Discuss case 5.1 BlackPOS Malware Steals Target’s Customer Data.

CASE STUDY- Read the attached pdf file and then answer the following questions.
Discuss case 5.1 BlackPOS Malware Steals Target’s Customer Data.
Answer the following questions that relate to the case:
1. Was cybersecurity a priority at Target? Explain.
2. How did lax security impact Target’s sales revenue and profit performance?
3. According to experts, how was the data breach executed?
4. In addition to the data theft, what else was damaged by this incident?
5. Was this cybersecurity incident foreseeable? Was it avoidable?
6. Why might management not treat cyberthreats as a top priority?
7. Research recent news concerning this data breach. Has Target recovered from it? Explain.
8. Assuming that the CEO and CIO were forced to resign, what message does that send to senior management at U.S. companies?

Short and Long Run Economic Profits Essay

Your initial post should be 75-150 words in length. A profit-maximizing price searcher will expand output as long as marginal revenue either exceeds or is equal to marginal cost, lowering its price or raising its price until the midpoint of their demand curve and highest total revenues are achieved. Why are oligopolies able to earn both short-run economic profits and long-run economic profits, while price taking firms like perfect competitors can only earn short-run economic profits?Review the characteristics of perfect competition and imperfect competition (monopolistic competition, oligopoly, and monopoly). Barriers to entry don’t exist for perfect competition, but barriers to entry exist for imperfect competition. What are the implications of barriers to entry to the firm and competition? Review consumer surplus and producer surplus; what happens to consumer surplus is price is above equilibrium, or in this case above normal profits? Please provide original work. No plagiarizing.Lecture is below: In Week #5: Price Takers versus Price Searchers, we discussed that markets are most efficient and equitable when perfectly competitive. It was also noted that how competitive a market is determines how much market pricing power firms in aggregate enjoy, as well as the price elasticity of the individual firm’s demand curve. When we assess markets, we base efficiency and equity upon whether it’s a market comprised of price takers or price searchers. Price takers are firms who have no market pricing power, no product differentiation from other competitors, and the market is perfectly competitive and efficient and equitable. Price searchers, on the other hand, are firms who have at least some market pricing power, at least some product differentiation from other competitors, and the market is imperfectly competitive leading to losses in efficiency and equity.So, let’s talk about price searchers now. Price searching firms are also imperfectly competitive. Firms who produce goods with at least some product differentiation can to a certain amount affect market price. are three types of imperfect competitors: monopolistically competitive, oligopoly, and monopoly. With monopolistically competitive, like the perfectly competitive firm, there are many producers, only short-run economic profits can be attained, and products produced are very similar but do have some relative differentiation. Oligopolies and monopolies, on the other hand, have high barriers to entry, and although for oligopolies there is product differentiation but similar products from competitors, there are too few competitors due to high barriers to entry to deny the oligopolies long-run economic profits.For the monopolistically competitive market structure, supply and demand determine market equilibrium and allocation of resources. Individual firms do have their own demand curve, and the market demand curve is made up by adding up all the firms’ demand curves. The demand curve for the individual firm will have some downward slope, and there will be a separate downward-sloping marginal revenue curve. The optimal point where monopolistically competitive firms produce is where marginal costs equal marginal revenues, and then price is set from that point up on the X-axis (horizontal axis) until it meets the demand curve. Any price in the short run above the competitive price (perfectly competitive) where marginal costs equal marginal revenues will result in economic profits; due to a lack of barriers to entry, new firms will enter, shifting the demand curves of individual firms in the market leftward, pulling price down to the ATC (average total cost curve) back to equilibrium, thus eliminating economic profits in the long run and normal profits existing thereafter.In summary, we have four market structures, with perfectly competitive being the benchmark from which efficiency and equity are found. The other three market structures – monopolistically competitive, oligopoly, and monopoly – are not fully efficient and equitable. Oligopoly and monopoly are the least competitive market structures in which long-run economic profits are present due to a downward-sloping demand curve and high barriers to entry, while monopolistically competitive has a downward sloping demand curve but low barriers to entry (low product differentiation) with no long-run economic profits.In Week #6: Economic Profits versus Normal Profits, we discussed that markets are most efficient and equitable when perfectly competitive. It was also noted that how competitive a market is determines how much market pricing power firms in aggregate enjoy, as well as the price elasticity of the individual firm’s demand curve. When we assess markets, we base efficiency and equity upon whether it’s a market comprised of price takers or price searchers. Price takers are firms who have no market pricing power, no product differentiation from other competitors, and the market is perfectly competitive and efficient and equitable. Price searchers, on the other hand, are firms who have at least some market pricing power, at least some product differentiation from other competitors, and the market is imperfectly competitive leading to losses in efficiency and equity.Secondly, price searching firms are also imperfectly competitive. Firms who produce goods with at least some product differentiation can to a certain amount affect market price. There are three types of imperfect competitors: monopolistically competitive, oligopoly, and monopoly. With monopolistically competitive, like the perfectly competitive firm, there are many producers, only short-run economic profits can be attained, and products produced are very similar but do have some relative differentiation. Oligopolies and monopolies, on the other hand, have high barriers to entry, and although for oligopolies there is product differentiation but similar products from competitors, there are too few competitors due to high barriers to entry to deny the oligopolies long-run economic profits.What are some other characteristics of oligopolies that differentiate them from monopolistically competitive. Economies of scale is very high. Usually with oligopolies, the long-run average total cost curve has a relatively long economies of scale section, with relatively smaller constant returns and diseconomies sections. Collusion and mergers tend to pervade this market structure, especially when it becomes difficult to combat diseconomies of scale.Monopolies, on the other hand, have no close competitors, the market demand curve is its demand curve, and no close substitutes exist. Pure monopolies are rare and are either prevented or eliminated due to anti-trust laws, like the Sherman Anti-trust Act of 1890, which break them up. The government can regulate and allow a firm to operate as a monopoly, but the regulated monopoly will not have pure monopoly pricing power nor ultimate economic profits. A regulate monopoly is called a natural monopoly, and the firm is allowed only a fair price at which price is set at its ATC. 

Week 8 | MSN5270 | miami regional university

 I need replies for those work with 200 words each one
1.This week’s student learning outcome I was able to examine the influence of the various nursing models on nursing practice and research.  In particular, I was able to assess how nurse-provided support can benefit a parent who has a child with mental illness. The support is ideal to help the parent deal with various challenges.  Both nurse-provided support and the support that comes from the social networks of the patient are important when it comes to promoting the wellbeing of the parents dealing with children who have chronic mental illnesses. In most cases, parents with such children tend to face many challenges when providing their children with the special needs that they need. This shows that such parents require both professional support and support from the social networks to ensure that all the needs of the child are met (Sawyer et al., 2019). For instance, a parent may require the provision of social, economic, and emotional support when providing care to the child. Without such social support, parents may be unable to handle the tasks associated with the provision of care especially when the child is not making progress (Reedtz et al., 2019). Such parents require assurance that their efforts will bear fruits and this may improve the quality of care that is provided to the child. The economic cost of taking care of a mentally ill child is high and family members or the social network of the parent may help in acquiring the necessary resources needed to provide the mentally ill child with care (Sawyer et al., 2019). In addition, the social network of the parents can help with the process of taking care of the sick child when the parents have to handle other roles that are important to the family. This means that having a social network that is supportive can help in reducing the anxiety and stress that comes with dealing with such a child. 
On the other hand, professional support is also effective when a parent is dealing with a child with chronic mental illness. For example, a nurse can provide the parent with information on how to take care of the child through the use of different interventions. A nurse can also help in the decision making processes to determine what is effective for the child (Reedtz et al., 2019). Consequently, the support of a nurse can direct a parent to various resources that can be utilized within the community to ensure that the child gets high quality care to enhance their wellbeing. 
  
