Showing 10–18 of 1965 results

  • Develop a Project Charter

    $5.00

    Develop a Project Charter, using the provided Project Management Plan template, based on Cosmo, Inc., a leading company in the development and distribution of wearable technology products, or your own selected business. This portfolio work project, a project charter, is based on your selected business and is the first key component of your project management plan. You may base your plan on Cosmo, Inc., a developer and distributor of wearable technology, or use a business of your choice.

    A project charter describes the approved project objectives and project management. It authorizes the project manager to use resources to complete and deliver a specific d For this assessment, choose either Option A or Option B. You do not need to do both. Your instructor will grade both options using the same scoring guide

    For this assessment, choose either Option A or Option B. You do not need to do both. Your instructor will grade both options using the same scoring guide.

    Option A: Based on the analysis completed by a task force at Cosmo, Inc., the marketing department must develop, implement, and test a new marketing campaign focused on maintaining current customer levels and increasing their customer base through the utilization of new technology. Refer to the Cosmo, Inc. Business Case (Attached) Cosmo, Inc. Business Casedocument for more information.

    Option B: Choose a business of your own. The business must include (but is not limited to) the following criteria:

    • Clear business objective and a specific completion outcome.
    • Project team has at least three members (not including you, the project manager), each with defined roles and responsibilities.
    • Completion window of 180 days.
    • Cost estimates that serve as the basis for a budget are used as part of the plan development process.

    Your Role

    Requirements

    Using the Project Plan Template (attached) Project Plan Template, develop the Project Charter section of the Project Management Plan, including the following:

    • Business Need.
      • Briefly describe the business need for Cosmo, Inc. or your selected business. Indicate how this will align with organizational strategic goals and objectives. Include quantitative information that supports the severity of the problem (performance metrics, costs metrics, customer satisfaction metrics, and so on).
    • Project Objectives.
      • Provide a brief statement regarding the implementation of the project, and then use bullet points regarding the major deliverables.
    • Project Approach.
      • Describe the business requirements for the project. How will the project be managed? For example, this project will be managed in accordance to the PMI approach as modified. Provide specific tools or techniques that will be utilized per project phase.
    • Project Assumptions.
      • Explain project assumptions. For example, it is assumed that the budget will be available to support the project and will require no update.
    • Project Constraints.
      • Explain project constraints. For example, the resources for the project may not be available as needed, and alternative solutions may be required. Provide mitigating strategies for each constraint.
    • Project Dependencies.
      • Explain project dependencies. For example, this project is dependent on the construction feasibility project (name) to be completed before this project can proceed. Provide mitigating strategies for each dependency.
    • Initial Risk Factors.
      • Analyze initial risk factors to the project. Include the impacts and mitigating strategies. For example, city permit application and approval occurs once a month. This could delay the ground-breaking tasks. Mitigation: Request a special meeting with the city planning department to gain approvals.
    • Regulatory Costs and Impacts.
      • Analyze the impact of regulations and costs to the project. For example, SOX, HIPAA, GLB, SEC rules, local and state licensing, permits, et cetera.
    • Roles and Responsibilities.
      • Explain who the project stakeholders are, their roles, and their responsibilities.
    • Signoffs.
      • Not required for this portfolio work project.
    • Comments.
      • This area is for stakeholder comments and is not required for this portfolio work project.
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  • Business Analytics Presentation

