Author: chris

Analyze the company’s value chain to determine where they can create value using the resources, capabilities, and core competencies discussed above.

Choose an industry you have not yet written about in this course, and one publicly traded corporation within that industry. Research the company on its own Website, the public filings on the Securities and Exchange Commission EDGAR database (http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml), in the University’s online databases, and any other sources you can find. The annual report will often provide insights that can help address some of these questions.

Write an eight to ten (8-10) page paper in which you:

  1. Choose the two (2) segments of the general environment that would rank highest in their influence on the corporation you chose. Assess how these segments affect the corporation you chose and the industry in which it operates.
  2. Considering the five (5) forces of competition, choose the two (2) that you estimate are the most significant for the corporation you chose. Evaluate how well the company has addressed these two (2) forces in the recent past.
  3. With the same two (2) forces in mind, predict what the company might do to improve its ability to address these forces in the near future.
  4. Assess the external threats affecting this corporation and the opportunities available to the corporation. Give your opinions on how the corporation should deal with the most serious threat and the greatest opportunity. Justify your answer.
  5. Give your opinion on the corporation’s greatest strengths and most significant weaknesses.  Choose the strategy or tactic the corporation should select to take maximum advantage of its strengths, and the strategy or tactic the corporation should select to fix its most significant weakness. Justify your choices.
  6. Determine the company’s resources, capabilities, and core competencies.
  7. Analyze the company’s value chain to determine where they can create value using the resources, capabilities, and core competencies discussed above.
  8. Use at least three (3) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources.
  • Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. 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 page length

Explain how inventory investment affects the product method of na- tional income accounting.

  1. What are the two methods we had for measuring output in the financial sector? How do they match our accounting definitions of value added? If the value of the financial sector is in terms of reducing the individ- ual risk in the economy, how do you measure the effectiveness of the financial sector? In addition to the effectiveness, how do you measure the value of the risk managment services the financial sector provides?
  2. Describe the behavior of consumption, investment, labor, productivity, wages, the price level and the money supply over the business cycle both in terms of correlation, magnitude and lead vs lag. Give the economic intuition behind the results on consumption, productivity, wages and price levels. For some of these rather than the intuition you should explain the importance of this evidence in terms of supporting/rejecting various theories.
  3. Explain how inventory investment affects the product method of na- tional income accounting. Why might you want to split intended in- ventory accumulation from accidental inventory accumulation? If such inventories were not considered part of demand, how would our ac- counting identities change if at all? In some economic models, income and subsequent output fall when unanticipated inventories increase. How might such a mechanism amplify falls in consumption? Which Explain how national income accounting is affected by intermediate goods. How do national product accounts record research and devel- opment spending?
  1. Suppose an economy has two years worth of data, years 1 and 2. Sup- pose there are also two goods, bread and corn. Suppose in year one fifty units of corn are sold at a price of 1 $ and 20 units of bread are sold at a price of 2 $. Suppose in year two, 60 units of corn are sold at a price of 1.5 $ and 80 units of bread are sold at a price of 2.05 $. Compute nominal GDP in both periods. Compute real GDP under both defini- tions of a base year. Compute also chain weighted real GDP. Compute the CPI’s with each base year. What are the implications for these measures for the amount of inflation in this economy. What about the amount of economic growth? What if corn in year 2 is twice as valuable as corn in year 1.
  2. Why in your opinion does the US government measure both a GDP deflator and a CPI? Historically how have the two behaved. If you had to measure a nominal amount of spending to see how it changed over time in real terms, which would you use?
  3. How would you distinguish price increases from productivity increases in the cell phone industry if you were a statistician? Why might you be asked to do this? Be as specific as possible about the method you would employ.
  4. Suppose an individual has 40 hours to work. Suppose also the individ-

    ual has a net wealth outside the labor market of 200$. Suppose the

    wage rate is equal to 200 $ per hour. Graph the budget constraint.

    Suppose the marginal rate of substitution between consumption (C)

    and leisure (l) is equal to 50 C . What will the consumer’s choice of la- 1l

    bor versus consumption be. Suppose the wage falls to 100 $ per hour. What is the new choice of labor vs. consumption. Interpret this in terms of substitution and income effects. Use a graph to do this.

  5. How will the following events/policies affect labor supply if at all? Be specific as possible about income and substitution effects:

    (a) An increase in productivity.

    (b) A raise in wage rate

    (c) A labor income tax on all income.

    (d) A labor income tax on all labor income beyond the first 20 hours.

    How will the above policies effect labor demand? What about a price control which limits what can be charged for output.