2.Parents of children with disabilities such as chronic mental illness experience many challenges compared to parents of children who do not suffer from these chronic illnesses. These challenges affect not only parents but the whole family unit. Whenever a parent receives diagnostic news that their child is suffering from a chronic condition such as mental illness, many emotions, from shock to grief and even anger towards life, are experienced (Hunter Revell & McCurry, 2020). These emotional experiences are almost similar to when a person loses a particular person to death. These parents need time to adjust to the new normal in their life and its good to note that during this time, their parenting and caregiving to these children and their families may be affected. Note that mental disorders in children may result from adaptive responses to some circumstances in their life. In such a case, intervention is needed to improve and address the child’s mental health and the events leading to that (Efilti, 2022). Children with this type of disability affect their families in some ways, but research shows that parents of these children also experience difficulties. That is why nurse-provided social and social network support is needed for these parents to care for their children properly.
Professional nurse-provided social support
 Social support refers to any physical, psychological, monetary, or even emotional support provided by either medics or the community surrounding the affected party (Mburia-Mwalili, 2022). One of the ethical demands in the nursing practice is caring for both the patients and their relatives. This involves focusing on the medical procedures and routines and the affected parties’ mental well-being. Nurses need to gain the trust of the parents of the children with chronic mental illnesses so that they can feel free to address their concerns with these nurses. The nurses connect with these parents by caring for their mentally ill children and, in the process, can offer all the support needed by these parents as they deal with their children’s conditions. In 2012, the International Council of Nurses concluded that problems arising from mental health should be well understood, including supporting the affected families. For a nurse to be able to provide support for both the mentally ill child and their parent, they require to be dedicated, be patient and have the ability to give attention to both the sick child and their parents.
            Nurse-provided support to parents of children with mental illness may vary from giving extra care to the affected child, ensuring their well-being, being empathic with the parents, and providing them with therapy to cope. Studies show that, even after a child is taken through psychiatric medication, it is essential to treat the whole family unit as they are all affected by the child’s mental problem (Efilti, 2022). Through this, the parents and the rest of the family can get the support they need. Another nurse-provided support to parents is enrolling them in specialized support programs that may involve them getting more informational help concerning their children’s psychiatric journey.
Social network support
  A parent’s social network can provide them with social support by giving them affirmations, encouraging words, providing guidance, and just being there for them. Some of the support these networks can offer include informational help, material support as well as emotional support (Hunter Revell & McCurry, 2020). Informational support may include offering helpful information and materials to gather more knowledge on dealing with the situation. Material support may be in terms of finances, while emotional support may consist of talking to these parents, listening to them, and offering guidance. It is believed that high-quality social support can be of great significance to both mentally ill child and their parents, improving their overall well-being.
            In conclusion, parents of children with chronic mental illness experience a lot of distress and depression. This is because the main focus of care is the sick child, and their Parents’ mental health is forgotten in the process. That is why both social network support and nurse-provided social support are essential to these parents because their well-being positively affects their ill children’s well-being.

Acct 530 midterm exam (100% correct)

ACCT 530 Accounting Ethics and Related Regulatory Issues
(Keller Graduate School – Spring 2016)
 

Question 1.

Question :

(TCO A) All of the following characteristics describe the importance of integrity in decision making, except:

Question 2.

Question :

(TCO A) An accountant who goes outside the entity to blow the whistle on financial wrongdoing by his/her employer violates:

Question 3.

Question :

(TCO A) The Public Interest Principle in the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct recognizes:

Question 4.

Question :

(TCO A) When making a donation at the local Goodwill, Martha tells the clerk that her old computer is worth $400 when she knows it is only worth $100, just so she can deduct more on her taxes. Which theory best describes Martha’s behavior?

Question 5.

Question :

(TCO A) Ethical relativism can best be described as a(n):

Question 6.

Question :

(TCO B) Each of the following is a pillar of corporate governance, except for:

Question 7.

Question :

(TCO B) The Institute of Internal Auditors Code of Ethics includes each of the following principles, except:

Question 8.

Question :

(TCO B) The ACFE found that the most common way that fraud is first detected is through:

Question 9.

Question :

(TCO B) Top values included in corporate values statements include:

Question 10.

Question :

(TCO B) In an ethical decision-making model, the first step is to:

Question 11.

Question :

(TCO B) What is the agency problem?

Question 12.

Question :

(TCO C) The ethical domain in accounting and auditing refers to:

Question 13.

Question :

(TCO C) The need to exercise professional skepticism in auditing can be linked to:

Question 14.

Question :

(TCO C) After framing the question, what should be the next step in decision making when faced with an ethical dilemma?

Question 15.

Question :

(TCO C) Thorne’s Integrated Model of Ethical Decision Making can best be described as:

Question 16.

Question :

(TCO H) Wanda is faced with an ethical dilemma. She knows her supervisor, the CFO, wants to accelerate the recoding of revenue to an earlier period in order to “make the numbers.” But Wanda is convinced this would violate GAAP. If Wanda reasons at stage 4 of Kohlberg’s model, she is most likely to:

Question 17.

Question :

(TCO H) Maya is the CEO of Gadget Corporation, a publicly-traded company. She was informed by the CFO that the company’s earnings were down 40 percent from the prior year due to the recession. The company’s stock price has declined by 30 percent. The CFO comes up with a scheme to hide debt and inflate revenues by selling underperforming assets to a special purpose entity affiliated with the company. Maya is concerned about possible effects on the creditors, but ultimately, she agrees to the accounting. Maya is reasoning at:

Question 18.

Question :

(TCO D) The principle of ethical behavior in the AICPA Code that asks questions directly related to ethical behavior is:

Question 19.

Question :

(TCO D) Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the auditor’s responsibility with respect to internal controls can best be stated as:

Question 20.

Question :

(TCO D) A CPA who informs management of a material misstatement in the financial statements can go to the SEC with his/her concerns if:

Question 1:
(TCO A) Susie, a newly graduated BBA in accounting, has started a job with the state budgeting office. Susie has been placed over expense accounts. The state has a travel policy stating that a state employee may be reimbursed up to $90 per night for a hotel room and up to $40 per day for meals, as long as the employee turns in food receipts. On the first expense account Susie works on, the employee has a hotel receipt for $130 a night, but no food expenses. Susie processes the reimbursement for $90. The employee becomes irate as his reading of the travel policy is that he can be reimbursed for $130 a night for hotel and food with a receipt. The employee claims this has never been a problem in the past and has always been reimbursed $130 a night, whether for hotel only or both hotel and food.
Discuss which ethical theory supports Susie and the employee’s take on the travel policy. Which would you choose, and why?
 

Question 2.
 (TCO B) An Internet company has a chance to expand its business into a developing country. This chance would make money for its shareholders, as it would be the first Internet company allowed in the country. However, the conditions demanded by the country is that the Internet company must turn over to the government the history of Internet sites visited by its citizens. Additionally, the company must censor Internet sites requested through the search engine. In the United States and other countries, the Internet company would not monitor, censor, or turn over a history of Internet sites to any government. What should the Internet company do? Use ethical theories and ethical decision-making models to back up your decision.

Question 3.
 (TCO C) Paul is quickly moving up in the accounting department of RAC Inc. It is year-end; he has just received news that the estimates of the estimated useful life and salvage values were wrong and must be changed. Of course, that changes the depreciation expense and accumulated depreciation. Paul calls his wife to explain why he will be late again. Upon the conversation, he is pondering on a comment his wife made; she said, “I’m no accountant, but after four years, you would think that the company could get done how its estimates affect expenses and those other accounts.” What might the company be doing, and what should Paul do from an ethical reasoning view?

Question 4.
 (TCO D) A young man by the name of Mr. Meeks works at an accounting firm that has a written ethics code of conduct. The code specifically outlines the duties and obligations that every employee must follow without question. One of rules states that every accountant should not lie under any circumstances. Last week, Mr. Meeks sent out a finalized tax return to Wrong Client. Wrong Client called Mr. Meeks from the card attached to the tax return and informed Mr. Meeks that he was sending the tax return back to him overnight. Meanwhile, Right Client called Mr. Meeks and wanted to know where the tax return was. Mr. Meeks told Right Client that he sent it to the wrong address, and he will send it out as soon as he received it back from Wrong Client. Right Client was irritated and called the partner of the firm. The partner scolded Mr. Meeks and wanted to know why he told the client he sent the return to the wrong address. The partner said he should have told the client that the return was in the 2nd partner review or some other excuse to cover up the mistake. Mr. Meeks explained that the ethics code of conduct specifically states that he should not lie under any circumstances, and he was just following his ethical duty. The partner grinned and told Mr. Meeks that the next time this happens, he should consult with the partner first. Using the ethical decision-making model and ethical theories, justify the positions of either the partner, Mr. Meeks, or an alternative solution.

Word_intro_cap1_national_sales_meeting | Computer Science homework help

Word_Intro_Cap1_National_Sales_Meeting
Word Intro Cap1 National Sales Meeting
  
Project Description:
In this project, you will apply skills you practiced from the Objectives in Word Chapters 1-3. You will assist Irene Shviktar, the Vice President of Marketing, to edit and create documents for a National Sales Meeting that will precede a Winter Sports Expo sponsored by Front Range Action Sports. The documents include a cover letter from the vice president to the company president. The letter will accompany a packet of materials for the meeting and the expo, which includes a brief resume for the guest speaker, a flyer that will announce the expo, a newsletter for employees, and a research paper on the history and development of skis.
     
Open   the Word document Student_Word_Cap1_National_Sales_Meeting.docx downloaded with this Project.   Be sure that the rulers and formatting marks display.
 
On the letter on Page 1, select   the first paragraph—Front Range Action   Sports—and increase the Font Size to 28 pt. Change the Font Size of the   next four paragraphs—the address lines and website—to 12 pt.
 
Select the first five paragraph   lines that you just formatted, change the Font to Arial, and then with the   text selected, display the Borders and Shading dialog box. Create a 6 pt,   Automatic-colored border on the left side of the selected text. 
  In the paragraph that begins If you   have any, select the second sentence and move it to the beginning of the   paragraph. Adjust spacing as necessary so that there are no extra blank   spaces at the end of the paragraph.
 