    $10.00

    Create a 10-12 slide PowerPoint presentation that interprets four of the graphs from the report
    you created in the last two assessments. You have the option of recording a voice-over of up to
    10 minutes or including detailed presenter’s notes in the PowerPoint slide deck to explain the
    points in each slide.
    The ability to translate analytic results into clear, concise business language and
    actionable results is vital for managers and analysts. Managers are often required to
    present the results of their team’s analysis to executives and must be able to explain the
    results at a high level as well as understand enough about the details to answer any
    questions the executives might pose.
    How much an analysis is valued can depend heavily on how well the results of that
    analysis are articulated. Communicating the results of your data analysis so the
    applications to your business are clear and explicit can greatly enhance the value of your
    analytic work. In this assessment, consider how you can best communicate the results
    that you wrote about in your previous assessment. Review any feedback you received
    on your first assessment and use it to enhance this assessment.
    Moving average calculations help interpret data. You can easily add a moving average
    calculation to your stock price scatter plot and use the information to add to your
    interpretation of the five years of stock price data. You will add the moving average
    calculation to your stock price scatter plot for this assessment.
    How much an analysis is valued can depend heavily on how well the results of that
    analysis are articulated. Communicating the results of your data analysis so the
    applications to your business are clear and explicit can greatly enhance the value of your
    analytic work.
    In this assessment, consider how you can best communicate the results of your
    enhanced business report to your supervisor and colleagues.
    Review any feedback you received on your previous assessments.
    You are a senior analyst in a business. You may choose any publicly traded company of
    interest that has practical meaning for you including the company you used for
    Assessment 3.
    Your immediate supervisor read your last analytics report on the company’s historical
    stock performance and was impressed with your work that she has asked you to add to
    the report and present the key points from that report at a company-wide meeting.
    You have been invited to present the highlights of your analytics report at an annual
    company-wide meeting that employees of all levels will attend. You have been allotted
    no more than 10 minutes and approximately 10-12 slides. The purpose of your speechor presentation is to explain how the results of your analysis apply to the business and
    how the data you are presenting may impact various aspects of business context.
    Create an approximately 10-12 slide PowerPoint presentation with detailed presenter’s
    notes including citations on slides and in Notes area of the slide. You may also add a
    recorded voice-over in which you present and interpret data, graphs, descriptive
    statistics, et cetera. but the voice-over is not required.
    Format your presentation as follows:
    • One title slide.
    • Introduction slides explaining the business context.
    • Four graphics slides: One for each of the four charts in your report. Be sure to add
    moving average to your stock price chart.
    • One slide on descriptive stats.
    • Two or more conclusion slides explaining the application of each graph in the
    chosen business context.
    • One slide calling for discussion and questions.
    • One slide thanking everyone for their attention.
    • One slide with APA-formatted references.
    • Eliminate all bias from your presentation by using supported facts.
    • Use short but complete sentences that are clear, comprehensible, and free of
    jargon for each bullet point.
    • Include no more than five bullet points per slide if possible.
    • Include APA-formatted in-text citations where appropriate.
    • Ensure your presentation is relevant to and easily understood by everyone in the
    audience. Remember, you will be speaking to people of all levels in the company.
    • If you include a voice-over in lieu of presenter’s notes, your recording should be
    no longer than 10 minutes.
    • Your written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall
    message.
    • Include an APA-formatted references slide at the end of the presentation.
    By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the
    following course competencies through corresponding scoring guide criteria:•

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  • Article in Forbes or other business journal

