Unit4 – Group Project

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Building a brand is crucial exercise that often takes years or decades to accomplish. The benefit of brand equity is realized in the bottom line. You researched brand equity from a consumer standpoint. For this assignment, you will select a big nationally or internationally known brand that has advertisements that feature a famous person or persons.

PART 1: Research Background

Research the selected brand using both its Web site and articles in the AIU Library’s full-text databases, and address the following:

  • What does the brand mean in today’s market?
  • How has it evolved over time?
  • What is the target market(s) for the brand? Has that changed from the past?
  • How is the competition positioned of Toyota Corporation?

This section of the assignment requires the use of articles from the AIU Library’s full-text databases. Articles are found in periodicals. These are not to be confused with eBooks or reference books. The most popular databases in marketing are: ABI Inform Global, Academic Search Premier, and Business Source Premier. This section of the paper should be at least 2 pages in length.

PART 2: Application

Marketing is not all serious research involving scholarly, statistical, and practitioner resources; it is also about trends, buzz, and pop culture of the day. Actors, models, musicians, athletes, and reality stars of the moment are hounded by the press. Their lives unfold in the media, and many are seen wearing, carrying, eating, or driving a particular brand. For this section, you may research the following in any media outlet:

  • What celebrities endorse your brand? Why are they a good fit? To what target market do they connect?
  • What other famous characters could be connected to your brand? Explain why.
  • What about the competition? What kind of endorsers do they use?

This section of the paper should be at least 2 pages in length.

Your report must include a reference list. All research should be cited in the body of the paper. In-text citations and corresponding references should be included in your paper. For more information on APA, please visit the APA Lab. The paper should be written in third person; this means words like I, we, and you are not appropriate. The use of direct quotes is discouraged but may be used sparingly in appropriate situations.

Your assignment should contain a cover page, an abstract page, and a reference page in addition to the body. The body of the paper should be 4-5 pages in length, starting with a brief 1-paragraph introduction and ending with a short conclusion. The entire submission will be 7-8 pages in length.

Assignment 1: Expanding an MNC – Part 1/Assignment 2: Expanding an MNC – Part 2

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Assignment 1 Submission .

Assignment 1: Expanding an MNC – Part 1
Due Week and worth 300 points Imagine that you are a senior business manager in a U.S.-based MNC. Your boss has informed you that the MNC is considering expanding into an emerging market and has asked you to evaluate three (3) potential markets. To get started, you must decide the following: 
•Determine what kind of business your MNC is (e.g., manufacturing, information technology, etc.).
•Determine what products or services your MNC provides.
•Select three (3) emerging market countries to evaluate.
Write a 4-6 page paper in which you: 
1.Describe a fictional MNC and describe the type of business your MNC is and the products and services it provides.
2.Create a matrix that compares three (3) emerging market countries across the following seven (7) elements: 
1.economic system
2.political environment
3.legal and regulatory environment
4.technological environment
5.ethical system
6.social responsibility indicators
7.cultural dimensions
3.Evaluate each country in the matrix as to its suitability for your MNC.
4.Determine and justify your recommendation for which emerging market your company should consider expansion.
5.Provide at least three (3) qualified sources (i.e., peer-reviewed journals, government, or a professional organization Website).
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: 
•Analyze the major economic, social/cultural, technology, and political/legal aspects of the international business environment.
•Analyze the ethical issues in conducting international business and develop guidelines for a company to operate in an ethical and socially responsible manner in global markets.
•Analyze leadership styles and operating norms and their relationship to cultural differences, organizational cultures, and the motivation of employees in diverse work environments.
•Use technology and information resources to research issues in global management.
•Write clearly and concisely about global management using proper writing mechanics.