On Page 2, in the newsletter,   select the second paragraph of text, which begins with Employee Newsletter. Display the Borders and Shading dialog box,   and then add an Automatic-colored, 3 pt line below the paragraph.
 
Starting with the paragraph that   begins National Sales Meeting, select   all of the text from that point to the end of the page, including the   paragraph mark after the word event. Do   not select the Page Break. Change the Spacing After to 6 pt, format the text   in two columns, and apply the Justify alignment.
 
At the top of the first column,   select the paragraph National Sales   Meeting. From the Font dialog box, change the Font Size to 20, apply   Bold, and add the Small caps effect. Then Center the paragraph. Apply the   same formatting to the paragraph Winter   Sports Expo.
 
On the same page, in the blank   line above the last paragraph of the newsletter, insert the picture from your   downloaded files wCap1_Powder_Skiing.jpg.   If necessary, set the Width of the picture to 3″ and apply a 10 pt   Soft Edges effect.
 
In the blank paragraph at the   top of Page 3, insert a 2×3 table. In the first cell of the table, type the   following four lines, pressing ENTER after each line: 
Robert   Lewis1227   Aspen Lake TrailVail,   CO 81657www.boblewisskis.com
 
In the second row of the table,   in the first cell, type CAREER HIGHLIGHTS and then press TAB. In the second cell of the   second row, insert the text from the downloaded file wCap1_Career_Text.docx and then press BACKSPACE to remove the   blank line at the bottom of the inserted text.
 
In the third row of the table,   in the first cell, type EDUCATION and then in the cell to the right, type Mr. Lewis’   educational information as follows, pressing ENTER after each line:University   of ColoradoPh.D.   in PsychologyUniversity   of ColoradoM.S.   in PsychologyUniversity   of MinnesotaB.S.   in Psychology
 
Insert a new row at the bottom   of the table. In the first cell of the new row, type CONSULTANT and then in the cell to the   right, type the following, pressing ENTER after each line:U.S.   Junior Ski TeamU.S.   National Ski TeamSpecial   Olympics
 
Apply Bold to the headings CAREER HIGHLIGHTS, EDUCATION, and CONSULTANT. Drag the vertical border between the two columns to   the 1.5-inch mark on the horizontal ruler.
 
In the first row, merge the two   cells, and then Center the text. Select Robert   Lewis, increase the Font Size to 24 pt, apply Bold, and then add 24 pt   space Before the text. Select the web address and add 18 pt space after the   text.
 
Create a bulleted list, using   solid round black bullets, for the items below SKIING and below COACHING. Apply   Bold to the name of each university, and then apply 12 pt spacing after to   the name of each college degree.
 
Select the table, and then   remove all borders. From the Borders and Shading dialog box, add a 3 pt solid   border to the top of the table.
 
Near the top of Page 4, in the   paragraph that begins The use of skis, in   the third line, position the insertion point to the right of the period   following wood, and then insert the   following footnote: The oldest known ski and pole is more than 4,000 years   old.
 
Modify the footnote style by   changing the Font Size to 11 pt, add a First Line Indent of 0.5″, and   set Line spacing to 2.0 (double).
 
In the paragraph that begins The use of skis, position the   insertion point to the left of the period at the end of the paragraph. Using   the MLA format, add the following Book citation:  Author: Huntford, Roland  Title: Two   Planks and a Passion: The Dramatic History of Skiing  Year: 2008  City: New   York  Publisher: Continuum Press 
  In the text, select the Huntford citation   and add the page numbers 4-6
 
On Page 6, in the blank line   below the Works Cited title, insert   the built-in Bibliography. Select the two references, change the line spacing   to 2.0 and change the Spacing After to 0 pt. Center the Bibliography title. After the bibliography is entered and   formatted, delete the Works Cited   paragraph.
 
On Page 7, select the two   paragraphs below the title that begin Friday   and Saturday, and then change   the Spacing After to 0.
     
Select   the three paragraphs below the title—the   dates—and then from the Borders and Shading dialog box, apply a Box border   using theme color Blue, Accent 1 (fifth column, first color) and a 3 pt   border. Click the Shading tab, and add Shading using theme color Blue, Accent   1, Lighter 80% (fifth column, second color).
 
Click after the colon at the end   of the line that precedes the bulleted list. Insert the downloaded picture wCap1_Downhill_Skiing.jpg. Change the   Height of the picture to 3.5″, and then set the wrapping to Square.
 
Position the picture so that the   Horizontal Alignment is set to Right relative to Column and the Vertical   Alignment is set to Top relative to Line. Apply a Picture Style using the   Soft Edge Rectangle.
 
At the bottom of the flyer,   click in the second blank paragraph below the last paragraph of text. Insert   a Basic Process SmartArt (first style under Process). Click the outer   rectangle surrounding the SmartArt to select it, and if necessary, change the   wrapping style to In Line with Text. On the Format tab, set the Height of the   SmartArt graphic to 1″ and the Width to 6.5″. Add the following   text, in order, to the three shapes:ExhibitsSpeakersWorkshops 
  To the SmartArt graphic, apply the 3-D Polished style. 
 
Save and close the file, and   then submit for grading.

Hisco summary annual report | Business & Finance homework help

DUE AT MIDNIGHT EASTERN STANDARD TIME ON JUNE 5TH, 2023
TOTAL OF 18 PAGES MINIMUM 
Prior to gaining access to the Summary Annual Report. Download Summary Annual Report Template.
The summary annual report is a scaled down version of a full annual report. Naturally, you are encouraged to review real world annual reports which can be used as a strawman in preparation. Your recently completed Annual Operating Review should be aligned with your Annual Report.
Preparing your HISCO summary annual report will be one of the most comprehensive assignments you will have completed so far. You will gain an appreciation for the complexity and responsibility the senior executives continually face. Hopefully, you have experienced the holistic and competitive environment from the simulation. Your recently completed Annual Operating Review will provide the basics.
The information, qualitative and quantitative, in an annual report should provide current and prospective investors (as well as any stakeholder) a complete insight into the company’s historic performance and its plans for growth and improvement over the next few years as defined by its strategy. Publicly traded companies are required by law to prepare and submit to many constituencies a variety of filings.  The most well-known is the Annual Report to Shareholders and related Form 10-K. An annual report is technically an unofficial document. The Form 10-K will typically provide the most comprehensive summary of the company’s history, financials, risks and opportunities, and current operations. The Form 10-K is submitted annually to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).  Technically, HISCO is a private company (you may have sold equity to the venture capitalist) and only if it had publicly trades debt would be required to file a Form 10K.
As a future leader of a public or private company, you will learn the integrative nature of any business while you complete the HISCO summary annual report.  This document can become an important part of your e-portfolio in the program.  Your owner, Stanley Sloane, looks forward to reading your HISCO summary annual report.  While details may vary state by state, even if your career leads to growing a small private business, you will need to file an annual report with The Secretary of State in your jurisdiction, another benefit to learning from our final activity.
The following identifies specifics instructions for preparation of each required section.  The required sections to be completed will be found the word document from the model. Please remember to periodically save your work.  An online search will reveal innumerable sites devoted to annual reports.
The HISCO Summary Annual Report

Must be completed using the template Summary Annual Report Template a guide to formatting your work. Standard APA formatting will not apply to this assignment.
Must include the following:

Cover Page

You can design your own cover page. Should be reflective of your corporate image and may include a picture and/or logo. At a minimum, it will include the name, [year 2024] HISCO Summary Annual Report, as well as your name and date. The cover page can only be 1 page.

CEO Letter

The CEO Letter is designed to share the Strategy, Financial Highlight Summary, and Business Overview of the past year. Evaluate quantitative and qualitative techniques for business analysis and decision-making. It will typically also include the future growth outlook for the business (detailed in the Sales, Marketing and Industry pages below). The CEO Letter can be a maximum of 3 pages.  

The “Stan Sloane Letter”

HISCO’s owner, Stan Sloane, is very happy that he decided to hire you to help turn the company around. He is interested in having you stay on with the company. However, he will need assurance from you that you are committed to continuing to grow HISCO. Explain to Stan how you plan on running the company over the next two years. You should discuss the majority of the items you developed when you first came on with the company, including: whether you would make any changes to the SWOT analysis, whether you would change the company strategy, negotiations you would make with company stakeholders, future technology suggestions, growth expectations in general for the industry and specifically for HISCO over the next two years, any concerns that occurred in the past year that you would address, and any other information you believe would be relevant in order to reassure Stan that he has placed the company in the right hands. You will add this letter at the end of the standard Annual Report. This letter is not part of a traditional Annual Report. The “Stan Sloane Letter” can be 3-4 pages.

Sales, Marketing, & Industry

This section should detail all aspects of HISCO’s Value Chain, from supplier to manufacturing to the customer. Products, NPIs, Pricing, in an industry perspective of competition should be elaborated on. Utilize tools from marketing to manage the profitability of overall business operations. A review of your SWOT would probably help as well as your recently completed Annual Operating Review. An essential element is for current and prospective investors to understand how HISCO makes money and will be able to create growth and deal with risks. The Sales, Marketing & Industry section can be a maximum of 5 pages.