    $15.00

    Locate any report or periodical article that contains at least two different graphical
    representations of data or use one of the supplied articles. Interpret the graphs and present your
    findings in a brief PowerPoint presentation (6-10 slides).
    Business administrators and managers are often called upon to interpret data that
    analysts have provided to them. This requires an understanding of the data sources
    (when, where, and how data is collected; formatted or stored; and used), as well as what
    that data looks like and how it can be summarized. In this first assessment, you are asked
    to locate any report or periodical article used in a business context of interest to you that
    contains at least two different graphical representations of data. You will interpret the
    graphical data representations and present your findings in a brief PowerPoint deck, as if
    you were presenting during a company meeting.
    In this assessment you will learn about the collection, formatting, and use of raw data, as
    well as graphical and tabular methods for summarizing it. You will also get started with
    the technology that you will use in this course: Microsoft Excel (including the Data
    Analysis ToolPak add-in).
    You have been invited to present at a departmental meeting with employees from all levels
    within the organization. You have been allotted 6-10 minutes to speak.
    The purpose of your speech is to explain the business context as well as two charts or
    tables that you have evaluated as a business analyst of the organization.
    Your business report to the group will be a slide presentation with speaker notes and
    appropriate citations and references.
    Complete the following:
    1. Article Identification. Use one of the articles listed under Article Options
    subheading below or find an article in Forbes or other business journal or an annual
    report from a publicly traded company that includes at least two data graphs or
    tables.
    o The graphs should depict or represent data using pie charts, bar charts,
    tables, scatter plots, trend lines, et cetera.
    2. Read the article and identify the business context. Business context includes
    organizational history, mission, product and services, environment, competitive
    advantage, competition, et cetera. You can also determine business context from
    additional sources (and you should).
    o The company or organizational background information should help explain
    why the data are relevant. This will be the introductory information for your
    business report, presentation, or assessment.
    3. Interpret your chosen data representations in the context of the business situation.
    The following are typical questions an analyst would use to interpret the data:
    o What is being measured (the variables)?
    o What are the relationships among the variables?
    o What are the trends in the data?
    o How can the data be applied in the business context?
    4. Create an effective 6-10 slide PowerPoint deck with detailed presenter’s notes
    (including citations and reference slides) elaborating on each point that will be
    presented at a departmental meeting. For example:
    o Organization/business context.
    o Relevance/importance of information.
    o Source of data set and any limitations?
    o Graphic of data 1 – with interpretations of graph.
    o Graph of data 2 – with interpretations of graph.
    o Importance of data analysis in terms of business context.
    o Summary.
    o Reference slides.
    An effective PowerPoint presentation for this purpose typically includes:
    • One title slide, APA formatted.
    • 1-2 introduction slides explaining the business context.
    • Several slides. You should copy and paste (insert) the graphs or tables and include
    an appropriate citation. Each slide should include detailed speaker notes.
    • Several slides. Include your interpretation of each graphical data representation.
    • Conclusion slides in which you explain how the data may affect the business
    context or how it could be applied in your business context to inform decision
    making.
    • Slide with at least four APA-formatted references, including the source of each
    graph.
    Article Options
    For this assessment, you will need to choose among business articles from periodicals,
    annual reports of publicly traded companies, or published business reports to find two
    graphical representations of data.
    A list of appropriate articles has been compiled for this assessment. You may select one
    of the articles from the following list or find your own suitable business article containing
    two graphical data representations.
    • Huang, N. S. (2019). Investing: The best funds for your 401K. Kiplinger’s Personal
    Finance, 73(12), 18-29.
    • Reacting to market volatility. (2020). Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, 74(2), 54-55.
    • Taxpayers weigh in on the new tax law. (2020). Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, 74(3),
    50-51.
    • Woodley, K. (2020). A holistic bet on housing. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, 74(2),
    31.
    • Decarlo, S., Elam, D. G., Smyth, K., Agus, S., Austin, C., Hackett, R., Kowitt, B.,
    Lashinsky, A., Lev-ram, M., Nusca, A., O’keefe, B., Roberts, J. J., & Wieczner, J.
    (2017). 100 fastest-growing companies. Fortune, 176(4), 157-163.
    • Growing, growing… gone! (2016). Forbes, 197(5), 28.
    • Lim, P. J. (2018). The 50 best mutual funds and 50 best ETFs. Money, 47(1), 86-91.
    • Meet the world’s richest. (2016). Forbes, 197(4), 26-27.
    • Salisbury, I. (2018). How we got here. Money, 47(1), 52-57.
    • Sorvino, C. (2016). Dollar days. Forbes, 197(4), 28.
    Example Assessment: You may use the following to give you an idea of what a Proficient or
    higher rating on the scoring guide would look like:

