Author: chris

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Assignment 1: Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness

Due Week 2 and worth 300 points

Choose one (1) public corporation in an industry with which you are familiar. 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 a four to six (4-6) page paper in which you:

1. Assess how globalization and technology changes have impacted the corporation you researched.
2. Apply the industrial organization model and the resource-based model to determine how your corporation could earn above-average returns.
3. Assess how the vision statement and mission statement of the corporation influence its overall success.
4. Evaluate how each category of stakeholder impacts the overall success of this corporation.
5. Use at least two (2) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources.

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.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Determine ways in which the vision, mission, and stakeholders of a firm impact that firm’s overall success.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in business administration.
• Write clearly and concisely about business administration using proper writing mechanics.

Is poverty a choice ?Discuss.

The principle objective of utilization management is the reduction of practice variations by establishing parameters for cost-effective use of health care resources. There are four main techniques or tools used in utilization management: demand management, utilization review, case management, and disease management. Utilization management helps MCOs control costs and improve quality.

 

Refere to the readings of this week and the internet on the above information, answer the fiollowing questions:

• What are t he challenges faced by MCOs regarding practice variations? What do you think can be done to meet these challenges?
• Differentiate between the three main processes of institutional utilization management.
• Determine the main purposes of each process of institutional utilization management? Which process do you think is the most important, and why?
• Research the role of the utilization management nurse.
• Explain the functions of the utilization management nurse, and compare and contrast the information from that organization.
• Explain your understanding of disease management and case management. What in your opinion are one major similarity and one major difference between the two types of management?

Now, access information on disease and case management by searching the internet by using the following kyewords:

• Care Continuum Alliance
• Commission of Case Manager Certification

Based on your research, answer the following questions:

• What is the purpose or mission of these professional organizations?
• What standards fo these organizations set for certification or membership?
• How do thse organizations define disease or case management and do they differ from the text definitions?

As we are learning through this class a culture can be defined as a system of knowledge and a way of looking at the world that is shared by a relatively large group of people.  Cultural knowledge includes shared beliefs, values and attitudes that are developed over a period of time and communicated to other members of the culture through the significant symbols of the culture.  As Hofstede suggests, we learn our culture as a type of mental programming that works much like the way the underlying code of a computer program works.  The “code” of culture guides behavior and affects how we respond to people and situation.

The goal of this assignment is for you to research your culture and to develop a paper outlining what you have discovered.  You are to contact members of your culture and seek out additional resources (our textbook, other books, web sites, and the like) as needed. Upon completion of this analysis you will present me with an individual paper which answers, in detail (providing examples to support your answers when appropriate), to the following questions below:

Defining Culture as a Part of Identity

1. How do you define your culture?

Please Note: in answering this question consider the following:  Usually we think of defining our culture in terms of nationality or a country of origin.  One may say, for instance, I am Polish, or Polish-American.  Groups of people may also define themselves in light of ethnic or racial characteristics.  A person’s sense of identity may also be rooted in a religious heritage or any other demographic aspect such as gender, sexual orientation, social class or in light of membership in an age cohort.  Sometimes, an organizational structure such as being affiliated with the military or a particular type of community such as a rural community or a vacation spot can also serve as a way of defining our culture.

2. Are there particular values that are especially meaningful to your culture?

Please note: Examine how Hofstede has contrasted two types of cultural orientations:  Individualistic cultures emphasize the independence and autonomy of an individual.  In individualistic cultures a person is self-directed and pursues individual goals or strives to please oneself.  Collectivistic cultures emphasize the harmony of the group and the pursuit of group goals over individual endeavors.  This may mandate greater conformity and concerns about the security of the group as a whole.  Provide examples for your answer.

Family Structure and Traditions

3. What are some (list a couple) of the customs or family traditions that you have learned as a member of your culture?  Provide some examples.

4. How do the rules and traditions of your culture affect the way that family members relate to one another?  For instance, do people in the family have certain roles or particular levels of status based on cultural traditions? Provide some examples.

5. How do factors such as religion or a cultural philosophy of life affect family communication? Provide some examples.

6. How does your family culture affect the formation of gender roles? Provide some examples.

Culture and Speech Communities-Significant Symbols and Communication Norms

7. Is a language other then English used in your household?  If so-what language(s) are spoken?

8. What are some examples of nonverbal communication that you can trace to your culture?  For instance attitudes of what is required, expected or desirable nonverbal expressiveness, or rules that govern nonverbal behavior.