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Assignment 2: Expanding an MNC – Part 2 Due worth 300 points 

Imagine that you are a senior business manager in a U.S.-based MNC. Your boss has accepted your recommendation to expand the MNC into the country you selected in Assignment 1. Your boss has now asked you to formulate an entry and implementation strategy for expansion. 
Write a 5-7 page paper in which you: 1. Describe an organizational culture for your fictional MNC that would ease entry into the given market. 2. Prepare an environmental scanning analysis for the new market as illustrated in Figure 8-3. 3. Determine the entry strategy, ownership structure, and organizational structure for your fictional MNC that would ease entry into the given market. Justify your selections. 4. Create a political risk assessment for the given country. 5. Design an implementation strategy for expansion based on the above analyses and justify your recommendation. 
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; 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. 
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:  Explain the major considerations for effective communication and decision making in an international environment.  Formulate competitive market entry strategies and organizational structures to operate in foreign markets.  Use technology and information resources to research issues in global management.  Write clearly and concisely about global management using proper writing mechanics 

Health Care Help

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QUESTION 1

Write a 350 word summary that describes the issue and its impact on the health industry and society as a whole.

 Consider the following:
•What is the article about?
•Does the article provide a national or global perspective about the issue?
•Does the information presented in the article affect you or people you know? Explain.
•Does the article make any claims about possible solutions or responses to the issue?

Format your summary consistent with APA guidelines.

 

QUESTION 2

Here is your fictional person for your Week 2 Assignment.

Your person is a 60 year old female who has a lot of medical problems. Her name is Agnes and she has been having heart problems for the past 15 years. She is now facing the possibility of deciding on if she needs to have heart catherization or not. She is on several medications that is required for her to take daily in order to keep her heart working, but they are starting to fail.

Use her situation in order to complete the Week 2 Assignment.

Summary:

Agnes- 60 year old

Heart Problems

Possible Heart Catherization

Daily Medications are starting to fail.

 

QUESTION 3

The two products are My Food Diary and MyNetDiary ..

Suggest a new way to market the products to a different age group (400 words). Include the following:

•Indicate the original age group identified during the first week. Choose another age group to market this product to.
•What media style would be most effective to reach the new audience?
•What strategies would it take to market this product to the new age group?
•Describe what the advertisement would look like.
•Describe some key terms that would be used to market the product.
•What do you think the consumers’ response would be?
•Would a different marketing plan for this product change your opinion about the product?

Power Point

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Assignment 2: Designing Value-Based Service

As the rate of innovation increases, companies face expanding product/service lines, shorter product and service lifecycles, and more frequent product/service transitions. All of these can bring tremendous value but also pose enormous challenges and risks.

The article “The Art of Managing New Product Transitions” by Erhun, Gonclave, and Hopman (2007) from the readings for this module includes a matrix titled “Product Drivers and Risk Factors,” which focuses on Intel, a company that manufactures high-tech products (p. 76). Based on your readings and research, address the following issues:

  • Redesign the product risk factor matrix so that the factors are appropriate for a services firm that delivers traditional tax accounting and audit services. For example, among the supply risks, assume that the company relies on individuals with specific knowledge of the tax law in the jurisdictions where its clients operate, be it state, federal, or foreign.

  • Now, assume that the firm wants to develop a management consultancy practice. (Alternatively, you may choose to add a legal services line instead.). Create a separate new matrix that summarizes the additional risk factors for this firm launching a management consultancy or legal services line. What additional risk factors are you adding to your matrix?

  • Explain how the business risks differ between traditional tax and audit services and management consulting services. In your opinion, what are the three biggest risks the firm faces if it diversifies into the new service line?

  • Recommend whether the firm should organically grow into a consultancy service or acquire a third party to achieve new goals. Justify your recommendations.

Develop a 6–8-slide presentation in PowerPoint format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M2_A2.ppt.

Be sure to include the following in your presentation:

 

  • A title slide

  • An agenda slide

  • A reference slide

  • Headings for each section

  • Speaker notes to support the content in each slide

for professor2013 only

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You have just attended a manager’s meeting about establishing self-directed, high-performing teams. The company is concerned because some of the managers are having success building self-directed, high-performing teams while others are not. A discussion occurred that identified the characteristics of the successful team building elements and compared them to those managers that have not been successful. This is a situation where those who are struggling need to learn from those who are doing well. The discussions included identifying what could be going wrong and what steps might be taken for success.

