Author: chris

Discussion 2: Shared Practice: Evaluating the Budgeting Process

Budgeting is an important part of an organization’s overall planning. Through budgeting, each part of an organization’s structure can be identified for decision making and control. For example, if the budget shows that one million units are to be sold in the next 3 months, the sales department knows that it must achieve that goal. At the end of the first month, the sales department can determine by looking at the budget if it is on track or not and what decisions it must make to meet the goal. A reasonable budget can allow an organization to allocate resources and provide a plan and direction for the organization. A budget can also help measure performance and ensure that managers are held accountable for their decisions.

To prepare for this Discussion, “Shared Practice: Evaluating the Budgeting Process,” take a moment to think about your organization or an organization you are familiar with. Consider the importance of the budgeting process, forecasting, and strategic planning for informing how the organization operates with regard to decision making.

Note: If you are not in the position where you are involved in budgeting processes, interview either someone in your organization or a professional outside of your organization who can provide you with this information. Be sure to identify the position held by this person in your post.

Post by Day 5, the following:

• Provide an evaluation of how forecasting, strategic planning, and budgeting processes impact your organization.
• Provide 2–3 examples from your professional experience in your current or former organization, or from your interview, to support your position. Be sure to include specific budgeting tools used by the organization.
• Identify the key stakeholders in the budgeting process at the organization and explain how they are involved in the processes.
• Explain how knowledge of forecasting, strategic planning, and budgeting processes might impact your decisions in the organization you currently work for or one that you will work for in the future.

Assume that you are a mid-level leader within an organization of your choice. Top leadership has given you the task to study the best practices in terms of leadership today. You will create a report that analyzes the leadership skills and guidelines recommended based on the current research. In your written report, be sure to address the following:

 

1. Determine guidelines for exercising authority. What guidelines would you recommend for reward power and coercive power?
2. Determine which skills are most important at each level (lower, middle and executive) of management. Provide examples for each level.
3. Explain the importance of top level leadership within organizations. Why is it important?
4. Describe how selection and placement can be used to improve leadership in organizations.
5. Determine the types of professional development that can be used to improve leadership in organizations.

 

Support your report with minimum of four (4) resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including older articles, may be included.

 

Length: 6-8 pages, not including title and reference pages

 

Your report should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards.

This week, you will research six to eight primary leadership theories. Once you have researched the theories, analyze the similarities and differences among theories. Your goal is to be able to speak and write effectively about the theories that resonate with you.

Research and examine six to eight primary leadership theories to become familiar with them. Then, write a paper that addresses the following in regards to at least three of the theories.

When and how did the theories originate, and who was the seminal theorist for each?
What are the similarities and differences between the three theories? You can use a table or graphic for this part.
How could each theory be applied by a leader in an organization?
Which leadership theory would you prefer a leader used? Why?
Which theory most resonates with you in terms of your leadership approach and why?

Provide detailed examples to support your responses. Support your paper with minimum of four (4) resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including older articles, may be included.

Length: 6-8 pages, not including title and reference pages

Your paper should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards.

 

Application: The Federalist Papers

 

 

 

It is easy to read and understand words written on a page, but it is difficult to understand the underlying philosophy of the writer. The Federalist Papers give a glimpse into the philosophy and motivation behind the Constitution. In fact, The Federalist Papers are a series of persuasive essays. A persuasive essay utilizes logic and reason to argue why one idea is superior to another. Madison, Hamilton, and Jay wrote these essays to Americans advocating ratification of the Constitution. They address key issues and concerns of everyday people from 1787, some of which have become part of U.S. law today.

 

 

 

• Review the article, “The Supreme Court and Opinion Content: The Use of the Federalist Papers.” Reflect on how The Federalist Papers have been utilized by courts to determine the intent of the founders.

   

• Review the media piece, “Federalist Papers.” Consider the Federalist Papers within this media piece.

 

• Select and read a Federalist Paper from the media piece. Utilize the article, “The Federalist Papers,” to find a full version of the paper you selected.

   

• Think about the key ideas discussed in the Federalist Paper you selected.

   

• Consider why the key ideas from the Federalist Paper you selected did or did not become part of U.S. law.

 

Due by Sunday January 17, 2016 a (1-2 page paper)

Identify and briefly summarize the Federalist Paper you selected.

Explain the key ideas that were discussed in that paper.

Explain why the key ideas in the Federalist Paper you selected did or did not become part of U.S. law. Be specific.

Support your work with specific citations from the Learning Resources. You are allowed to draw from additional sources to support your argument, but you must cite using APA standards. All quoted material must be identified, cited, and referenced per APA standards.