Financial Statements

Financial statements are the heart and soul of the annual report. This is a quantitative section that provides current and prospective investors a look into HISCOs financial performance. The financial statements consist of the Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow. We suggest you show a minimum of 4 Qtrs. for each of the past two years for the Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow. Utilize tools from finance management to manage the profitability of overall business operations. Consider expanding the lines within each statement in the model. You will need to provide details on the Credit Line. The Financial Statements section can be a maximum of 6 pages.

Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A)

The Management Discussion and Analysis section provides the real detail on year to year performance. In your case, this will be simulation year vs. prior simulation year. Topics will be both qualitative and quantitative in all aspects of simulation year relative to prior simulation year. MD&A will certainly include a complete variance analysis of performance and the successes and failures of your decisions for the year.  It is the time you will delve into the details of your operating decisions. The MD&A section is typically devoted to the past (your future was described in prior sections). Reference to the Financial Statements is crucial as well as your recently completed Annual Operating Review. Graphics from your Business Intelligence Dashboard and your Variance walks on Income and Cash can provide visual insight into your performance. The Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) can be a maximum of 6 pages.

Notes, Appendices, and References

Any supporting documents, comments, information, a glossary of terminology, and/or clarifications you deem relevant to your annual report to assist current and prospective investors. The Notes, Appendices, and References are required and can be a minimum of 1 page and a maximum of 2 pages.  References can be in a bulleted or numbered format.

Hrm-590 human resource management – course project – includes all 3

Course Project: Recruiting, Hiring, Evaluating, and Compensating HRM590 HR590
Objective | Grading Rubrics | Guidelines | Best Practices

Objective

The final project consists of an accumulation of information throughout the previous seven weeks, which you begin compiling in your Written Assignments 1 and 2 (see details below). Your final paper will be based on these previous assignments, feedback provided, and a final product that you would deliver and review with your HRM leadership team and employee(s). I encourage you to read through all the assignments to understand the complete process expectations. Your role in creating these assignments is that of an HRM manager. 

Grading Rubrics

Assignment 1: Job Analysis – Due Week 3
Purpose: To create a new job description for a new position in the human resource department. This will require conducting a job analysis and writing a job description. The job will provide administrative support to a 10-employee HRM office. Incumbent will also act as department receptionist. Some duties include maintaining personnel files, performing all administrative functions for the office personnel, assisting the public and employees with personnel questions, following company policy when dispensing information, reviewing and processing forms for personnel changes, monitoring staff time and payroll items, handling director’s calendar, handling office mail, filing, typing as requested, answering phones, and other duties as assigned.

Category

Criteria

Points

Task Statements

Complete the Task Statement template posted in Doc Sharing. Be sure the task statements are specific, time determined, and measurable. Be sure the task statements are single task items. You do not want multiple tasks within one task statement because that will make it difficult to identify the KSA and to measure later for performance evaluation.

25

KSA Statements

Complete the KSA (knowledge, skills, abilities) Statement template posted in Doc Sharing. You will take each Task Statement and identify the KSA needed for each task. This helps determine the level and required job skills.

25

Job Description

From the Task and KSA Statement templates, write a viable job description with the following sections:

Job Summary
Essential Job Functions
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Education, Experience, Certifications, and Licenses
Environmental Factors and Conditions/Physical Requirements
Equipment and Tools Utilized

25

Literature Review

Find three scholarly sources that validate your job analysis process. Provide a summary of your articles in 2–3 pages following proper writing style and formatting as described in Best Practices below. Be sure to properly cite and reference your sources. There should be no copied material in any section of this assignment

40

Paper Mechanics

Follow Guidelines and Best Practices sections.

10

Deliverables

Submit the following:

Completed Task Statement template (25 points)
Completed KSA Statement template (25 points)
Job description (25 points)
Literature review (40 points)
Readability (10 points)

Total Points: 125

Written Assignment #2: Recruiting/Selection – Due Week 5
Purpose: Now that you have a job created, you need to find someone to fill that job. The purpose of this assignment is to outline a recruitment plan to find a candidate to fill your new job opening. Once you’ve identified your recruitment pool, you then need to determine how you will select the best candidate. Then, after your candidate has been on the job for a year, she needs a performance evaluation.

Category

Criteria

Points

Recruitment Plan

Write a job ad for your job opening. Provide a recruitment plan that includes where you plan to recruit and why, along with how long you plan to recruit and why. You must thoroughly explain your decisions for this recruitment plan.

25

Selection Method

Describe the selection method(s) you would use to hire the best candidate. You must thoroughly explain your decisions for this selection method.

25

Performance Evaluation

Now you’ve hired a candidate, Cathy. She has been working for you for a year now. Based on the information provided (Performance Results Data document found in Doc Sharing), write her performance evaluation. You must be sure to substantiate your ratings and feedback.

25

Literature Review

Find one scholarly source each for recruitment, selection, and performance evaluations that validate your process (three total sources). Provide a summary of your sources in 2–3 page paper.

40

Readability

Follow Guidelines and Best Practices sections.

10

Deliverables

Submit the following:

Recruitment plan (25 points)
Selection method plan (25 points)
Completed performance evaluation (25 points)
Literature review (40 points)
Readability (10 points)

Total Points: 125

Final Course Project Submission: Compensation Decisions – Due Week 7
Purpose: In Weeks 3 and 5, you submitted information to help you in completing the final project. Feedback was provided to assist you in maximizing points earned on this final paper. To properly complete this final project, you must include the feedback provided to apply to this final paper. The purpose of this assignment is to apply your critical thinking skills in completing the employee process from job analysis to compensation based on performance. You are now going to make compensation decisions.

Category

Criteria

Points

Compensation Decisions

Share how you would compensate each of the employees with the budget dollars provided (see Compensation Template in Doc Sharing). You must provide substantiation for your salary decisions. Even with the decisions you make, what might be some consequences? Input your decisions into the template. Include your risk analysis.

100

Literature Review

Then, write a 6–10 page paper providing an overall review of the entire process created from job analysis to compensation. Would you change anything in your process at this point? Why? Why not? Include four scholarly resources related to compensation: two articles focused on general compensation and two articles on making compensation decisions. Do not use any verbiage/portion of your previously submitted Literature Review for Written Assignments 1 or 2. This Literature Review should be original to this final project assignment.

100

Readability

Follow Guidelines and Best Practices sections.

20

Deliverables

Submit the following:

Compensation decisions with substantiation and risk analysis (100 points)
Literature review  (100 points)
Readability (20 points)

Total Points: 220

Guidelines

A quality paper will meet or exceed all of the following requirements. Reference the Grading Rubrics section for each assignment’s specific point distributions. These assignments will be graded on the following criteria:

paper follows instructions as outlined;
paper has topical flow with like subjects in each paragraph;
paragraph transitions are present and logical;
quality of research topic, quality of paper information;
proper use of citations;
proper grammar; punctuation, spelling, etc.;
page count follows guidelines;
sentences are complete, clear, and concise;
writing style follows appropriate graduate college level writing;
paper content is thorough, and information included is relevant and provides depth and clarity of theories as well as theory application;
all key elements of the assignment are covered in a substantive way;
concepts are reviewed clearly, supported by specific details (examples or analysis);
there is correct use of vocabulary and theory;

Best Practices

Include all aspects of the assignment criteria outlined.
Use 12-point font (Arial, Times New Roman), double spaced, and 1” margins as a standard format.
Do not include extra lines between paragraphs, etc.
There should be theory used in each assignment as outlined. 
Keller Graduate School (DeVry University) policies are in effect including the plagiarism policy; cite in text when quoting (copying information word for word) or using words/thoughts that are not your own.
Submit assignments in Word documents and templates provided only to the dropbox by the due date.
All papers should have a separate title page, which includes name, paper title, and university.
Paper should have topical flow with like subjects in each paragraph. 
Proofread your papers before submitting. Spell check is not foolproof.
There should be minimal copied information (<5%); this just teaches you how to copy and paste. Use critical thinking skills to understand the material researched.
Papers should be third person.
Academic writing is a formal writing style, sharing information and facts (theory).
Fully describe the concepts and theories; what does the information mean? If you make a statement such as, “All people who break the law should improve their communication skills to stay out of jail,” you must substantiate that statement. If that statement is not your own thought or is a statistic, cite it. If it is your opinion, state that and explain what led to that conclusion. Provide enough information to validate and explain statements.