You have been asked to write a research report that summarizes the meeting and offers some recommendations that might be helpful to those managers who are struggling. Specifically, your report must include:

  • Identification of the difficulties the managers may be having in establishing self-directed, high-performing teams
  • Identification of the successful characteristic of establishing self-directed, high-performing teams
  • Recommendations for success
  • A designed plan that might help guide the struggling managers and improve negotiation and conflict resolution skills

Use the Library and Internet to research this topic.

Present your findings as a 3-4 pages Word document formatted in APA style.

3-4 body pages

TITLE PAGE. Remember the Running head: AND TITLE IN ALL CAPITALS

  • ABSTRACT. A summary of your paper…not an introduction. Begin writing in third person voice.
  • BODY. The body of your paper begins on the page following the title page and abstract page and must be double-spaced (be careful not to triple- or quadruple-space between paragraphs). The type face should be 12-pt. Times Roman or 12-pt. Courier in regular black type. Do not use color, bold type, or italics except as required for APA level headings and references. The deliverable length of the body of your paper for this assignment is 3-4 pages. In-body academic citations to support your decisions and analysis are required. A variety of academic sources is encouraged.
  • REFERENCE PAGE. References that align with your in-body academic sources are listed on the final page of your paper. The references must be in APA format using appropriate spacing, hang indention, italics, and upper and lower case usage as appropriate for the type of resource used. Remember, the Reference Page is not a bibliography but a further listing of the abbreviated in-body citations used in the paper. Every referenced item must have a corresponding in-body citation.

Can someone write this for me

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Assignment 2: Discussion—Competitive Advantage and Globalization

Competitive advantage implies the creation of a system that has a unique advantage over competitors. With the advent of globalization, the competition has become stronger and can be located anywhere in the world. The idea behind competitive advantage is to create customer value in an efficient and sustainable way. One approach to address this issue would be the use of resource-based theories of competitive advantage.

Resources are not simply raw materials but include all the inputs, such as intellectual capital, necessary to produce a good or service. Consider this as you address globalization strategies for Fortune 500 firms in this assignment. Be mindful of constraints, such as transportation costs and cultural barriers, as you complete this assignment.

Review the article “Resource-Based Theories of Competitive Advantage: A Ten-Year Retrospective on the Resource-Based View” by J. B. Barney from the readings for this module.

Based on your analysis of this article and other readings for this module, respond to the following:

  • Explain how resource-based competitive advantage drives globalization strategies for Fortune 500 firms.

  • Why are application of project management principles critical to effective business operations?

Barney, J. B. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99–120. (ProQuest Document ID: 215258436)http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.edmc.edu/docview/215258436?accountid=34899

Barney, J. B. (2001). Resource-based theories of competitive advantage: A ten-year retrospective on the resource-based view. Journal of Management, 27(6), 643–650. Retrieved fromhttp://jom.sagepub.com.libproxy.edmc.edu/content/27/6/643.full.pdf+html

By Saturday, December 6, 2014, post your response to the appropriate Discussion Area. Through Wednesday, December 10, 2014, review and comment on at least two peers’ responses.

Write your initial response in 300–500 words. Your response should be thorough and address all components of the discussion question in detail, include citations of all sources, where needed, according to the APA Style, and demonstrate accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation

 

 

Essay Hum 1

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Choose one (1) of the three (3) reading selections from the list of topic choices below. The focus is on brief but important primary source material written by major authors. Read the selections  as identified with each topic below. Write a three to four (3-4) paragraph essay (250 words minimum) which analyzes the “surprise ending” of the reading selection. 

Topic Choices

  • Reading selection from Descartes’ Discourse on the Method (Part IV). Descartes begins with a  proof of one basic conclusion and ends with a proof of something much grander. Remember to focus on the surprise and point of realization, not the details of the philosophical argument. Read Part IV of the Discourse on the Method located athttp://www.earlymoderntexts.com/authors/descartes.html. This is only four or five (4 or 5) pages of the larger work.
  • Reading selection of Swift’s A Modest Proposal. It is essential to recognize the genre of this work, as discussed in our class text, which you should consult and cite. Swift promotes a radical solution, but subtle options are mentioned. You are looking for surprise and a point of realization. Read and focus on A Modest Proposal located athttp://www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/swift/modest.html. 
  • Two (2) reading selections from Voltaire’s Candide. Consider how these readings start and end in terms of the action and the beliefs. You are looking for surprise and a point of realization. These selections can be found on pp. 834-835 in the textbook. In addition, consult the class text at pp. 815-817.

For the reading selection you choose:

  1. Clearly state in your own words the “surprise ending” in the reading you selected. Clearly identify the point in the reading when you realized that there were elements in the reading that surprised you. Not all of the surprises come at the end.
  2. Evaluate how successful the author was in convincing you to accept the validity of the “surprise ending” that was different from what you expected.

A-plus Writer

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MHF Module: Recognizing Stress, Distress, and Disorder

 

 

Recognizing Stress, Distress, and Disorder Worksheet

 

 

Read the the following case studies and determine if they are a form of stress, distress, or disorder. In the spaces provided below, indicate which type of disorder is portrayed in each scenario. Justify each response in 100- 200 words.

 

Case Study

Stress, Distress, or Disorder

John, a recent college graduate, has been struggeling to find a job for the last 6 months. He was fired from the job he had originally acquired immediately after college due to his inappropriate and negative interactions with his other coworkers. His interviews have also been unsuccessful as he has been exhibiting strange social behavior.

 

Paula has recently given birth to a beautiful baby girl. Her husband has noticed she is having a hard time remembering where she put things and tends to forget what she was just planning on doing. Paula and her husbands relationship has also been strained as they are both overwhelmed with having an infant in the house.

 

Nancy, a formerly successful realtor, has recently quit her job and remains unemployed. She has been feeling down in the dumps and has not been looking for other employment. Nancy also has stopped hanging out with her friends and doing activities she normally enjoys.

 

 

Deer Valley Lodge

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Consider the following scenario:

Deer Valley Lodge, a ski resort in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, has plans to eventually add five new chairlifts. Suppose that one lift costs $2 million, and preparing the slope and installing the lift costs another $1.3 million. The lift will allow 300 additional skiers on the slopes, but there are only 40 days a year when the extra capacity will be needed. (Assume that Deer Valley Lodge will sell all 300 lift tickets on those 40 days.) Running the new lift will cost $500 a day for the entire 200 days the lodge is open. Assume that the lift tickets at Deer Valley cost $55 a day. The new lift has an economic life of 20 years.

  1. Assume that the before-tax required rate of return for Deer Valley is 14%. Compute the before-tax NPV of the new lift and advise the managers of Deer Valley about whether adding the lift will be a profitable investment. Show calculations to support your answer.
  2. Assume that the after-tax required rate of return for Deer Valley is 8%, the income tax rate is 40%, and the MACRS recovery period is 10 years. Compute the after-tax NPV of the new lift and advise the managers of Deer Valley about whether adding the lift will be a profitable investment. Show calculations to support your answer.
  3. What subjective factors would affect the investment decision?

 

You can view a present value table here.

Grading Criteria

Percentage

Compute the before-tax NPV of the new lift and advise the managers of Deer Valley about whether adding the lift will be a profitable investment.

45%

Compute the after-tax NPV of the new lift and advise the managers of Deer Valley about whether adding the lift will be a profitable investment.

45%

What subjective factors would affect the investment decision?Supporting research/arguments made

10%

Please submit your assignment.

FIN53 MNC Venturing Into New Country India

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You are the manager of an MNC considering an expansion into a new geographic market. Your management training tells you that foreign investments are risky and cost intensive in terms of coordination and management of a foreign workforce. You will present a proposal stating why you think an expansion into this country has the potential to make the firms’ owners/shareholders richer (or explain why it would not). You can choose the industry and firm-specific characteristics of your company.