  1. Show how the destruction of some of the nation’s capital stock (say through a hurricane is destroyed). How should this effect equilibrium, consumption, output and labor supply? Let’s say the government tries to offset some of the effects of the decline in capital by increasing gov- ernment spending. What is the likely outcome of this policy interven- tion as opposed to where the economy would be without any fall in the capital stock?
  2. Consider an economy with a straight line PPF. Show how an increase in labor taxes affects outcomes. Do the same for an increase in government spending. [Hint assume in the background that an increase in labor supply taxes offsets a fall in lump sum taxes.]
  3. Explain the importance of the variability of labor to wages for com- peting theories of the business cycle. How do the data and historical experiences provide evidence about that relationship and the underly- ing theories? You may also want to reflect on the variance of wages and output as well.
  4. Suppose a production function is associated with a Marginal Product of Labor given by by MPN = zN−0.333. Let z = 1. Graph the labor demand curve. Suppose z were to increase to 2. How would this affect the labor demand curve? Suppose in addition to z = 1, firms had to borrow capital at an interest rate of 6 % to pay workers in advance of production. How would that effect the marginal product of capital. What if there was a limit on the capital firms could borrow? Suppose instead that 20% of workers pocketed the paycheck but didn’t perform the work assigned. How would this affect the MPL? Suppose the firm was run by a manager who could with a 10% probability pocket the entire income of the firm including the wage bill. How would this affect the labor demand curve?
  5. Show via a mathematical derivation why an increase in dividend income leads to a fall in labor supply. How would this result change if leisure and consumption were perfect compliments? (This question should lead you to think about the possible competitive equilibria with perfect compliments.)

Discuss the development of Jim Crow policies and practices in the U.S. following Reconstruction.

Part I: Identification terms: The exam will include 5 of the following fifteen identification terms listed below. You will need to provide answers to all five id terms on the exam. Each answer should be approximately four sentences in length. Plan to spend approximately 5 minutes of exam time per term. Answers should 1) define the term, 2) place it in historical context (time, place, persons/issues involved), and, most importantly, 3) identify the significance of the term in African-American history. (5 points possible per term)

 

Thibodaux Sugar War                   Red Summer            United Negro Improvement Association

National Urban League                 Anna Julia Cooper              Plessy v. Ferguson

Fourteenth Amendment              Jack Johnson                       War Risk Insurance Act

James Reese Europe                      Madame C.J. Walker         Birth of a Nation

Lynching                                           Silent March (NYC)             Mamie Smith

 

Part II: Primary Source Analysis: The exam will consist of two of the primary documents listed below. You will select one to analyze. Your analysis should place the document in historical context, assess its significance to historical events and social movements of the period in which it was created, & interpret its meaning as an expression of African-American experience. Plan to spend approximately 20 minutes of exam time on primary source analysis. A copy of the primary documents will be provided with the exam. (25 points possible)

Claude McKay’s “If We Must Die” (1919) (pg. 45-46 of From Timbuktu…)

Marcus Garvey’s “Explanation of the Objects of the Universal Negro Improvement Association” (1921) (Canvas)

Alain Locke’s “The New Negro: An Interpretation” (1925) (pg. 43-45 of From Timbuktu…)

 

Part III: Short Essay:

One of the following essays will appear on the exam. Prepare for both as you will not not be able to choose which question to answer. Please note that because a study guide is provided in advance, I expect a well-organized and well-argued paper that includes references to primary and secondary sources (however, quotations are not expected). I suggest that students prepare outlines of essays in advance (though you will not be able to bring them to the exam). Plan to spend approximately 30 minutes of exam time on the essay. (50 points possible)

 

1. Discuss the development of Jim Crow policies and practices in the U.S. following Reconstruction. Be sure to consider both “legal” constraints to black equality such as poll taxes and segregation as well as extra-legal (outside or against the law) such as lynching and race riots.

 

2. Write an essay that describes the causes of the Great Migration. Consider both those factors that encouraged African Americans to leave the rural south and those factors that drew them to the urban north.

 

Tips for Writing a Historical Essay

The following components are essential to a historical essay: 1) An introductory paragraph that establishes the scope of the argument – including the specific time period, geographic area, & demographics of the group of people you’ll discuss. 2) A thesis statement (located at the end of the introduction) in which you establish the specific position or take a stand that you will defend in the body of your essay. 3) Evidence to support your thesis derived from both lecture & course readings. No Quotations or citations are necessary because this is an in-class essay. 4) A concluding paragraph that restates your argument and explains its significance. 