    • Your written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall
    message, meet APA standards, and be unbiased with documented facts rather than
    opinion.
    • Remember to use and include at least four sources of information for your
    presentation.
    By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the
    following course competencies through corresponding scoring guide criteria:
    • Competency 1: Explain how data management techniques and tools are used to
    support business decisions.
    o Introduce the business context.
    o Explain how the data can be applied to the business context.
    • Competency 4: Present the results of data analysis in clear and meaningful ways to
    multiple stakeholders.
    o Interpret, or explain the meaning of, the two different graphical
    representations of data.
    o Correctly format citations and references using current APA style.
    o Present content clearly, professionally, and logically for the identified
    audience.
    Use any of the following Capella library articles for this week’s assessment or find
    appropriate articles on your own:
    • Anders, G. (2017). The looming retail bailout. Forbes, 199(6), 94-99.
    • Badenhausen, K. (2016). The world’s highest-paid athletes. Forbes, 197(9), 22.
    • Cam, D., & Au-Yeung, A. (2017). Doctorate, degree or dropout? Forbes, 200(5), 24.
    • Canal, E., Kauflin, J., & Adams, S. (2016). Shark Tank’s toothless deals. Forbes,
    198(7), 24-25.
    • Decarlo, S., Elam, D. G., Smyth, K., Agus, S., Austin, C., Hackett, R., Kowitt, B.,
    Lashinsky, A., Lev-ram, M., Nusca, A., O’keefe, B., Roberts, J. J., & Wieczner, J.
    (2017). 100 fastest-growing companies. Fortune, 176(4), 157-163.
    • Growing, growing… gone! (2016). Forbes, 197(5), 28.
    • Lim, P. J. (2018). The 50 best mutual funds and 50 best ETFs. Money, 47(1), 86-91.
    • Meet the world’s richest. (2016). Forbes, 197(4), 26-27.
    • Salisbury, I. (2018). How we got here. Money, 47(1), 52-57.
    • Sorvino, C. (2016). Dollar days. Forbes, 197(4), 28.
    There are select chapters from the following text throughout this course that are useful for
    preparation for each assessment.
    • Lind, D. A., Marchal, W. G., & Wathen, S. A. (2022). Basic statistics for business and
    economics (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
    o Chapter 1, “What Is Statistics?”
     This chapter explains why studying analytics and statistics is essential in
    business today.
    If this is your first venture into the world of analytics, the following resources can provide a solid
    foundation of knowledge:
    • Kenny, P. (2014). Better business decisions from data: Statistical analysis for professional
    success. Apress.
    o Chapter 5, “Raw Data.”
     This resource presents an overview of how data are used to make business
    decisions in the professional context.
    • Thomas, R., & McSharry, P. (2015). Big data revolution: What farmers, doctors, and
    insurance agents can teach us about patterns in big data. Wiley.
    •
    o Chapters 1-9.
     These chapters give practical examples of the use of analytics.
    • Watson, H. J. (2018). Successful analytics leaders. Business Intelligence Journal,
    23(1), 5-11.
    o This reading covers key characteristics of how leaders use analytics in
    business effectively.
    Data Analysis Software
    To complete the assessments in this course, you will need to use data analysis software
    to complete statistical calculations, create graphs and tabular summaries, and share your
    results in your Microsoft Word document submissions. You will use Microsoft Excel and
    Microsoft Excel Analysis ToolPak add-in. Be aware that not all statistical calculations,
    graphs, and tabular summaries can be completed in this software, so you may need to do
    some work outside of the software.
    Microsoft Excel Data Analysis ToolPak Add-In for PC and Mac
    The Analysis ToolPak add-in for Microsoft Excel is included in the standard installation of
    the Microsoft Office suite; however, it does need to be activated or enabled. You can
    use the instructions provided by Microsoft in the link below to load the Analysis ToolPak
    add-in for Microsoft Excel. If you do not own Microsoft Excel, Capella arranges for a
    significant discount for Microsoft Office for Capella learners.
    The following provides an overview of the Analysis ToolPak and instructions for loading
    and activating it. Note that these instructions are for 2016 and older versions of
    Microsoft Excel for PC and for the 2016 version only for Mac. If you are using a different
    version, you may need to search Microsoft’s website for the appropriate instructions.
    • Microsoft. (n.d.). Load the Analysis ToolPak in Excel. https://support.office.com/en-
    us/article/Load-the-Analysis-ToolPak-in-Excel-6a63e598-cd6d-42e3-9317-
    6b40ba1a66b4?CTT=1&CorrelationId=9f089166-5317-42d4-8d41-
    56b3d207e812&ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US

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  • Week 12 – Signature Assignment 2: Evaluate Qualitative Research Methods for Potential Studies

    $25.00
    This Signature Assignment consists of two parts that will be compiled into a single submission.

    Part 1
    Review the scenarios and related research questions below. Create some context for the identified scenario and research question. Then, select one qualitative research method that could address the research questions (one for each) based on the section topics and readings. For each method, discuss what the method is, how it would be designed to support the research question and the rationale for choosing the selected method.

    Explain the following, and then justify your response:

    • Justify the use of the qualitative method you selected.
    • Identify the potential population and sample.
    • Explain the collection and analysis strategies you would use.
    • Examine the relationship of trustworthiness to your selected design.
    • Analyze any ethical issues, including the process of reflexivity and how you would account for it.

    You must clearly describe the key points of each area, supporting each step with citations to your course text as well as peer-reviewed studies that directly align with the key areas discussed.

    Scenario: Research has demonstrated that bank teller turnover continues to be high throughout the financial industry. In particular, studies reveal that if the turnover issue is not addressed, poor customer service and increase in training costs will continue to be a concern. After reviewing the literature, it is clear that a qualitative exploration may help reveal a meaningful understanding of the turnover issue and how it might be improved. The following research question was developed in support of this problem:

    Research Question 1: How do bank managers perceive reducing high turnover in their banking institutions?