9. How does your family trace its roots?  Is there, for instance, a story about how members of your family came to the U.S. or are there important historical events that led your family’s decision to immigrate?  Are there specific places such as an ancestral home or particular hometown that members of the family relate to in order to find a sense of rootedness?

10. How does your culture teach you to relate to people in other communities?  For instance, are there rules or expectations about how to relate to people outside of your own community?

Work and Leisure,

11. What are some of the values and attitudes related to work in your culture?  What kind of work is meaningful?  How important is work or professional standing in the ways that members of your community develop a self-concept?

12. How important is leisure?  What are important games or leisure time activities that people in your culture enjoy?  Do these activities teach attitudes and values?

Living in a Post-Modern World

13. How much does your cultural community embrace technology?

14. How adaptive is your cultural community to social and cultural changes, especially in light of issues confronted by living in a fast-paced, transient world on the move?

15. Are members of your culture able to preserve a sense of distinctive cultural identity in a pluralistic (multi-cultural) environment?

Summary

16. Overall, what do you think you like best about your culture?  How is this a source of cultural pride?

17. What is the most important thing you learned about how your own culture affects your self-concept and how you communicate?

As stated above you are to answer these questions and present this to me as a paper. The format of this paper should follow the format above-with you writing out the questions and answering them (complete with your examples) below the question. Once completed this can be submitted to me by the due date (anytime before, but not after) and in accordannce with the instrcutions posted in our blackboard course.

 

Oedipus Rex – What is the lesson in this play? Make sure to use details and quotes from the play to back up

your answer and address the other possible lessons.

Antigone – What kind of larger issues are contemplated through the action of this play? What position does

Sophocles take? Does this reflect issues of his own time?

Medea – Is Euripides the first feminist?

Bacchae – How are we meant to view Dionysus in the play the Bacchae? Is he portrayed in a positive light?

Why or why not; what is Euripides trying to say to the audience?

Return on Investment – Education Funding

Develop a three- to five-page analysis (excluding the title and reference pages) on the projected return on investment for your college education and projected future employment. This analysis will consist of two parts.

Part 1: Describe how and why you made the decision to pursue an MBA. In the description, include calculations of expenses and opportunity costs related to that decision.

Part 2: Analyze your desired occupation. Determine how much compensation (return) you expect to earn and how long will it take to pay back the return on this investment. Use the financial formulas, Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and Payback, provided in Chapters 3 and 4 of your text.  Desired Occupation- Business Manager

The analysis should be comprehensive and reference specific examples from a minimum of two scholarly sources, in addition to your text. The paper must be formatted according to APA.

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

 

Describes How and Why the Decision was Made to Pursue an MBA

 

Total: 3.00

 

Distinguished – Comprehensively describes how and why the decision was made to pursue an MBA. Includes detailed calculations of expenses and opportunity costs related to that decision.

 

Proficient – Describes how and why the decision was made to pursue an MBA. Includes the calculations of expenses and opportunity costs related to that decision. Minor details are missing.

 

Basic – Briefly describes how and why the decision was made to pursue an MBA. Includes partial calculations of expenses and opportunity costs related to that decision. Relevant details are missing.

 

Below Expectations – Minimally describes how and why the decision was made to pursue an MBA. Does not include sufficient calculations of both the expenses and opportunity costs related to that decision. Significant details are missing.

 

Non-Performance – The description how and why of the decision was made to pursue an MBA is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

 

 

 

Analyzes the Desired Occupation

 

Total: 3.00

 

Distinguished – Thoroughly analyzes the desired occupation and determines the compensation (return) expected and how long will it take to pay back the return on this investment. Accurately uses the financial formulas Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and Payback.

 

Proficient – Analyzes the desired occupation and determines the compensation (return) expected and how long will it take to pay back the return on this investment. Uses the financial formulas Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and Payback. The analysis is slightly underdeveloped.

 

Basic – Partially analyzes the desired occupation and determines the compensation (return) expected and how long will it take to pay back the return on this investment. Somewhat uses the financial formulas Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and Payback. The analysis is underdeveloped.

 

Below Expectations – Minimally analyzes the desired occupation and determines the compensation (return) expected and how long will it take to pay back the return on this investment. The use of financial formulas is not present or inaccurate Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and Payback. The analysis is significantly underdeveloped.

 

Non-Performance – The analysis on the desired occupation is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

 

 

 

Critical Thinking: Explanation of Issues

 

Total: 0.15

 

Distinguished – Clearly and comprehensively explains in detail the issue to be considered, delivering all relevant information necessary for a full understanding.

 

Proficient – Clearly explains in detail the issue to be considered, delivering enough relevant information for an adequate understanding.