Busn 115 week 4 introductions to business and technology

BUSN 115 Week 4 Discussions,Quiz & Midterm Exam
Introductions to Business and Technology 

BUSN 115 Week 4:
BUSN 115 Week 4 DQ 1 : Ethical Considerations (Graded)
You’re thinking about starting your own chain of upscale, drive-through espresso stands. You have several ideal sites in mind, and you’ve analyzed the industry and all the important statistics. You have financial backing, and you really understand the coffee market. In fact, you’ve become a regular at a competitor’s operation for over a month. The owner thinks you’re his best customer. He even wants to name a sandwich creation after you. But you’re not there because you love the espresso. No, you’re actually spying. You’re learning everything you can about the competition so you can outsmart them. Is this behavior ethical? Explain your answer.

BUSN 115 Week 4 DQ 2 : A Small Business and Social Media (Graded)
You are the owner of a small business that provides repair services to various brands of vacuum cleaner units. Your store is independent in that you aren’t affiliated with a particular brand of vacuum cleaner. Based on your education and your newly earned undergraduate degree from DeVry University (but, of course), you’re considering expanding your marketing efforts by using social media. You wish to grow your business and feel that this is one area that might assist with your expansion ideas. Based on this information, discuss the use of social media in such a fashion. Use the following questions to further the discussion. Of course, add other questions as you see fit. Remember, if you provide information from other sources, be sure to cite your sources using APA style as your style guide.

BUSN 115 Week 4 Quiz  :
Question 1. 1. (TCO 3) Which of the following is an example of a lifestyle business? (Points : 5)
Question 2. 2. (TCO 3) Which of the following is true regarding high-growth ventures? (Points : 5)
Question 3. 3. (TCO 3) Small companies tend to differ from large ones because _____. (Points : 5)
Question 4. 4. (TCO 3) _____ are expensive organizational products with a long useful life. (Points : 5)
Question 5. 5. (TCO 3) Absco computers introduced a low-cost, cloud-based storage service. The company adopted unit-based pricing for the product and many small businesses found the product to be very effective in reducing their storage costs. The sale of the product has increased swiftly in recent months and is at an all-time high. The product is presently in the _____ stage of product lifecycle. (Points : 5)
Question 6. 6. (TCO 3) People who monitor social media to spot shifts in consumer tastes are called _____. (Points : 5)
Question 7. 7. (TCO 4) Organizational purchasing differs from consumer purchasing in that organizational purchasing _____. (Points : 5)
Question 8. 8. (TCO 4) _____ refers to the increase in the value of a product with the number of customers who use it. (Points : 5)
Question 9. 9. (TCO 4) Creating new goods and services for a firm’s current markets is called _____. (Points : 5)
Question 10. 10. (TCO 4) Retailers differ from wholesalers in that retailers _____. (Points : 5)
Question 11. 11. (TCO 4) One of the valuable services that a wholesaler might perform is _____, in which it receives large shipments from the producer and then sells smaller quantities to retailers. (Points : 5)
Question 12. 12. (TCO 4) Producers rely on a class of intermediaries called value-added resellers (VARs) to assist with which of the following functions? (Points : 5)
Question 13. 13. (TCO 4) The government agency that has the authority to impose penalties against advertisers who violate federal standards for truthful advertising is the _____. (Points : 5)
Question 14. 14. (TCO 4) In _____, behaviorally targeted ads follow users even as they move on to other websites. (Points : 5)
Question 15. 15. (TCO 4) Institutional advertisements that present a company’s point of view on public issues, such as education or healthcare, are known as _____ advertising. (Points : 5)

BUSN 115 Week 4 Midterm Study Guide:

Define importing and exporting.
Explain free trade.
Explain the difference between absolute advantage and comparative advantage.
Explain business, goods, services, and revenue.
Define and explain entrepreneurship.
Explain economics and resource development.
Summarize Adam Smiths theory.
Define and explain the various forms of business organization to include partnerships, franchising, and corporations.
Define and explain international and global marketing.
Explain the major concepts related to a small business startup to include business plans, venture capitalists, the SBA, the SBIC, and SCORE
Know the elements of a business plan.
Explain acquisition, LBO, and LLP.
Explain corporate policy and corporate responsibility.
Describe corporate social initiatives.
Define ethics.
Define CSR.
Describe insider trading.
Explain various interested stakeholders.
List and explain the steps to be considered when determining the ethics of an action.
Explain the differences between compliance- and integrity-based ethics codes.
Define balance of payments and balance of trade.
Describe common market, countertrading, and devaluation.
Identify and explain WTO, SWFs, NAFTA, and FDI.
Describe an embargo.
Describe and explain trade surplus, deficit, tariffs, a strategic alliance, and a multinational corporation.
Explain the steps to establish a new business.
Describe an intrapreneur.
Explain microloans and the management team.
Describe and explain GDP, communism, depression, recession, and capitalism.
Explain some of the reasons for the success and failure of small businesses.
Describe the forms of business ownership, know how they are used and the advantages and disadvantages of each one.
Describe a franchise, and know its advantages and disadvantages.
Define a business merger.
Describe the purpose of a limited liability company.
Describe what advantages a small business may have when entering a foreign countrys market.
Describe what the difference is between privately and publicly owned businesses.
Describe the reasons why some people become entrepreneurs.
Explain the steps that should be taken in the buying of a franchise.
Describe and explain SCORE.
Describe the aspects of a limited liability company. 

BUSN 115 Week 4 Midterm Exam :
Question 1.1. (TCO 1) The amount of money a business takes in during a given time period by selling goods and/or selling services. (Points : 5)
Question 2.2. (TCO 1) That part of economics that studies the operations of a nations economy as a whole. (Points : 5)
Question 3.3. (TCO 1) That part of economics that studies the behavior of people and organizations in particular markets. (Points : 5)
Question 4.4. (TCO 2) An unethical activity in which insiders use private company information to further their own fortunes or those of their family and friends. (Points : 5)
Question 5.5. (TCO 3) A complete ban on the import or export of a certain product, or the stopping of all trade with a country. (Points : 5)
Question 6.6. (TCO 3) An unfavorable balance of trade occurs when the value of a countrys imports exceeds that of its exports. (Points : 5)
Question 7.7. (TCO 4) Investors who provide money to finance new businesses or turnarounds in exchange for a portion of ownership, with the objective of reselling the business at a proft.(Points : 5)
1.(TCO 1) Describe and explain capitalism and how it functions in a free market economy. (Points : 30)
2.(TCO 2) Describe and explain corporate responsibility using an ethical perspective. Your stakeholder group for your answer is parents of high school students. Your company designs, produces, and sells video game apps for the mobile market. A concern has been raised in the community where your company is located about the violence portrayed in your mobile video game apps. What do you say to the parents? Why? (Points : 30)
3.(TCO 3) Describe and explain the fundamentals of the international market. Why do nations trade and how trade measured. (Points : 30)
4.(TCO 4) Outline the three ways an entreprenuer can start the business discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the three. (Points : 25)

Stories of change | Human Resource Management homework help

Read the “Stories of Change” section in Chapter 1 of the textbook that describes how companies such as Hewlett Packard, IBM, Kodak, and McDonald’s have addressed significant changes within their organizations.
Write a four to six (5-6) page paper in which you:
1.Using Kotter’s model, identify the three (3) most significant errors made out of all of the change stories presented and describe the ramifications of those mistakes.
2.Make at least one (1) recommendation for each change story that would have improved the effectiveness of the change process and explain why that recommendation would have altered the outcome of the change process. 3.Attribute a change image to the leading managers or directors in each change story and provide an explanation as to why that change image label is appropriate.
4.Recommend a different strategy for managing change in each of the one change stories presented and provide a justification for your recommended strategy.
5. Use at least three (5) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify 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.
 