    Scenario: Research has demonstrated that bank teller turnover continues to be high throughout the financial industry. In particular, studies reveal that more needs to be understood about its existence, in particular to how the industry may fully appreciate the issue and then consider how it might be approached. After reviewing the literature, it is clear that a qualitative exploration may help reveal a meaningful understanding of the turnover issue. The following research question was developed in support of this problem:

    Research Question 2: What are bank managers’ lived experiences of high turnover in their banking institutions?

    Part 2
    Reflect on your experiences. First person perspective is acceptable. In the reflection, begin by considering your research learning experiences for the past six weeks of this course, and then address the following:

    • Describe your experiences of engaging with the activities and material for Weeks 7-12.
      • What was new information to you?
      • What was familiar?
      • What did you enjoy the most and why (if at all)?
      • What did you enjoy the least and why (if at all)?
    • What preconceived notions did you have about qualitative methods and how have your experiences over these weeks supported or conflicted with them?
    • As you continue exploring research on your topic of interest and a potential research problem and research questions, and if the research was revealing that a qualitative study was more appropriate, how comfortable are you with implementing a qualitative research study (again, consider how the problem and research questions guide this direction)?

    Support your assignment (for Part 1) with at least five scholarly resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including seminal articles, may be included.

    Part 1 Length: 8-10 pages
    Part 2 Length: 3-5 pages
    Total Length: 11-15 pages, not including title and reference pages

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

    $25.00

    In the last assessment, you were asked to prepare the first part of your analytics report by
    creating graphs and calculating some descriptive statistics. In this assessment, you will write your
    5-8 page analytics report by interpreting those graphs and statistics, and explicitly connecting
    those interpretations to implications in the practical business context.
    The first step in creating meaningful information from raw data is to represent the data
    effectively in graphical format and to calculate any required statistics. The second step is
    interpreting and explaining those graphs and statistics in order to apply them in the
    business context.
    In the previous assessment, you were asked to create the first part of your analytics
    report by preparing graphs and calculating some descriptive statistics. In this assessment,
    you will complete your analytics report by interpreting those graphs and statistics, and
    connecting those interpretations explicitly to implications in the business context.
    In business and applied analytics, oftentimes you are interested in drawing conclusions
    about a population of interest. However, it may not be feasible or practical to gather
    data on the entire population. In those cases, data is gathered from a sample or subset of
    the population. Analyses done on the sample are then used to draw inferences regarding
    the overall population; this mathematic process is referred to as inferential statistics. In
    this assessment, we begin discussing the topics of sampling and drawing inferences.
    All the inferential statistical techniques and methods covered in this course are
    considered parametric techniques and require certain assumptions to be used and for
    the results to be reliable, many of which are assumptions about an underlying
    distribution. Nonparametric techniques require no assumption about underlying
    distributions and are often used when the assumptions of parametric techniques are not
    met. Although these are beyond the scope of this introductory course, they are a great
    option for additional reading and research.
    Analytics projects often result in two distinct types of reports or summaries: one tailored
    to the executive level, which takes the form of a presentation, and the other, a detailed
    analytics report, which documents an analysis so thoroughly that another analyst can
    reproduce the analysis exactly. Many times, the latter type is referred to by other
    departments or analysts wishing to conduct a similar analysis on similar data or by the
    same analyst who wants to repeat the analysis on a new or revised set of data. In this
    assessment, you will learn the essential elements that should be included in a report at
    this level of detail and you will create your own analytics report addressing the business
    problem you have been working on.
    The first step in creating meaningful information to develop a business report for
    decision making. The business report includes the analyzed raw data, effectively
    presents the analysis results in text and graphical format, as well as calculate any
    required statistics.The second step is interpreting and explaining the graphs and statistics to understand
    the impact in the practical business context.
    In the last assessment, you were asked to create the first part of your business analytics
    report by introducing a company, analyzing company stock data, developing graphs, and
    calculating some descriptive statistics.
    In this assessment, you will adjust your business report to minimize limitations of one
    year’s worth of data. You will use the same company for this assessment and you will use
    5 years of data!
    You will also enhance your introduction or business context section of your business
    report based on your new graphs and your interpretation of the data graphs and
    descriptive statistics over a five year period. Your interpretation efforts of graphs and
    descriptive statistics will explicitly connect in the conclusion area. Conclusions and
    recommendations are the final effort in the development of a practical business report
    and should be supported by citations. Remember that opinion is not allowed.
    Your supervisor has asked you to prepare a report for the quarterly company meeting.
    The first part of the task was to download the data and create scatterplots and
    histograms, and to calculate mean, median, and mode of 5 years of stock prices for your
    report. Now you must analyze and interpret those graphical representations of the
    company stock and write the report of your findings and recommendations for your
    supervisor.
    You are an analyst using the same company and five years of stock data. Having
    accessed the company data and placed it in an appropriate graphical format, you must
    now use descriptive statistics and analysis to develop a report to inform business
    decisions.
    After reviewing and integrating your instructor’s feedback on your previous Assessment,
    complete the report as follows:
    • For each graph you created, write at least one well supported paragraph
    interpreting the graph: What does that graph represent? What does the shape of
    the graph tell you about how the data have changed over time?
    • For each statistic you calculated, include at least two to three well-supported
    sentences explaining what the statistic represents:
    o What does the mean tell you? How do you know?
    o What does it imply if the median is different from the mean?
    o• Write a new conclusions section in which you explain how these interpretations
    can be used in the company:
    o What are some trends about which company leaders should be aware?
    o How might the information you have provided be used in decision making in
    the company?
    o What are other analysts indicating about the stock?
    • Explicitly connect other analysts’ comments and recommendations to your
    interpretations to possible impact to the business context
    • Lastly, should your company invest of partner with the company or stock being
    evaluated?
    Create a 5-8 page report containing:
    • APA-formatted title page.
    • 1-2 page introduction of your chosen company that you created in your previous
    assessment.
    • Section labeled Graphical Representations of Data that includes the four graphs
    you created as well as your interpretations of the graphs.
    • Section labeled Descriptive Statistics, with the statistics you calculated as well as
    your interpretations of the statistics.
    • One-page conclusion in which you describe the potential business applications of
    the data and interpretations.
    • APA-formatted references page (remember to cite the source of your financial
    data, analyst comments and support for your interpretations).