 

Basic – Briefly recognizes the issue to be considered, delivering minimal information for a basic understanding.

 

Below Expectations – Briefly recognizes the issue to be considered, but may not deliver additional information necessary for a basic understanding.

 

Non-Performance – The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

 

 

 

Written Communication: Content Development

 

Total: 0.15

 

Distinguished – Uses appropriate, pertinent, and persuasive content to discover and develop sophisticated ideas within the context of the discipline, shaping the work as a whole.

 

Proficient – Uses appropriate and pertinent content to discover ideas within the context of the discipline, shaping the work as a whole.

 

Basic – Uses appropriate and pertinent content, but does not apply it toward discovering or developing ideas. Overall, content assists in shaping the written work.

 

Below Expectations – Uses content, though it may be unrelated or inappropriate to the topic. Content does not contribute toward the development of the written work, and may distract the reader from its purpose.

 

Non-Performance – The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

 

 

 

Written Communication: Control of Syntax and Mechanics

 

Total: 0.17

 

Distinguished – Displays meticulous comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains no errors, and is very easy to understand.

 

Proficient – Displays comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains only a few minor errors, and is mostly easy to understand.

 

Basic – Displays basic comprehension of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains a few errors, which may slightly distract the reader.

 

Below Expectations – Fails to display basic comprehension of syntax or mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains major errors, which distract the reader.

 

Non-Performance – The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

 

 

 

Written Communication: APA Formatting

 

Total: 0.17

 

Distinguished – Accurately uses APA formatting consistently throughout the paper, title page, and reference page.

 

Proficient – Exhibits APA formatting throughout the paper. However, layout contains a few minor errors.

 

Basic – Exhibits basic knowledge of APA formatting throughout the paper. However, layout does not meet all APA requirements.

 

Below Expectations – Fails to exhibit basic knowledge of APA formatting. There are frequent errors, making the layout difficult to distinguish as APA.

 

Non-Performance – The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

 

 

 

Written Communication: Page Requirement

 

Total: 0.18

 

Distinguished – The length of the paper is equivalent to the required number of correctly formatted pages.

 

Proficient – The length of the paper is nearly equivalent to the required number of correctly formatted pages.

 

Basic – The length of the paper is equivalent to at least three quarters of the required number of correctly formatted pages.

 

Below Expectations – The length of the paper is equivalent to at least one half of the required number of correctly formatted pages.

 

Non-Performance – The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

 

 

 

Written Communication: Source Requirement

 

Total: 0.18

 

Distinguished – Uses more than the required number of scholarly sources, providing compelling evidence to support ideas. All sources on the reference page are used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.

 

Proficient – Uses required number of scholarly sources to support ideas. All sources on the reference page are used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.

 

Basic – Uses less than the required number of sources to support ideas. Some sources may not be scholarly. Most sources on the reference page are used within the body of the assignment. Citations may not be formatted correctly.

 

Below Expectations – Uses inadequate number of sources that provide little or no support for ideas. Sources used may not be scholarly. Most sources on the reference page are not used within the body of the assignment. Citations are not formatted correctly.

 

Non-Performance – The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

 

Read the case study titled “A Patient Information System for Mental Health Care”, located in Chapter 1 of your textbook.

 

Write a three to five (3-5) page paper in which you:

1. Create a Software Requirement Specification (SRS) that includes the following:
   1. A detailed description of both user and system requirements. At least four (4) user requirements and four (4) system requirements should be provided.
   2. A detailed description of both functional and nonfunctional requirements. At least four (4) functional requirements and four (4) nonfunctional requirements should be provided.
   3. A detailed requirement specification written in structured natural language.
2. Structure and present the requirements in a logical and consistent manner.
3. Develop a use case diagram to summarize the functional requirements of the system through the use of Microsoft Visio or its open source alternative, Dia. Note: The graphically depicted solution is not included in the required page length.

 

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.
• Include charts or diagrams created in Visio or an equivalent such as Dia. The completed diagrams / charts must be imported into the Word document before the paper is submitted.

 

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Analyze and describe functional and nonfunctional requirements in software engineering.
• Describe the key components in requirements elicitation and analysis.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in software engineering.
• Write clearly and concisely about software engineering using proper writing mechanics and technical style conventions.

1)             This question is based on Tom’s Trailer Sales case included at the end of this assignment. The text lists nine IT duties roles (Figure 12-2)[1]. Without adding any new employees but including Carla, describe how you would segregate these duties for Tom. Tom does not have the resources to develop an MIS internally and will need to outsource part of the process to Carla. Your plan should provide as much control as possible while being practical for an operation as small as Tom’s Trailer Sales. You will not be able to segregate all the duties completely for a firm as small as Tom’s. In addition, you need to consider how Tom operates and realize that all the employees run the computer system for some tasks.