Palmer?Dunford?Akin: Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple Perspectives Approach, Second Edition 1. Introduction: Stories of Change Text © The McGraw?Hill Companies, 2009 1 Chapter1 Introduction: Stories of Change Learning objectives On completion of this chapter you should be able to: • Understand why change is both a creative and a rational process. • Identify why there are limits on what the manager of change can achieve. • Recognize how stories of change can illuminate key issues in managing change. • Appreciate the “roadmap” for this book and the multiple “images” approach that underlies it. Changing organizations is as messy as it is exhilarating, as frustrating as it is satisfying, as muddling-through and creative a process as it is a rational one. This book recognizes these tensions for those involved in managing organizational change. Rather than pretend that they do not exist, it confronts them head on, identifying why they are there, how they can be managed, and the limits they create for what the manager of organizational change can achieve. It shows how the image(s) we hold about how change should be managed, and of what we think our role should be as a manager of change, affects the way we approach change and the outcomes that we think are possible. As a way into these ideas, we commence this chapter by visiting four prominent companies to look at stories of recent changes. The Hewlett-Packard story concerns Carly Fiorina’s attempts to establish and then manage the merger with Compaq Computer; the IBM story shows how change to this organization has occurred both from the staff within as well as from management at the top; the Kodak story shows how pursuing changes to digitalize the company has provoked reactions from both staff and investors; and the McDonald’s story points to the pressures on organizations to change in order to reestablish themselves in the marketplace. The stories contain both similar and different elements about managing organizational change and the broader tensions and choices this entails. In the last part of the chapter, we draw these out, identifying some key lessons that emerge and indicating where they are addressed in the chapters that follow. We also provide a “road map” that indicates the position taken by this book, that our understanding of the issues addressed in subsequent chapters is affected by our underlying images of managing change. Palmer?Dunford?Akin: Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple Perspectives Approach, Second Edition 1. Introduction: Stories of Change Text © The McGraw?Hill Companies, 2009 2 Chapter 1 Introduction: Stories of Change Stories of Change A Hewlett-Packard Change Story: Managing a Merger Around 7 a.m. on March 19, 2002, Hewlett-Packard’s CEO Carly Fiorina and CFO Bob Wayman were on the phone to Deutsche Bank trying to make one last ditch effort to convince them to vote yes. 1 The vote, scheduled for later that morning, was an important one. It would determine the future of the proposed Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Compaq Computer Corp. merger and the future of HP as a major player in the technology industry. 2 The months preceding the vote had been tumultuous. After the announcement of the proposed merger had taken place in September 2001, Walter Hewlett, the son of the co-founder of HP, had publicly opposed the proposition, which required shareholder approval. 3 Fiorina and her team faced serious and accumulating opposition to the merger, but there was also growing concern for HP’s future if the deal was rejected. A Merrill Lynch portfolio manager said at the time, “If the deal is voted down, I don’t know what I’m left with. I don’t know if the board will stay, if management will walk out the door, or what the strategy will be. Sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.” 4 In the lead up to the vote, HP was confident that a yes vote by Deutsche Bank was a sure thing. Representatives of Deutsche Bank such as George D. Elling had been public supporters of the merger and had reportedly even given HP a $1 million contract to uncover the voting plans of other institutions. 5 Word of a change in Deutsche Bank’s thinking reached Wayman and, despite reassurances from his contacts that the merger would be supported, talk strongly suggested that they had, in fact, reversed their decision. On the morning of the vote, Fiorina and Wayman were given their first and only opportunity to pitch the deal to the investment team at Deutsche Bank. Fiorina, using her innate ability to impress, gave a compelling and persuasive argument questioning the company’s future if the merger did not go ahead. The Deutsche Bank team decided that a failure to continue with the merger would be more disastrous than the merger itself. 6 On March 19, 2002, the merger was approved by a shareholder vote 7 —a result that would have been more difficult had Deutsche Bank not supported the merger. 8 Premerger Back in 1999 when Fiorina joined HP, the company was in serious need of guidance. The personal computer division faced growing competition, the sales force needed better coordination, and the company was losing market share to rivals such as Dell and Sun Microsystems.9 Fiorina joined the organization with aspirations, and external pressures, to change how it functioned. In her view, the culture of HP could be changed by “going back to the roots of the place.” 10 One of the ways she set out to achieve this was by working with a local ad agency and the head of Human Resources to create a set of “Rules from the Garage” that outlined what she hoped the culture at HP would become. “The customer defines a job well done” and “Invent different ways of working” became signifiers of the company’s direction and aspirations. 11 She decided to restructure the company. Customers such as Ford and Boeing were frustrated by the separate sales teams from HP that were constantly marketing individual products to them. They wanted a complete package that addressed the needs they had in their entirety. 12 In light of these uncommunicative operational units within HP, Fiorina reorganized the company into “quadrants,” creating two “front-end” sections that Palmer?Dunford?Akin: Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple Perspectives Approach, Second Edition 1. Introduction: Stories of Change Text © The McGraw?Hill Companies, 2009 Chapter 1 Introduction: Stories of Change 3 consisted of sales and marketing and two “back-end” functions where manufacturing and research occurred. 13 There was considerable, but subtle, employee resistance to the change. Fiorina’s vision of HP creating a new interface with customers may have been sound, but, as a radical change, it was not widely welcomed by many who were part of the HP “system.” 14 Post-Merger In the aftermath of the merger, and the ensuing lawsuit that opposed the merger and attempted to dissolve it, 15 Fiorina had a huge task ahead of her. The integration of the two corporate cultures was made more difficult by the strained relations Fiorina had with her own staff, many expressing serious concerns regarding the merits of the merger. 16 The transition was made slightly easier by the 65,000 new personnel who became a part of the HP community after the merger. They were more at ease with creating an organization in the way that Fiorina envisioned. According to Fiorina, the necessary cultural adjustment was simplified by this injection of “new DNA.” 17 Following the merger, Fiorina embarked on a series of technological symposiums and “coffee talks” with HP engineers. 18 Although the merger had already been undertaken by HP and Compaq, there were still many employees who were not convinced of the validity of HP’s riskiest move, some of whom faced being victims of the job cuts resulting from the merger. 19 To win over the 147,000 employees worldwide, Fiorina used a range of methods of communicating including the “management by walking around” style that Packard and Hewlett had originally advocated within the organization. A company employee commented on her style and interaction with all members of the company by saying that her actions and down-to-earth nature “earned her a lot of points” with transferees from Compaq. 20 The company faced challenges in the way of significant competition from both Dell in the PC business and IBM as a service provider. 21Communicating a vision for the future of the company post-merger remained a key issue for Fiorina. 22 Three years later, in February 2005, Fiorina was ousted from HP and replaced by Mark Hurd.23 In one of his first acts as the new CEO, Hurd undid some of the radical changes from his predecessor’s reign. 24 He cut jobs and engaged in a restructure, breaking down the four quadrants into product divisions because they were too “matrix” in design. 25 Some commentators, in referring to “the debacle of the Carly Fiorina years,” argue that many of the changes Hurd has made are “designed to unscramble the forced attempt at synergy attempted by his predecessor, instead handing back clearer responsibility to divisional managers for their own operations.” 26 Greater attention to becoming more efficient and getting better at execution appears to be producing results: in August 2007, Hurd announced HP’s best sales growth for seven years. 27 An IBM Change Story: Transformational Change from Below and Above Change from Below 28 Before using the Internet became as commonplace as watching television, David Grossman and John Patrick took on the mammoth task of convincing their superiors and co-workers at IBM that the Internet was even worth looking at. Their subsequent actions helped to revolutionize Big Blue and drastically change its path into the future. 29Palmer?Dunford?Akin: Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple Perspectives Approach, Second Edition 1. Introduction: Stories of Change Text © The McGraw?Hill Companies, 2009 4 Chapter 1 Introduction: Stories of Change When David Grossman, a computer programmer, stumbled across a rogue Internet site for the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, he was troubled. IBM had the official broadcast rights to the Games, but Sun Microsystems was taking the raw footage and making it available on the Internet under their logo. Although his position as a programmer did not require him to act on his findings, Grossman was deeply concerned about the implications of the branding of the Internet broadcast and the potential effects on IBM. He pursued the issue by contacting the IBM marketing team for the Olympics. The rogue site was eventually shut down, but the lesson had not been learned. IBM had not even begun to comprehend how the Internet could become an integral part of their business dealings. 30 Grossman’s persistence landed him a meeting with the head of marketing, Abby Kohnstamm, and some of her colleagues. It was here that Grossman was able to give a detailed explanation of the benefits of the Internet. He captivated one member of his audience wholeheartedly. John Patrick, a member of the strategy task force, attended the presentation that day and he immediately became Grossman’s ally in the Internet Revolution and an important link to the world of senior management. 31 As a team, Grossman and Patrick complemented each other. Grossman had the more developed technical know-how. 32 Patrick knew how to make the “boundaryless” culture at IBM work to his advantage. 33 Together they created an underground community of Web fans who shared technical information that ultimately helped IBM into the Internet era, albeit working, for the most part, unofficially. 34The grassroots Web community infiltrated all corners of the company in a way that would have been difficult for an officially sanctioned, top-down group. It was through the advocacy of the lower-level personnel that the Internet message was spread through IBM’s culture. 35 Of course, the downside of being an unofficial part of an organization is the potential lack of financial backing for a group’s projects. However, when it came to finding money for IBM’s first-ever display at an Internet World trade convention in 1995, Patrick was not fazed. By coordinating the funds and the Web technology from various business units and becoming a “relentless campaigner” for the project, he gained support and expertise from multiple parts of the organization. 36By sharing experienced personnel and resources from many departments, Patrick and Grossman were able to provide departments with more expertise and highly trained personnel when they were “returned” to the area from which they came. This strategy reinforced internal support for the change. 37 Over the years, Patrick and Grossman succeeded in creating a system that revolutionized the way in which IBM does business. Coupled with the leadership of Lou Gerstner, the period from 1993 to 2002 was one of reinvention and change. 38 IBM transformed from a computer manufacturer to a global service provider, focusing on e-business and the Internet. By the late 1990s, IBM’s trading in the e-business sector began to reflect in the bottom line, accounting for almost a quarter of its revenue. 39 Change from Above In 2002, Samuel Palmisano, a lifetime IBMer, took over leadership of the company from Gerstner. Palmisano’s focus changed to emphasize teamwork and collaboration. One of his first steps in demonstrating his new management style, to investors and employees alike, was a readjustment in executive compensation. 40 This involved a cut in the controversial Palmer?Dunford?Akin: Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple Perspectives Approach, Second Edition 1. Introduction: Stories of Change Text © The McGraw?Hill Companies, 2009 Chapter 1 Introduction: Stories of Change 5 CEO bonus that was redistributed within the top management team. Palmisano claimed that in order to function as a team, the gap between the CEO and his team must be reduced. 41 Insiders said that the amount pooled was $3 to $5 million, approximately half Palmisano’s personal bonus. 42 This was an effective way of communicating to the entire organization his intentions and commitment to his vision. In a BusinessWeek e-mail interview, Palmisano wrote that in planning for change, “I kept thinking about an approach that would energize all the good of the past and throw out all the bad: hierarchy and bureaucracy.” 43 To this end, he disbanded the executive management committee and created three teams with which he would work directly. These management teams—in the areas of strategy, technology, and operations—were composed of people from all over the company, not exclusively top management. 44 His aim in restructuring was to make IBM a flatter, more creative organization striving to meet consumer needs. 45 In addition to the restructure, Palmisano saw a lack of skills in IBM around the delivery of global services. In 2002, IBM acquired PwC Consulting as a way of bringing to it highly specific consulting skills and expertise to assist IBM in providing a full range of services to its clients, “from high-end technology consulting to low-end support.” 