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  • VRIO or Value Chain analysis

    $15.00

    Complete a VRIO or Value Chain analysis, a PESTLE analysis, and a Five Forces model for an organization. Prepare a 3-6-page executive report that analyzes the internal and external environments of the organization and recommends a course of action based on the analysis.
    AFI, VRIO, and value chain are just three concepts you need to understand as a business strategist. This assessment focuses on these important facets of business analysis.
    For this assessment, you will analyze the internal and external factors that shape and influence an organization’s strategy. Your work on this assessment will demonstrate your understanding of industry forces and how an organization can leverage its strengths to its advantage. This portfolio work project asks you to analyze the strategic process using the AFI framework. This analysis will clearly demonstrate your ability to think critically and strategically, and to use evidence to support your thinking.
    The vice president of strategy has asked you to prepare an objective analysis of the internal and external environments of the organization. She is hoping that your insight can be used to plan for the future direction of the company.
    You are a strategic analyst for the company you have selected to use in this course. The company has recently started the strategic planning process and needs to analyze the current internal and external environments.
    To complete this assessment, be sure you understand the AFI framework as presented in your text. Conduct your own research to find recent articles on the value of strategic planning and the role of leadership in the strategic planning process. (Note that the Strategic Management Process Map on pages 30 and 31 of the course text will be very helpful in completing this assessment.)
    For this assessment, you will need to complete a VRIO or Value Chain analysis, a PESTLE analysis based on research of the organization (not conjecture or opinion), and a Five Forces model (pay attention to the relationships of elements from both PESTLE and Five Forces). These must be included as appendices in the document you submit. You should also research the industry your company is in, as well as the company’s website for information and supporting evidence. Once you have this research completed, prepare an executive briefing report that will be distributed to senior executive leadership. In your report, address the following:
    • Analyze the key components of the AFI strategic planning framework. Assess the value of using a strategic planning framework for long-term success and sustained competitive advantage.
    • Analyze the internal environment of the organization.
    o What are the key findings from your VRIO or Value Chain analysis?
    o How well does the organization leverage its strengths to execute the business strategy?
    o How effective is the organizational structure and management system design?
    • Analyze the external environment of the organization.
    o What are the key findings from your PESTLE analysis?
    o What are the key findings from your Five Forces analysis?
    o How can the organization respond to these forces to better position itself?
    • Explain the role of leadership in the strategic planning process. Be sure to address the ethical responsibilities of leaders in the strategic planning process.
    • Recommend a course of action for leadership based on your analysis.
    The strategic process and analysis is a professional document and should therefore follow the corresponding MBA Academic and Professional Document Guidelines, found under Writing in the MBA Program Resources, which you can find in the Tools and Resources for this course. Pay attention to the sections on APA formatting and citing references.
    In addition to the analysis, include:
    • Title page.
    • Table of contents.
    • Executive summary.
    • References page with APA formatted references from at least five sources.
    • Appendices: VRIO or Value Chain analysis, PESTLE analysis, and Five Forces
    analysis.
    • Target length of 3-6 content pages in addition to Title page, Table of Contents,
    Reference pages, and Appendices” including your VRIO/Value Chain, PESTLE, and
    Five Forces analyses.
    • Written for an audience of executive leaders.
    By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the
    following course competencies through corresponding scoring guide criteria:
    • Competency 1: Assess the importance of strategic management for supporting
    long term success and sustained competitive advantage.
    o Analyze the key components of the AFI strategic planning framework,
    assessing the value of using a strategic planning framework for sustained
    competitive advantage.
    o Explain the role of leadership in the strategic planning process.
    • Competency 2: Apply strategic thinking approaches to resolve business-related
    challenges.
    o Recommend a course of action based on an internal and external
    environmental analysis.
    • Competency 3: Analyze the internal and external environments of an organization
    in order to formulate and implement successful strategies.
    o Analyze the internal environment of an organization.
    o Analyze the external environment of an organization.
    • Competency 5: Communicate business needs, opportunities, and strategies with
    multiple stakeholders.
    o Address assessment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating
    appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences.
    o Apply the standard writing conventions for the discipline, including structure,
    voice, person, and tone.
    Faculty will use the scoring guide to review your deliverable as if they were the vice
    president of strategy. Review the scoring guide prior to developing and submitting your
    assessment

