Essays Archives - Page 143 of 1718 - Academic Research Writers

Based upon the details in the WBS and the project case, determine which tasks need to be completed first and which tasks are dependent upon other tasks to be completed prior to starting.

Assignment 2: LASA – Project Planning – Developing the Project Plan and Determining Critical Path

Using the District4WarehouseMove WBS.xls provided, create a project plan for the District 4 Warehouse Move project. Use the PDF document, Project Plan Check – District4Move, to check your work to be sure you have created your starting project plan correctly. ProjectLibre is required for this task. If you have not yet downloaded ProjectLibre, please click here and follow the directions to do so now.

Note: you will need to insert a column to include your WBS codes, then you will need to sequence the tasks to show tasks by work package.

Based upon the details in the WBS and the project case, determine which tasks need to be completed first and which tasks are dependent upon other tasks to be completed prior to starting. Using this information identify predecessors in your project plan’s predecessor column. Complete the predecessor column by entering the line number of tasks that must be completed in order for each task to start. This will create your project timeline.

Using ProjectLibre’s Network or flow diagram view, determine the critical path for this project. In a MS Word document, list the activities that are on the critical path. Considering the risks identified in the risk table below, identify which risks would be most likely to increase your project timeline. Justify your responses.
Submit both your completed project plan and your MS Word document.

District 4 Production Warehouse Move Project – Risk Table

Permits are not received per the schedule

Finish work contractors walk off the job half way through

Framing and drywall contractors are running behind schedule and can only produce half their crew as scheduled

Work benches are poor quality and 1/3 will have to be rebuilt

Submit your plan to M3: Assignment 2 Dropbox by Wednesday, February 10, 2016.

Assignment 2 Grading Criteria

Maximum Points

Correctly developed a project plan from the WBS provided

Completed the predecessor column correctly in the project plan based upon information in the case.

Correctly identified critical path activities

Correctly identified risks that would impact the project schedule

Used proper writing components such as, correct grammar, spelling, and word choice and cited all sources using correct APA style, etc.

Evaluate the profit-maximizing price and output level for given operating costs for monopolies and firms in competitive industries.

Outline a plan that will assess the effectiveness of the market structure for the company’s operations. Note: In Assignment 1, the assumption was that the market structure [or selling environment] was perfectly competitive and that the equilibrium price was to be determined by setting Qd equal to Qs. The market structure in the first assignment was competitive. This means that the firm does not have control over the price and it has to charge the equilibrium price. You are now aware of recent changes in the selling environment that suggest an imperfectly competitive market where your firm now has substantial market power in setting its own “optimal” price.

Since the company has control over the price, it has to decide how much to charge and how much to produce to maximize profit.

The profit-maximizing/loss-minimizing quantity and price can be determined by setting the MR = MC. This involves the following.

Find the total revenue: TR = P x Q

Find the marginal revenue by calculating the derivative of the total revenue function.

Set MR equal to the provided MC function and solve for Q, and then for P.

Based on the results, the company should make a decision to continue producing or shut down.

Question 2

Given that business operations have changed from the market structure specified in the original scenario in Assignment 1, determine two (2) likely factors that might have caused the change. Predict the primary manner in which this change would likely impact business operations in the new market environment.

Consider the change in the degree of competition.

Review the sections “Industry Performance” and “Competitive Landscape” in the IBISWorld report provided.

Factors that might have caused change could be for example consolidation of the industry, i.e., firms become bigger and have now some control on the price. Also, firms can differentiate their product from the products of their competitors, which again results in more control over the price. Firms’ actions are interdependent and now their decisions are affected not just by the demand and supply conditions, but by what moves their major competitors make. These are just examples. You might come up with other factors.

Question 3

Analyze the major short run and long cost functions for the low-calorie, frozen microwaveable food company given the cost functions below. Suggest substantive ways in which the low-calorie food company may use this information in order to make decisions in both short and the long-run.

TC = 160,000,000 + 100Q + 0.0063212Q2

VC = 100Q + 0.0063212Q2

MC= 100 + 0.0126424Q

To maximize profit, the firm has to find ways to maximize its total revenue and minimize its cost. You should also consider the difference between short and long run. In the short run, at least one of the costs is fixed. In the long run, all costs can be changes, i.e., all costs are variable. A review of the IBISWorld Industry Report on the frozen food production in the US can also help you answer this question. The cost functions affect the profit. The cost functions are to be used to answer question 4 as well.

Using the provided cost data for the firm, determine whether the firm is making a profit or a loss by charging the equilibrium price determined in Assignment 1.

Calculate the total revenue.

Calculate the total cost.

Find the difference between TR and TC, which is the profit or the loss.