46 IBM also put in place other techniques to make sure that it listens closely to its people. For example, it introduced the concept of “jams,” which are online brainstorming sessions where any employee can share his or her ideas about management issues or new product development. Palmisano subsequently expanded the use of jams to include clients, consultants, and employees’ family members in order to share ideas and help the company innovate.47 It is as a result of such changes from the top that IBM hopes to meet the challenges of the future. A Kodak Change Story: Provoking Reactions Could this be the beginning of one of the biggest turnarounds in American corporate history or one of the most public and embarrassing busts? After more than a century of producing traditional film cameras, Kodak announced in September 2003 that it would cut this line of production. In Western countries, this involves a complete move away from traditional products within the film industry and a full-scale launch into digital technology. 48 The move is slated “to generate . . . $20 billion by 2010.” 49 At an investor conference, CEO David A. Carp said: We are at the dawning of a new, more competitive Kodak, one that is growing, profitably, that has a more balanced earnings stream, and that will have a dramatically lower cost structure . . . To compete in digital markets, we must have a business model that lets us move even faster to take full advantage of the profitable growth that digital promises. 50 Implementing this change required Kodak to cut their dividend and raise capital for new technology purchases. 51 Further elaboration of this strategy occurred in January 2004 when it was announced that to reach the proposed savings of between $800 million and $1 billion by 2007, Kodak needed to make two physical changes to the organization. 52 First, there would be a reduction in the square footage of Kodak facilities worldwide by consolidating current operations and divesting unnecessary assets. Second, Kodak intended to reduce employment worldwide with up to 15,000 jobs to be cut by 2007. 53Palmer?Dunford?Akin: Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple Perspectives Approach, Second Edition 1. Introduction: Stories of Change Text © The McGraw?Hill Companies, 2009 6 Chapter 1 Introduction: Stories of Change Investor Reactions The announcement in September 2003 took many external experts by surprise. 54At a series of post-announcement meetings with investor groups, their reactions were not overly supportive,55 particularly to the news that their dividends would be severely cut. 56 They were conscious of promises to increase the company’s revenue that were not realized. 57 It was feared that this would become another “half-hearted transition” 58—as with the $1 billion launch into APS cameras in 1996 that ended in failure. 59 They also pointed to the risk in moving in this direction given the competitive market with rivals such as Hewlett-Packard, Canon Inc., and Seiko Epson Corp., which were already ahead in digital technology research and product development. 60 Carp’s response was to stand firmly by his decision to pursue digitalization of Kodak. 61 Staff Reactions For many of Kodak’s employees, the future looked bleak regardless of the success of the company in moving into digital technology. Employees were rightly concerned about losing their jobs in light of the proposed 20 percent worldwide cutback in employment. 62 Downsizing is not new at Kodak. From 1997 to 2003, the company reduced its workforce by 30,000. 63 As argued in The Wall Street Journal, this type of change “moves parallel [to] those at many companies whose comfortable business models have been threatened by rapid changes in information technology.” 64 As one union representative explained, the stress on workers in one Kodak production plant has been made worse than necessary because “management has not sought to reassure [Kodak employees] that they have got any long term future. When people have families to raise, financial commitments, that’s a very difficult environment to work in.” 65 Hence, along with having to convince investors that the path of change is the right one for Kodak, Carp also had to manage the adverse effects of an ongoing program of downsizing and restructuring. The Next Phase In June 2005, Antonio Perez replaced Carp as CEO. 66 He continued on the path of downsizing and eliminating plants. From 2004 to 2007, Kodak reduced its head count from 63,900 to 30,600 and offloaded a factory that it owned in Xiamen, China. 67 Perez is also engaging in a process of acquisitions in order to grow new businesses—with some concern from the financial community about the amount of debt that the company is accumulating.68 As Guerrera argues, “For now, Kodak’s position illustrates the problems that many companies face mid-turnaround, when the tough choices have been made but the results are still unclear. Management, under intense pressure from investors and buy-out groups, faces a critical test of nerve.” 69 A McDonald’s Change Story: Responding to Pressure Imagine eating nothing but McDonald’s for a month. Morgan Spurlock, independent filmmaker, did just that, restricting his diet with the following limitations: • No food or drink other than McDonald’s menu items. • Meals supersized when given the option. • Every item on the menu had to be eaten at least once. 70Palmer?Dunford?Akin: Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple Perspectives Approach, Second Edition 1. Introduction: Stories of Change Text © The McGraw?Hill Companies, 2009 Chapter 1 Introduction: Stories of Change 7 Spurlock spent one long month traveling across the United States interviewing various community groups about the implications of eating fast food and using himself as a guinea pig.71 Before embarking on this journey, Spurlock underwent a full medical examination and was deemed to be a physically healthy man. One month later, the diagnosis had changed.72 After three square McDonald’s meals a day for 30 days, Spurlock had gained 25 pounds, his cholesterol level had jumped from 168 to 230, 73 and his liver was in a state that an alcoholic would have envied. 74 The result of this personal experience was a documentary called Super Size Me, an entrant in the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. The aim? Spurlock claims his objective was to uncover the link between foods like McDonald’s and obesity, 75 a correlation that the company had long denied. 76 Nevertheless, the film’s release coincided with the launch of McDonald’s new Happy Meal for adults, comprised of a salad, a bottle of water, and a “stepometer.” Despite valiant attempts by McDonald’s to counteract the claims of the film, Super Size Me became one of the five biggest-grossing documentaries in American history.77 Highlighting health issues related to fast food has only added to other worldwide pressures on McDonald’s operations. Externally these include an epidemic of mad cow disease, foot-and-mouth disease, the SARS epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region, a fall in economies leading to weaker foreign currencies, and high commodity costs. 78 Internally these problems were compounded by McDonald’s aggressive international expansion strategy that made future growth more difficult. 79 As the then-CEO, James Cantalupo, admitted, “we took our eyes off our fries and paid a price.” 80 The problems that the company faced went beyond superficial fluctuations in sales and revenue. The year 1996 was a turning point, with McDonald’s experiencing four consecutive quarters of declining sales and beginning to lose market share to competitors such as Wendy’s and Burger King. 81 Jack Greenberg, the former CEO, implemented the highly unsuccessful “Made for You” kitchens with disastrous results. 82 The result was slower service in contrast to its aim of flexibility with new menu items. 83 Franchisees became frustrated. Take Paul Saber. For 17 years, he was a McDonald’s franchisee, but in 2000 he recognized the lack of fit between the product offerings at McDonald’s and consumer tastes. “The McDonald’s-type fast food isn’t relevant to today’s consumer,”84 he commented as he sold his 14 stores back to the company. Others stuck it out with McDonald’s. Richard Steinig remembers getting a 15 percent profit from the $80,000 sales at his two stores in the 1970s. 85 This was quite a comfortable income given that the minimum wage was less than $2 an hour. By 2003 he was struggling to make ends meet. Even the $1 menus advertised worldwide resulted in a loss for Steinig: as he said at the time, “we have become our own worse enemy.” 86 Getting Back to Basics In 2003 Cantalupo was brought in to rectify the declining state of the organization. 87 He previously held the position of vice chairman and headed McDonald’s international expansion. His vision for the organization’s future was in a “back to basics” 88 approach with organizational changes to refocus the organization on core values of quality and service. However, Cantalupo died in 2004 of a heart attack and his successor, Charlie Bell, left soon after (and subsequently died from cancer). In 2004 Jim Skinner took over as CEO. 89Palmer?Dunford?Akin: Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple Perspectives Approach, Second Edition 1. Introduction: Stories of Change Text © The McGraw?Hill Companies, 2009 8 Chapter 1 Introduction: Stories of Change As part of the new strategy called “Plan to Win,” new store openings were cut back. 90 The aim was to increase sales from existing sites instead of growth through a rapid implementation of new stores. 91 For example, in 2004, 300 new stores were proposed, in comparison to 1995, when 1,100 new restaurants were opened. 92 There was also a complete overhaul of the advertising campaign. By introducing the “I’m lovin’ it” slogan and commercials featuring pop singer Justin Timberlake, 93 the hope was to reinvent the company’s image and connect it with the younger generation. 94 Another part of the revitalization of the McDonald’s business was the introduction of the new salads menu. 95 McDonald’s, in the past, had expressed little concern at the claims that its products are directly linked to obesity, but some critics saw the launch into the “fresh salads” menus as a sign that the unhealthy reputation of fast foods may have been identified internally as a threat to the organization. 96 This new menu has helped to draw in female customers who had previously been reluctant to dine at their restaurants 97 and increase the number of customers during the evening. 98 In the past, McDonald’s had tried creating low-fat menu options for their patrons with the McShaker salads and McLean Deluxe burger, but with limited success. 99 Now, responding to external pressures, customers are given healthier and tastier menu options. 100 One of McDonald’s newer goals is “loved by kids, approved by moms,” focusing their nutritional efforts on these two key customer groups. 101 Franchisees in Colorado, for example, have joined forces to introduce “Smart Meals”—actively promoting meal combinations that meet specific nutritional standards and include two Happy Meal options for children. 102 Other franchisees have revamped their PlayPlace, the traditional children’s play area, by introducing the R Gym, encouraging physical coordination and aerobic activity. 103 McDonald’s also implemented an online training program for all U.S.-based employees to address customer service issues. 104 The aim was to bring the company back on the road to providing the basic, speedy service and quality products that it became famous for so many years ago. Together, these changes reflect the company’s most recent “better, not just bigger” mantra to bring the company back in touch with its customers. 105By 2007 this seemed to be working, with the company declaring some of “its strongest business results in 30 years.” 106 Drawing out the Change Issues and Where They Are Found in the Chapters that Follow As outlined in Table 1.1 , these four stories carry in them a wide variety of lessons and issues relating to managing organizational change. We now highlight the key issues and indicate how they are picked up in the chapters that follow. Images of Managing Change . . . Chapter 2 One of the intriguing features of the IBM story is how David Grossman took on the role of manager of change without a formal mandate to do so. Many in his position would not have seen it as their responsibility to drive change through the organization in this way. They would more likely have experienced change as recipients rather than as initiators of change. Carly Fiorina’s use of persuasion to get Deutsche Bank representatives to vote Palmer?Dunford?Akin: Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple Perspectives Approach, Second Edition 1. Introduction: Stories of Change Text © The McGraw?Hill Companies, 2009 Chapter 1 Introduction: Stories of Change 9 TABLE 1.1 Managing Change: Some Lessons from the Four Stories Hewlett-Packard Change Story • Different interests need to be recognized and addressed during an organizational change • These interests are likely to provoke different reactions to change • Organizational politics and lobbying are likely aspects of an organizational change that will need managing • Negotiation and persuasion are key communication skills • More successful communication strategies are likely to be those that “touch” the people to whom they are addressed • Communicating change often entails providing a vision of the future that is compelling • Pressures to change come from both outside and inside organizations • Restructuring is a common organizational change when confronted with problems • Any organizational change usually involves paying attention to organizational culture IBM Change Story • Innovative changes often emerge from below in organizations • Making change stick requires persistence over time and actions that need to be taken on multiple fronts • Change needs appropriately placed champions to gain support throughout the organization • The informal network of the organization is an important part of mobilizing and communicating organizational change • Change requires marshalling of appropriate resources • Some changes are incremental, others transformational • Some smaller change actions often convey powerful symbolic messages to help reinforce the sincerity and credibility that senior management attaches to the larger change Kodak Change Story • Organizational change involves handling reactions of both internal and external stakeholders • Communication strategies need to be designed for internal and external groups • Reactions to change are likely to be influenced by the success of previous changes and the extent to which there has been delivery on past promises • Change involves risk and uncertainty • The consequences of change cannot always be predicted • Managers of change need to address the question for staff of “How will I be affected?” McDonald’s Change Story • Organizational changes occur in a competitive, international business environment • This means that to prepare for the future, change may need to occur even when things still appear to be going well • Organizations face external pressures to change such as providing socially responsible products and services • Some changes fail to deliver on their intended outcomes • Change in and of itself is not necessarily good for a company; careful assessment is needed of the relevance and likely success of a proposed change