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  • Assessment 2: Defining Yourself as a Leader

    $20.00

    Assessment 2

    Defining Yourself As a Leader

    Prepare a 2–3-page business report (single spaced) in which you analyze your leadership strengths and develop a statement of who you are as a leader.

    Your leader is interested in your development as a leader in your organization. You have recently taken a variety of self-assessments designed to better understand your strengths, areas of improvement, communication ability, and values. Your leader would like you to spend some time reflecting on the results of your assessments and setting SMART goals for future improvement, gathering some additional information from those who know you best.

    Your role is to prepare a report in which you review and reflect on your strengths. To do this, collect information from the various assessments in class or from colleagues, friends, or others who know you well, and create a portrait of yourself as a leader. Then, reflect on how this information fits with your own view of yourself and your behavior on the job or in life by creating a personal SWOT and some SMART goals.

    For this paper:

    • Discuss the strengths, skills, and other positives that were revealed in the assessments that you took. Do these strengths surprise you or reinforce what you already thought? How do you use these strengths currently? Be sure to clearly explain which assessment gave you the information and cite the assessments in APA format.
    • If you choose to, discuss your strengths further by summarizing what the people that you asked about you responded, and relating how what you learned from the people you talked to and the assessments fits in with what you already knew about yourself, and with the work you currently do or hope to do in the future.
    • Bring together all data points—your own feelings about your skills, what the assessments revealed, what your contacts said about you—in a cohesive personal SWOT.
    • Describe one or two areas that you learned are growth opportunities (where you did not perform so strongly). How did you feel about this? What specific and actionable steps might you take to strengthen these areas? List at least one SMART goal that you can set for yourself.
    • Develop a statement of who you are as a leader, based on your analysis. This statement should include your values, strengths, goals, and more. You should include in your statement who you want to be as a leader—what you aspire to become. This way, your statement becomes your own vision of who you want to be and an affirmation to help you grow.

    Your deliverable is a 2–3-page business report (single spaced). Business reports are formatted differently from academic, APA formatting. For information about the differences, refer to MBA Program Resources. You will want to review the MBA Academic and Professional Document Guidelines. Note that this business report MUST be single-spaced, professionally formatted, and organized with ample headings. Because this is a personal reflection, you may write it in first person.

     

    Collecting Feedback From People:

    If you choose, you can collect valuable feedback about your strengths through others. Because not everyone is likely to respond, you should identify at least 6–10 people to ask. Choose a variety of people who have had extended contact with you, such as:

    • Colleagues (former or current), such as vendors, customers, or board members.
    • Friends (old or recent), neighbors, or fellow volunteers.
    • Family members.
    • Others who know you well. Be creative in your choices.