 

One of the products that Company W makes is snack foods. The research and development department of Company W has developed a new formula for one type of snack food that is cheaper to make than the current formula. They want to test the new formula with consumers. They want to see if consumers can tell the difference between the old and new formulas. You propose to conduct this test and analyze the results in line with WidgeCorp’s approach to gathering statistical data and use it to form business intelligence decisions. You first need to explain the process to senior management at Company W. You advocate using an unbiased sample of consumers in their test, so that Company W is randomly selecting people based on the following: age; whether or not they have kids; where they live; how often they buy snack foods; and whether or not they already buy the current product.

Prepare a presentation that addresses the following:

List at least 3 qualitative attributes of the snack food about which they might want to ask consumers. Make sure at least 1 of them is nominal.
For each attribute that is ordinal, assign names for the endpoints of a 5 point rating scale.
Explain the difference between nominal and ordinal data.
Explain how nominal and ordinal data relate to a rating scale.
List at least 2 quantitative attributes of snack food that the scientists might want to measure.
Explain the difference between interval and ratio data.
Include in your presentation the concept of business intelligence.
Include in your presentation the difference between a population and a sample.
Note why it is important to avoid bias when conducting research (see note below).

Note: Give 2 examples of possible populations for this test.

Assignment 1

 

Nature refers to heredity, what is inherited genetically from family and ancestors. Nurture refers to environmental influences, such as upbringing and social factors.

Analyze the nature versus nurture debate and complete the following:

• Select two aspects of your identity from aspects such as intelligence, personality, occupation, leisure activities, social attitudes, self-esteem, or any other important facet of your identity.
• Explain how nature contributes to and influences the development of the selected aspects.
• Explain how nurture contributes to and influences the development of the selected aspects.
• Provide your opinion on the nature versus nurture debate, based on the analysis of the genetic and environmental contributions that have helped to develop your identity.

Submission Requirements:

Submit your responses in a Microsoft Word document of the following specifications:

• Font: Arial, Size: 12 point
• Line Spacing: Double
• Length: 350 words

Evaluation Criteria:

Your submission will be evaluated against the following criteria using the analysis rubric:

• Did you identify two aspects of your identity to analyze?
• Did you take both sides of the nature (genetics/heredity) and nurture (environment/upbringing) debate for each aspect of identity?
• Did you provide your personal opinion on the debate and conclude which factors contribute to the development of your identity?
• Does your assignment meet the minimum word requirement (350 words)?

Watch the Khan Academy Video “Changes in Market Equilibrium” located in the Week 1 Khan Academy Videos.

 

Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper summarizing the content of the simulation and address the following: 

 

• Identify two microeconomics and two macroeconomics principles or concepts from the simulation/video.

• Explain why you have categorized these selected principles or concepts as microeconomics or macroeconomics.

• Identify at least one shift of the supply curve and one shift of the demand curve in the simulation/video.

• Explain what causes the shifts, and how each shift affects the price, quantity, and decision making.

Include responses to the following:

 

• How might you apply what you learned about supply and demand from the simulation/video to your workplace or your understanding of a real-world product with which you are familiar?

• How do the concepts of microeconomics help you understand the factors that affect shifts in supply and demand on equilibrium price and quantity?

• How do the concepts of macroeconomics help you understand the factors that affect shifts in supply and demand on the equilibrium price and quantity?

• How does the price elasticity of demand affect a consumer’s purchasing and the firm’s pricing strategy as it relates to the simulation/video?

As a future executive, explain what you think are the most important communication issues you will have to face as you embark upon your career.

• Discuss whether communication will become more complex, or less complex, and why.
• Address what role technology will play in the communication of thoughts and ideas.
• Discuss how the information gap between generations, cultures, income levels, and education can be resolved.
• Include a statement of your personal philosophy on the future of integrated business communication.

The format of the paper is to be as follows:

• Typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman font (size 12), one-inch margins on all sides, APA format, a Microsoft Word document.
• Use headers for each of the subjects being covered, followed by your response.
• In addition to the three to four (3-4) pages required, a title page is to be included. The title page is to contain the title of the assignment, your name, the instructor’s name, the course title, and the date.

Distinguish between guerilla marketing, permission marketing, and word-of-mouth marketing.

• Choose one of these techniques and discuss three examples from a particular industry (for example, retail, transportation, or food) where companies have used this particular tactic.
• Evaluate the success of the tactics described. Discuss what might have been done to make the tactic even more successful.

What type of Wireless protection do you use on your home network? Advantages, disadvantages? Discuss a couple of different ways that you can “harden” your home wireless network protection.