Review the section “Cost Structure Benchmarks” (p. 22) in the IBISWorld report.

Question 4

Here, you have to find the profit maximizing or loss-minimizing quantity and price. Then, determine whether the company is making a profit. To find the value of Q and P, you should use the marginal rule MR = MC.

MC function is given.

You should calculate MR by using the demand function from Assignment 1: Qd = 38,650 – 42P.

First, inverse the demand function to show the price in terms of quantity: P = 920.238 – 0.0238Q.

Then, find the TR function, which is equal to price times quantity TR = (920.24 – 0.0238Q)*Q = 920.24Q – 0.0238Q2.

Finally, find MR which is the derivative of TR with respect to quantity, i.e., MR = 920.238 – 0.0476Q.

Next, set MR equal to the MC given in the second assignment and solve for the profit maximizing or loss minimizing Q and P.

When you find the values of Q and P, you can plug in the number for Q into the TR function to find the TR and in the TC function, to find the TC.

Then subtract TC from TR to find the total profit.

If you get a negative number, the firm is making a loss.

If the number is positive, the firm is making a profit.

If the firm is making a loss, you should figure out whether the firm should continue to produce at a loss in the short run, or shut

To answer this question, you should compare the TR with VC, or price with AVC. If the firm is making a loss and the TR is higher than VC or the price is higher than the AVC, then it would be better off producing rather than shutting down because it will be able to cover some of its fixed cost. But if TR is smaller than VC, or if price is smaller than AVC, the firm will be better of shutting down.

Question 5

Suggest one (1) pricing policy that will enable your low-calorie, frozen microwavable food company to maximize profits. Provide a rationale for your suggestion.

(Hints:

In Assignment 1, you determined your firm’s market demand equation. Now you need to find the inverse demand equation. Having found that, find the Total Revenue function for your firm (TR is P x Q). From your firm’s Total Revenue function, then find your Marginal Revenue (MR) function.
Use the profit maximization rule MR = MC to determine your optimal price and optimal output level now that you have market power. Compare these values with the values you generated in Assignment 1. Determine whether your price higher is or lower.)

Use the profit-maximizing rule MC = MR to find the price and quantity that maximize profit.

Question 6

Outline a plan, based on the information provided in the scenario, which the company could use in order to evaluate its financial performance. Consider all the key drivers of performance, such as company profit or loss for both the short term and long term, and the fundamental manner in which each factor influences managerial decisions.

(Hints:

Calculate profit in the short run by using the price and output levels you generated in part 5. Optional: You may want to compare this to what profit would have been in Assignment 1 using the cost function provided here.
Calculate profit in the long run by using the output level you generated in part 5 and cost data in part 3 and assuming that the selling environment will likely be very competitive. Determine why this would be a valid assumption.)

You can also review the section “Key Statistics” on p. 38 of the IBISWorld Industry Report Report.

Question 7

Recommend two (2) actions that the company could take in order to improve its profitability and deliver more value to its stakeholders. Outline, in brief, a plan to implement your recommendations.

Review the sections “Industry Performance” and “Products and Markets”

Additional Requirements for Assignment

Assignment 2: Operations Decision

Due Week 6 and worth 300 points
Using the regression results and the other computations from Assignment 1, determine the market structure in which the low-calorie frozen, microwavable food company operates.
Use the Internet to research two (2) of the leading competitors in the low-calorie frozen, microwavable food industry, and take note of their pricing strategies, profitability, and their relationships within the industry (worldwide).
Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:
Outline a plan that will assess the effectiveness of the market structure for the company’s operations. Note: In Assignment 1, the assumption was that the market structure [or selling environment] was perfectly competitive and that the equilibrium price was to be determined by setting QD equal to QS. You are now aware of recent changes in the selling environment that suggest an imperfectly competitive market where your firm now has substantial market power in setting its own “optimal” price.
Given that business operations have changed from the market structure specified in the original scenario in Assignment 1, determine two (2) likely factors that might have caused the change. Predict the primary manner in which this change would likely impact business operations in the new market environment.
Analyze the major short run and long cost functions for the low-calorie, frozen microwaveable food company given the cost functions below. Suggest substantive ways in which the low-calorie food company may use this information in order to make decisions in both the short-run and the long-run.

TC = 160,000,000 + 100Q + 0.0063212Q2

VC = 100Q + 0.0063212Q2

MC= 100 + 0.0126424Q

Determine the possible circumstances under which the company should discontinue operations. Suggest key actions that management should take in order to confront these circumstances. Provide a rationale for your response. (Hint: Your firm’s price must cover average variable costs in the short run and average total costs in the long run to continue operations.)
Suggest one (1) pricing policy that will enable your low-calorie, frozen microwavable food company to maximize profits. Provide a rationale for your suggestion.