Describe, and state what you like about a link you found on the web to a video, webpage,

1. There are many resources out there on the web to help you learn database management and SQL. Please post, describe, and state what you like about a link you found on the web to a video, webpage, etc. that would be helpful to your classmates. The link should be to an informative piece that describes the basics of one of the following:

 

 

    • Database Planning

 

    • SQL

 

    • Access 2010

 

    • Queries

 

    • Form Design

 

    • Reports

 

    • Managing a Database

 

    • Business Rules

 

  • Modeling

Discuss how you plan to address the concerns of those groups who oppose the program.

Imagine that you are the mayor of a small rural town and have recived a large federal grant to fund a daycare program for unwed teenage mothers. the intent of the mandated program is to allow those mothers to continue their education.

Write a 350- to 700 word memo to the town council in which you do the following

-Outline the implentation of the program

-Identify two groups who support the program and two groups who oppose the program.

-Discuss how you plan to address the concerns of those groups who oppose the program.

– Identify the program or organization who will be designated to implement this program and explain your choice.

Describe the main differences between microeconomics and macroeconomics?

#1: Choose 2 cities west of the Mississippi River, and research the housing prices for a condo in each city with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Determine how supply and demand can affect the prices of these homes.  highlight economic factors in that area that may influence your decision or factors that make it unlikely that you would choose an area.

 

#2: Suppose you are a painter, and the price of a gallon of paint increases from $3.00 a gallon to $3.50 a gallon. Your usage of paint drops from 35 gallons a month to 20 gallons a month. Perform the following:

Compute the price elasticity of demand for paint and show your calculations.

Decide whether the demand for paint is elastic, unitary elastic, or inelastic.

Explain your reasoning and interpret your results.

 

#3: How would you describe the main differences between microeconomics and macroeconomics? What example would you provide for each phenomenon? Describe a microeconomic decision you made and the factors that contributed to your decision as well as a specific macroeconomic phenomenon or event and how it has impacted you personally.

 

#4: During recent political campaigns, taxes and budget policy were key issues. White House budget packages are often designed to stimulate economic growth. From the library or from the White House Web site, obtain a current summary of government spending and tax legislation that was signed by the president. After reviewing this information, how would you describe the fiscal policy of the United States? Would you describe it as expansionary or contractionary? How can American consumers influence decision makers on fiscal policies?

 

Examine the major effects that government policies have on production and employment.

Assignment 3: Long-Term Investment Decisions Due Week 9 and worth 300 points Assume that the low-calorie microwavable food company from Assignments 1 and 2 wants to expand and has to make some long-term capital budgeting decisions. Use the Internet and Strayer databases to research government policies and regulation. Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you: Outline a plan that managers in the low-calorie microwaveable food company could follow when selecting pricing strategies for making their products as inelastic as possible. Provide a rationale for your response. Examine the major effects that government policies have on production and employment. Predict the potential effects that government policies could have on your company. Determine whether or not government regulation to ensure fairness in the low-calorie microwavable food industry is needed. Cite the major reasons for government involvement in a market economy. Provide two (2) examples of government involvement in a similar market economy to support your response. Examine the major complexities that would arise under expansion via capital projects. Propose key actions that the company could take in order to prevent or address these complexities. Suggest the substantive manner in which the company could create a convergence between the interests of stockholders and managers. Indicate the most likely impact to profitability of such a convergence. Provide two (2) examples of instances that support your response. Use at least five (5) quality academic resources in this assignment.Note:Wikipedia does not qualify as an academic resource. 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 or school-specific format. 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.

Why is it important to stay abreast of this type of information as a manager?

Question 1:

 

 

 

It may seem inevitable that market leaders will find their market share eroded substantially as a result of technological change. Provide reasons why this occurs and examples of disruptive technologies that may prove to serve as a catalyst for major corporations in the next five years.  Why is it important to stay abreast of this type of information as a manager?

 

 

 

 

Your response must be in APA format where appropriate.  You will need to include in-text citations and a references list for external references used in supporting your points for this question. You should have no fewer than 7 references for your response to this particular question.

 

Question 2:

 

There is a debate in marketing on the question of whether or not marketing creates or satisfies consumer’s needs. Marketing has often been defined in terms of satisfying customer’s wants and needs and some critics maintain that marketing goes beyond that and creates needs and wants that did not exist before. According to these critics, marketers encourage consumers to spend more money than they should on goods and services they really do not need. Consider the broad shifts in marketing. Are there any themes that emerge in these shifts? Can they be related to the major societal forces? Which force has contributed to which shift.

Your response must be in APA format where appropriate. You will need to include in-text citations and a references list for external references used in supporting your points for this question. You should have no fewer than 7 references for your response to this particular question.