    Try to give your respondents sufficient time to respond. You can create a feedback form or keep it simpler.

    The questions you should ask are:

    • Who am I when I am at my best?
    • Can you provide a specific example of a time when I was at my best?

    The Defining Yourself As a Leader business report is a professional document and should therefore follow the corresponding MBA Academic and Professional Document Guidelines, including single-spaced paragraphs. In addition to the report, include:

    • Title page or a heading at the top of the first page with title, date, and your name.
    • Introduction.
    • Various sections (see recommended outline below).
    • Conclusion.
    • References page.
    • APA-formatted references (if applicable).

    You might consider using the following outline:

    • Introduction (Tell the reader what this paper is about. Do not assume that the reader knows what the assessment is).
    • My Strengths (Detail which assessments you took, what strengths and values were revealed, and comments you received, if applicable).
    • Personal SWOT Leadership Statement (Provide a brief personal SWOT in bullet form or a four-square graphic. Create a statement of who you want to be as a leader—make it aspiring, like an affirmation).
    • Growth Opportunities (Briefly overview the importance of growing and setting goals. Then, develop at least two SMART goals based on your analysis. Detail the areas where you have yet to grow and discuss some plans for achieving that growth).
    • Conclusion (wrap up the paper effectively).
    • References (in APA format. Be sure to cite the assessments that you took, and any readings that are applicable).

    By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies through corresponding scoring guide criteria:

    • Competency 1: Analyze the strengths and behaviors of successful leaders.
      • Analyze personal leadership strengths.
      • Develop a personal SWOT leadership statement that includes purpose and values as a leader.
    • Competency 2: Apply leadership strengths and behaviors to workplace situations.
      • Describe how you use your strengths in the workplace or plan to in the future and how you will develop your weaknesses to become strengths by setting SMART goals.
    • Competency 4: Communicate effectively through academic and professional writing.
      • Develop text using organization, structure, and transitions that demonstrate understanding of the relationship between the main topic and subtopics.
      • Convey clear meaning in text through sound grammar, usage, word choice, and mechanics.

     

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  • Analyze Methods to Develop a Research Chart

    $10.00

    Week 1 – Assignment 1: Analyze Methods to Develop a Research Chart

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    Instructions
    The Research Chart is a tool you will use every week to explore methods during this entire course. It will comprise key points of each method and you will add to it for each weekly requirement, except for the Signature Assignment weeks. Since this is the first week of the course, you will create more than what will be added in subsequent weeks, so you are encouraged to use the same chart and build on it as you work through this course.

    For your initial chart, include the following in your submission:

    First, create three main sections: 1) Experimental, 2) Quasi-Experimental, and 3) Non-Experimental. (In the first Section of the course, you will focus on adding quantitative topics. Qualitative topics will be added later in Section 2.)

    Then, for this week, in the corresponding section, provide the name(s) of the method you reviewed, its primary use and when it should be used (what circumstances), strengths and limitations of the method, ethical considerations, and one example of when the method could be used (include your interests or something more general).

    The chart can be organized in any manner that works for you, such as an Excel Spreadsheet or a Word Document using the table feature. Include headings according to the appropriate methods being developed. The goal is to create a clear and concise chart. You may use pointed (bullet form) discussion points or more narrative text within your chart.

    Length: Research chart, not including title and reference pages. Be sure to cite this week’s resources used in your assignment.
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  • Develop a Plan to Motivate and Engage Workers from Diverse Generations

    $25.00
    Imagine that you have been asked by a corporate leader to develop a plan to motivate and engage workers from diverse generations. Write a proposal to address this request. Be sure to address the following points in your paper:

    • Provide an overview and description of the generations currently in the workforce.
    • Provide a discussion of the various attitudes and values particular to each generation. What attitudes might all generations share? Are generational values more alike than different?
    • Identify some common stereotypes about generations, and then describe how they might interfere with motivating and enhancing the engagement of individual workers.
    • Explain how different generations might inform and influence each other in the workplace.
    • Explain how attraction, development, and retention of employees would differ for each generation.
    • Describe at least five motivational techniques that the organization could use to assist its diverse workforce.
    • Describe at least three best practices that the organization could use to enhance positive work attitudes amongst its diverse workforces.

    Support your plan with at least 10 references published in peer-reviewed journals in the past seven years.

    Length: 12-15 pages

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