PROJECT COUNTRY RISK PROJECT
You are the manager of an MNC considering an expansion into a new geographic market. Your
management training tells you that foreign investments are risky and cost intensive in terms of
coordination and management of a foreign workforce. You will present a proposal stating why you
think an expansion into this country has the potential to make the firms’ owners/shareholders richer
(or explain why it would not). You can choose the industry and firm-specific characteristics of your
company.
Where to get information
Information can be obtained from websites provided throughout your text as well as any official
website for your country or any other reliable source of information for international data.
Structure of paper
The paper is meant to be a concise summary of key risk factors. The suggested format is a 2-4 page
introduction, a 3-5 page summary regarding financial factors, a 3-5 page management section, and
then a 2-3 page conclusion section. It is easy to minimize the amount of writing by summarizing
key financial, economic, and risk characteristics data into a table and referring to it in the paper.
All tables, exhibits, and supporting documents should appear in the appendix and should be
referred to in the paper itself. In total, the paper should be 10-20 pages maximum. You should
provide citations and references when appropriate.
I. Introduction
a. Brief Introduction. Identify your country and its characteristics – form of government,
population, per capita income, economic characteristics (inflation, GDP growth, debt
service, trade balance, etc), language, religion, major cities, climate, and trade block
membership.
b. Recent news events related to your country
c. What is the economic outlook? Are there wage and price controls? What are the laws
concerning hiring or firing? Is there a black market?
d. What is the physical infrastructure like? How extensive is the local distribution
network?
e. How stable is the government? Are there insurrections, war, or civil unrest?
f. What is the level of political corruption?
g. What are the characteristics of this market that would make it attractive and/or
unattractive to a US firm?
h. How developed is the legal system? Is there reasonable protection of property,
including intellectual property?
i. Are there human rights issues related to entering this market?
j. How is the country liberalizing? How is the liberalization effort taking form?
k. What US multinationals, if any, operate in this country?
l. What industries are most lucrative for market entry? What type of company do you
recommend for this market?
II. Financial Factors Affecting Expansion Decision
a. What are the characteristics of the exchange rate regime in your country? Is the
currency convertible? How high would you assess the likelihood of an exchange rate
crisis?
b. Exchange rate forecast and correlation analysis

c. Does your country have a stock market? How many firms are on the exchange? Do
firms list on outside exchanges (eg. an ADR on the NYSE)?
d. Obtain stock market data for your country if it has an equity market. What is the
correlation of returns between your country and the U.S. market? What does this tell
you, if anything?
e. What is the rating on the country’s debt? Has it changed in the past five years? Are
there any World Bank loans?
f. What is the default risk spread (difference between your country’s Treasury bill rate and
the U.S. Treasury bill rate)? Make sure you use the same maturity. Has the spread
changed over the last five years? What does this tell you?
g. Evaluate the level of country risk present in your country, both political and financial,
based on the information. Have there been any expropriations of foreign assets in the
last 5 years? Are there restrictions on the repatriation of profits? What is the degree of
financial repression? Would you purchase political risk insurance? Is it available from
MIGA?
h. How “sophisticated” is the local banking system?
i. Would you raise capital locally or in the U.S. for the venture? How would you raise
capital in this market?
j. If you entered this foreign market, what kind of concessions would you require on
behalf of the local government? Would you ask for tax breaks, require that the local
government allow you to hire workers from your own country, and/or demand that
profits be repatriated at some favorable exchange rate?
ΙΙΙ III. Management Factors to Consider
Ις a. How would you enter the market? Acquisition, subsidiary, branch, or joint venture?
ς
What kind of restrictions does the government place on FDI?
ςΙ b. Would you choose to have a local partner when entering this country?
ςΙΙ c. If you were a manager considering operations in this country, would cultural
ςΙΙΙ
factors play a role in your ability to manage the foreign workforce, and if so, how?
d. Complaints by expatriate managers are one of the leading reasons that US overseas
ventures fail. How much additional compensation would you have to pay a US manager
to move to and manage in this environment? How would you “sell the job?” How much
training would be required in own country? Is there a demand that salary be repatriated
at some favorable exchange rate?
IV. Summary and Decision
a. Do the benefits of expanding into this market offset the potential risks/costs? Explain.
V. Sources Cited
VI. Appendix