 

 

Person	Duties	Reason Duties are assigned to this person
Carla
Tom
Bookkeeper
Other Staff members

 

2)             Segregation of duties is only one form of controls over information production and distribution. Describe four additional general controls related to information systems that Tom should consider implementing and explain why you would recommend the control. Do not include any application controls.

Control Description	Purpose

 

3)             The following are several multiple choice questions adapted from the CPA exam that cover types of audit tests. For each question, selected the best answer and then explain why it is better than all the alternatives. Your explanations should address all the possible alternatives presented in the question.

1. The auditor looks for an indication on duplicate sales invoices to see whether the accuracy of invoices has been verified. This is an example of
2. a test of details of balances.
3. a test of control.

iii)           a substantive test of transactions

1. both a test of control and a substantive test of transactions

 

Answer:

 

Explanation:

 

 

1. A conceptually logical approach to the auditor’s evaluation of internal controls consists of the following four steps:
2. Determining the internal controls that should prevent or detect errors or fraud
3. Identifying control deficiencies to determine their effect on the nature, timing, or extent of auditing procedures to be applied and suggestions to be made to the client.

III. Determining whether the necessary internal control procedures and are prescribed and being followed satisfactorily.

1. Considering the types of errors and fraud that can occur.

What should be the order in which these four steps are performed?

 

1. I, II, III, IV
2. I, III, IV, II

iii)           III, IV, I, II

1. IV, I, III, II

Answer:

 

Explanation:

 

 

4)             The following are several multiple choice questions adapted from the CPA exam that cover tests of controls. For each question, selected the best answer and then explain why it is better than all the alternatives. Your explanations should address all the possible alternatives presented in the question.

1. The primary objective of performing tests of controls is to obtain
2. a reasonable degree of assurance that the client’s internal controls are operating effectively on a consistent basis throughout the year.
3. sufficient, appropriate audit evidence to afford a reasonable basis for the auditor’s opinion, without the need for additional evidence.

iii)           assurances that informative disclosures in the financial statements are reasonably adequate.

1. knowledge and understanding of the client’s prescribed procedures and methods.

 

Answer:

 

Explanation:

 

 

1. To test the effectiveness of controls, an auditor ordinarily selects from a variety of techniques, including

iii)           confirmation

 

Answer:

 

Explanation:

 

 

1. Tests of controls are most likely to be omitted when
2. an account balance reflects many transactions.
3. control risk is assessed at less than the maximum.

iii)           the understanding of the control structure indicates that evaluating the effectiveness of control policies and procedures is likely to be inefficient.

1. auditor wishes to increase the acceptable level of detection risk.

Answer:

 

Explanation:

 

 

 

 

Tom’s Trailer Sales, Inc. Case Description

Description of Tom’s Trailer Sales

Tom Sullivan owns a small recreational trailer business in a suburban community located close to the mountains. Tom sales are mostly trailers for vacationing and camping, and a variety of accessories for those trailers. Tom’s Trailer Sales (Tom’s) has only one location that includes a parking lot of customers and employees, a sales lot where he stores trailers for resale, and a combine business office, warehouse, and preparation shop. Tom’s engaging in various activities like installing accessories and trailers and doing repairs on trailers in the preparation shop. It stores some accessories and repair parts in the warehouse. The business office portion on the building contains offices for Tom, his bookkeeper, and his sales staff.

 

In addition to Tom, who is the owner and general manager, Tom’s employs six sales people and three mechanics to do the prep and repair work. The only other employee is the bookkeeper.

 

Tom’s Information System

Tom’s Trailer does not own a computer, but Tom realizes that he needs one to remain competitive. As a first step to improving their information systems, Tom hired an MIS consultant, Carla Denton, to design and implement of a new MIS for his business. Carla spent her first two weeks talking to Tom and the bookkeeper. In her discussions with the Tom, Carla focused on clarifying Tom’s goals and expectations for the new system and determining how much time and money Tom could afford both for system’s design and implementation and for the system’s on-going operating costs.

 

Carla’s discussions with the bookkeeper focused on understanding how Tom’s current accounting and reporting functions worked. At the end of the second week, Carla had developed a list of goals and priorities for the new system and had accumulated copies of all forms and reports Tom’s currently generates manually.