Harrison Middleton University Microeconomics Questions

Auteur Project (250 pts)You will be selecting a filmmaker from the list provided and conducting an “auteur” study of that director,  watching at least 2 of her/his/their films, researching their lifeand work, observing their characteristic themes and stylisticchoices, and presenting what you found in an online Auteur Workshop(small group forum on Brightspace) during our final week of thesemester.  Depending on the director you choose, you will beplaced into a smaller group to post/share/present/discuss your work. Group pages will be established on our course site.Format & Submission: This project contains three components:    RESEARCH & WRITING: a 3-4 page research and analysis paper, with Works Cited, summarizing the results of your research and screening of your chosen director’s work, submitted using Turnitin AND posted to your assigned Auteur Workshop Group Forum. PRESENTING: selecting a representative film clip to be posted/linked to the Auteur Workshop Group Discussion Forum AND the whole class forum (called Auteur Directors Extravaganza!), including a 2-3 paragraph presentation to introduce and analyze the clip, explaining why it is an interesting example of the work of your chosen director. WORKSHOPPING:  reading your groupmates papers, participating in a “group interview,” and discussing each other’s directors in your Auteur Workshop Group Forum.    Your Projects are DUE Friday, July 26th by midnight (or earlier): your research and analysis papers are to be submitted on Assessment/Assignments AND uploaded to your Auteur Workshop Group Forum, along with your 2-3 paragraph presentation and clip.  Your presentation and clip are also due on the whole class forum “Auteur Directors Extravaganza!”Your group’s discussion forum and interview (with Amanda and your groupmates) will continue through Sunday, July 28th, to wrap up by midnight (or earlier)  While you will be presenting and discussing your chosen director in a group, this is NOT a group project!  You will be completing your own study of your chosen director and will be solely responsible for your work, and only your work.Director Selection: Take a close look at the list of directors provided below and pull out a few directors who speak to you; spend some time on www.imdb.com to learn more about each one! Also check out how readily available their films are to you – library, rental, online, etc.  Then SELECT ONE DIRECTOR  – your top choice, followed by your second and third, just in case – by filling out the attached form and copying it into an e-mail to me.  I will accept and approve your requests on a first-come-first-approved basis, beginning immediately! We are aiming for a diverse selection of filmmakers to explore and a manageable number of people in each group, so I am asking for your back-up choices just in case.  If your first choice director is already taken we will move down your preferences.  There are plenty of filmmakers to choose from; however, this is not an exhaustive list!  So if you are interested in working on a director not listed, please let me know on your form and I will likely okay it!FIRST REQUESTS ARE DUE: Wednesday, July 17th by midnight (or earlier!) CORRECTIONS AND LATE REQUESTS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH: Saturday, July 20th  Research: Use our CCC libraries – and other trusted research resources – to do some research on your selected director’s life and work.  Be sure to find reliable sources!  (e.g. Wikipedia is NOT a reliable source!)  Don’t forget to start with our text and make use of their bibliographical references!  Search our library’s databases for academic/film journals! You should end up with a variety of sources – books and academic journal articles are the most trustworthy; online sources are iffy, so you should only rely on these for immediate and/or extra information and make sure that they are .edu, .org., or .gov with a reputable author!  Once you have found your sources, read them, taken notes, and used them to gain a strong understanding of your director and her/his reception in the film world.  You will use this research in your paper and provide a Works Cited page.  Screening: Use all available sources at your disposal to locate at least TWO film selections from your director (the more the better, though!) Here are some suggestions: your favorite video rental place, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Chicago Public Library, HWC collection (please search our library catalog and see me for access), Facets www.facets.org, film collections at other colleges and universities (if you have access), film student friends, each other!  If you run into trouble finding anything, ask for help – sooner rather than later!  Once you have the films in hand, screen them in their entirety!  Watch for similarities in style, narrative, content, symbolism, and technique; take notes; look for evidence of your research.   Evaluation: Please see the evaluation sheet below…Auteur Project Evaluation______  Preparation & Research (50 pts) Loos’ Notes: ____ relevant & reliable sources____ film choices____ screening & methods______ Reflection Paper (100 pts.)____ MLA format/works cited____ length/thoroughness (3-4 pages)____ thesis/organization____ engagement/analysis/research/films____ writing quality/overall sophistication______  Online Workshop (100 pts.)____ clip selection____ intro/clip setup (2-3 paragraphs)____ interview participation and answers____ engagement with colleagues and their work (2-3 discussion postings)____ thoughtfulness/relevance____ timelinessTOTAL _______/250Comments: