenue and gross profit to help reach the growth targets. The CEO is relying on you to help decide how this project can be afforded  Provide details about the estimated product costs, what is needed to break even on the project, and what level of return this product is expected to provide.

In order to help out the CEO, you need to prepare a six- to eight-page report that will contain the following information (including exhibits, but excluding your references and title page). Refer to the accompanying Excel spreadsheet (available through your online course) for some specific cost and profit information to complete the calculations.

Final Paper Spreadsheet

I. An overall risk profile of the company based on current economic and industry issues that it may be facing.

II. Current company cash flow

a. You need to complete a cash flow statement for the company using the direct method.

b. Once you’ve completed the cash flow statement, answer the following questions:

i. What does this statement of cash flow tell you about the sources and uses of the company funds?

ii. Is there anything ABC Company can do to improve the cash flow?

iii. Can this project be financed with current cash flow from the company? Why or why not?

iv. If the company needs additional financing beyond what ABC Company can provide internally (either now or sometime throughout the life of the project), how would you suggest the company obtain the additional financing, equity or corporate debt, and why?

III. Product cost: ABC Company believes that it has an additional 5,000 machine hours available in the current facility before it would need to expand. ABC Company uses machine hours to allocate the fixed factory overhead, and units sold to allocate the fixed sales expenses. Bases on current research, ABC Company expects that it will take twice as long to produce the expansion product as it currently takes to produce its existing product.

a. What is the product cost for the expansion product under absorption and variable costing?

b. By adding this new expansion product, it helps to absorb the fixed factory and sales expenses. How much cheaper does this expansion make the existing product?

c. Assuming ABC Company wants a 40% gross margin for the new product, what selling price should it set for the expansion product?

d. Assuming the same sales mix of these two products, what are the contribution margins and break-even points by product?

IV. Potential investments to accelerate profit: ABC company has the option to purchase additional equipment that will cost about $42,000, and this new equipment will produce the following savings in factory overhead costs over the next five years:

Year 1, $15,000

Year 2, $13,000

Year 3, $10,000

Year 4, $10,000

Year 5, $6,000

ABC Company uses the net-present-value method to analyze investments and desires a minimum rate of return of 12% on the equipment.

a. What is the net present value of the proposed investment (ignore income taxes and depreciation)?

b. Assuming a 5-year straight-line depreciation, how will this impact the factory’s fixed costs for each of the 5 years (and the implied product costs)? What about cash flow?

c. Considering the cash flow impact of the equipment as well as the time-value of money, would you recommend that ABC Company purchases the equipment? Why or why not?

V. Conclusion:

a. What are the major risk factors that you see in this project?

b. As the controller and a management accountant, what is your responsibility to this project?

c. What do you recommend the CEO do?

Writing the Final Paper

1.    Must be six to eight double-spaced pages in length, and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

2.    Must include a title page with the following:

a.    Title of paper

b.    Student’s name

c.    Course name and number

d.    Instructor’s name

e.    Date submitted

3.    Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.

4.    Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.

5.    Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.

6.    Must document at least three, but no more than five sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

7.    Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Bill, a close friend of your parents wants to start a business. Your parents refer him to you since you are presently working on a technology related degree. In your first discussion, you discover the following facts:

• Bill has been a sales representative for a major restaurant supply company for many years.
• His prior skills are very low tech. He drives from city to city, visiting restaurants and either provides his customers with supplies, or visits new restaurants to try and convince them to purchase supplies from him exclusively. He phones his orders in to the manufacturer, and other than accounting for his expenses while on the road, he does no record keeping.
• Other than basic email skills and a vague familiarization with Microsoft Word Bill has little or no experience with existing communications technologies or software applications.
• Bill’s business plan is to start a new restaurant supply business in his home. He wishes to spend more time at home and travel much less than he did in the past. He knows he will sometimes be required to travel to negotiate deals or meet with clients, but he would prefer to be able to do all this at home whenever possible.

Bill has already implemented the following actions:

• He has found an accountant who has agreed to help him set up his accounting system. (Do not consider any accounting software for this assignment. The accountant will provide that.)
• He has contacted six different restaurant supply companies and negotiated a fee and commission arrangement that will allow him to represent them and sell their products.
• He has found local training and certification company that has classes in all the major software packages (Apple OS, Windows 7/8, Word, Excel, etc.), which will allow Bill to start classes immediately.

Although Bill has minimal technical skills, he does know what he wants. As the discussion proceeds, the following items are added to the plan:

• Budget: Bill has funds for the start up, but the budget has some limits. He doesn’t want the fastest, biggest or best, but he will spend what it takes to have equipment that will suit his needs.
• Security: Bill has heard horror stories about computer information being hacked, and he wants your assurance that his business information will be secure, if he follows your suggestions.

• Hardware: Bill knows of no special requirements for hardware, but he does know he will need to store somewhere between two and three terabytes of catalog information from the companies with whom he will be working. He needs to be able to access this info at all times from any location. He has no knowledge or preferences about hardware and says he will go with what you recommend.

• Operating System and Software: Bill feels comfortable with the Windows environment, and prefers not to learn another operating system.

• The Cloud, Wi-Fi, Mobile Computing: Bill has no idea how these technologies tie in to his business, but he does know he needs to be able to do the following from his home office, from his car, or from any remote location: Check his email and compose/send emails at any time, place a supplies order via the Internet to any of his suppliers, be able to answer phone calls, and be able to set up video conferencing phone calls.

The Proposal:

Prepare and submit a proposal to Bill that gives your suggested solution to his business plan. Provide Bill with the details of what he needs to purchase in order to have what he needs to conduct his business using today’s technology. Make sure you include the following items in your report:

1. Hardware: What items of hardware (computer, laptop, tablet device, telephone, etc.) should Bill purchase. For items like a computer, include minimum specifications for all major internal components. Justify the need for any major hardware items recommended.
2. Operating System: With the recommended hardware, what operating system choices are available and which would be best? Why?
3. Other Technologies: Include the details on any peripheral devices and technologies that you propose (“The Cloud”, mobile computing devices, Bluetooth, wireless networking, etc.) and explain how they fit into the business plan.
4. Software & Training: List the software applications that should be purchased. Include the training courses that Bill should attend to gain basic skills in the software packages you recommend.
5. Cost: Provide Bill with an estimated cost for him to implement all of your suggestions.

Your proposal will be evaluated using the rubric below. Make sure you read the rubric and have a clear idea of what is expected. If there are any additional questions that you would have asked Bill be sure to note them as you explain to Bill what networking options he has so that you can explain what additional information could change your suggestion if any.

In this unit, we have examined the variety of Churches and their reasons for diversity in terms of Authority, Sacraments and styles of engagement with the world.  There are consequences of this diversity in the life of the modern Churches and your task is to identify some of the challenges facing the Churches.

Task Description:

You are to choose a Christian denomination and discuss how your chosen Church represents and expresses the Reformation or Vatican II?  You can do this by researching a key figure, event, or movement.

You must outline some key questions that you want to ask your chosen Church.  Your questions must address at least two out of the three following:

• Dimensions of Authority
• Place of Sacraments
• Practice of engagement with the world

Task Presentation:

You can present this in essay form, PowerPoint, Prezi, song, animation, drama or video.