 

Next, Carla built a small, prototype system in Access™ that duplicated the functions of the current manual system and then work on how to modify it to produce the additional detail that Tom wanted. She spent the next three weeks setting up the prototype, which included forms for recording data that looked similar to the manual forms and logs Tom’s currently used and reports that contained the same information as the reports Tom’s currently created. Because Tom’s was such a small operation and she wanted to keep the cost of the new system down, Carla did not produce much documentation of the system or the logic she used to produce it, but depended on the built-in documentation features of Access™. Access™ can produce very detailed listings of the technical specifications of every component in the database but does not have any way to document how those components would be used by Tom’s staff to record information and use reports in their daily activities.

 

At the end of the Carla’s fifth week, she had created a prototype Access™ database that could record test data and produce reports that duplicated the current, manual system. She spent the next three weeks working with Tom to finalize the systems design.

 

After two more months of work, Carla was able to present a completed system (i.e., Access™ database) to Tom. She had tested the system with some sample data Tom helped her develop, but felt that running the system in parallel with Tom’s manual system was too expensive for Tom. She felt she had accomplished as much as she could without running up too high consulting fees and turned the system over to Tom along with a list of hardware he would need to purchase to install computers in various locations in Tom’s operations.

 

In addition to the hardware specifications and Access™ database she produced, Carla spend half a day walking Tom through the system and its various components. She also developed a user’s manual of how each component of the system worked. Finally, she told Tom that she would be available to answer any questions Tom had on the new system.

 

The hardware configuration that Carla developed for tome included:

 

• Three small personal computers (PCs) and one larger PC. The three small PCs will be located in the sales area, the warehouse, and in Tom’s office. The larger PC will be located in the business office and will be primarily used by the bookkeeper.
• All four will be networked together with the larger PC acting as the central server. The larger PC will also have high-speed internet access. However, all of the PCs will have internet access through the network linked to the large PC.

Tom reviewed all of Carla’s work, but was concerned about how to control the various activities associated with a computerized environment so he met with Carla again. She prepared a list of the basic activities that IT departments usually engage in and discussed with Tom the nature of each activity and the importance of segregating them from each other. Tom quickly realized that he did not have the staff to handle some of the duties, much less segregate all. Thus, he asked Carla if she would consider working permanently as an IT consultant and developing a plan of how to segregate the IT duties as best they could by including her as part of the IT function.

Prepare a 10- to 12-slide Microsoft^® PowerPoint^® presentation with detailed speaker notes that includes the following information:

 

An analysis of the effectiveness of current procedures that are in place for the issue or situation you have selected. You should:

Analyze how the evolution of health care has affected the financial decision-making process in your selected issue or situation

Analyze how the evolution of health care has affected the financial decision-making process in general

Analyze how the financial decision-making process has affected your chosen issue or situation

Analyze the effect the policy and regulatory environment has had on the financial decision-making process of your chosen issue or situation

Analyze the effect the policy and regulatory environment has had on the financial decision-making process in the health care industry in general

 

In your presentation, base your analysis on evolutional perspectives on health care economics and economic theories while completing the following:

Examine who is involved in financial decision-making.

Analyze what are the steps in the financial decision-making process.

Examine what some of the specific outcomes that resulted from changes to the financial decision-making process.

Analyze what some of the specific outcomes that resulted from changes in the regulatory environment.

Analyze how your issue or situation has been affected by the changes.

 

In your presentation, recommend improvement strategies based on economic theories on the financial-decision making process and economic concepts. Include the following:

Differentiate key players involved in the issue or situation.

Differentiate microeconomic and macroeconomic perspectives and utilization.

Examine tools that support best practices.

Distinguish how benchmarking has been and can be used in financial-decision making processes and economic concepts.

Differentiate economic incentives and competition.

Distinguish global implications in financial decision-making processes and economic concepts.

 

Cite a minimum of four sources.

 

Format your sources consistent with APA guidelines

 

Research the current strategic options and opportunities for one of the following companies: Honda, Lowes, GEICO, Nike, Mcdonalds, Amazon, FEDEX, Disney, or Proctor and Gamble.

Write a 3-5 page paper in which the following is done:

1. Identify the company’s principal competitors and describe the kind of competition they currently present (traditional, potential, and oblique).

2. Generate at least three strategic options for the firm you have chosen.

3. With your strategic options defined, suggest at least three specific criteria to evaluate these options. Provide a rationale for each of the criteria.

4. Choose the best strategic option based on your evaluation criteria. (If your criteria require quantitative considerations, it is only necessary to make rough estimates. You do not need to make a detailed quantitative analysis.)