(Hints:

Recommend two (2) actions that the company could take in order to improve its profitability and deliver more value to its stakeholders. Outline, in brief, a plan to implement your recommendations.
Use at least five (5) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia does not qualify as an academic resource.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Analyze short-run and long-run production and cost functions.
Apply macroeconomic concepts to changes in global and national economies and how they affect economic growth, inflation, interest rates, and wage rates.
Evaluate the profit-maximizing price and output level for given operating costs for monopolies and firms in competitive industries.
Use technology and information resources to research issues in managerial economics and globalization.
Write clearly and concisely about managerial economics and globalization using proper writing mechanics.

Click here to view the grading rubric.

By submitting this paper, you agree: (1) that you are submitting your paper to be used and stored as part of the SafeAssign™ services in accordance with the Blackboard Privacy Policy; (2) that your institution may use your paper in accordance with your institution’s policies; and (3) that your use of SafeAssign will be without recourse against Blackboard Inc. and its affiliates.

Assignment 2: Operations Decision

Due Week 6 and worth 300 points

Using the regression results and the other computations from Assignment 1, determine the market structure in which the low-calorie frozen, microwavable food company operates.

Use the Internet to research two (2) of the leading competitors in the low-calorie frozen, microwavable food industry, and take note of their pricing strategies, profitability, and their relationships within the industry (worldwide).

Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:

Outline a plan that will assess the effectiveness of the market structure for the companyâ€™s operations. Note: In Assignment 1, the assumption was that the market structure [or selling environment] was perfectly competitive and that the equilibrium price was to be determined by setting QD equal to QS. You are now aware of recent changes in the selling environment that suggest an imperfectly competitive market where your firm now has substantial market power in setting its own â€œoptimalâ€ price.
Given that business operations have changed from the market structure specified in the original scenario in Assignment 1, determine two (2) likely factors that might have caused the change. Predict the primary manner in which this change would likely impact business operations in the new market environment.
Analyze the major short run and long cost functions for the low-calorie, frozen microwaveable food company given the cost functions below. Suggest substantive ways in which the low-calorie food company may use this information in order to make decisions in both the short-run and the long-run.

TC = 160,000,000 + 100Q + 0.0063212Q2

VC = 100Q + 0.0063212Q2

MC= 100 + 0.0126424Q

Determine the possible circumstances under which the company should discontinue operations. Suggest key actions that management should take in order to confront these circumstances. Provide a rationale for your response. (Hint: Your firmâ€™s price must cover average variable costs in the short run and average total costs in the long run to continue operations.)
Suggest one (1) pricing policy that will enable your low-calorie, frozen microwavable food company to maximize profits. Provide a rationale for your suggestion.

(Hints:

In Assignment 1, you determined your firmâ€™s market demand equation. Now you need to find the inverse demand equation. Having found that, find the Total Revenue function for your firm (TR is P x Q). From your firmâ€™s Total Revenue function, then find your Marginal Revenue (MR) function.

Use the profit maximization rule MR = MC to determine your optimal price and optimal output level now that you have market power. Compare these values with the values you generated in Assignment 1. Determine whether your price higher is or lower.)

(Hints:

Calculate profit in the long run by using the output level you generated in part 5 and cost data in part 3 and assuming that the selling environment will likely be very competitive. Determine why this would be a valid assumption.)

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the studentâ€™s name, the professorâ€™s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Analyze short-run and long-run production and cost functions.

Apply macroeconomic concepts to changes in global and national economies and how they affect economic growth, inflation, interest rates, and wage rates.

Evaluate the profit-maximizing price and output level for given operating costs for monopolies and firms in competitive industries.

Use technology and information resources to research issues in managerial economics and globalization.

Write clearly and concisely about managerial economics and globalization using proper writing mechanics.

Click here to view the grading rubric.

By submitting this paper, you agree: (1) that you are submitting your paper to be used and stored as part of the SafeAssignâ„¢ services in accordance with the Blackboard Privacy Policy; (2) that your institution may use your paper in accordance with your institution’s policies; and (3) that your use of SafeAssign will be without recourse against Blackboard Inc. and its affiliates

How persuasive is the book (if certain aspects are more persuasive than others, explain why).

Organizational Management 653 Oral Presentation

[Pin It]

This week you will select and obtain a book from the attached list (Please note I have already selected Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell as the book to do the presentation on). Your assignment is to read the book in its entirety. After you read your selected book, you are to create an oral book presentation, much like a TedTalk style presentation and persuade your classmates to read the book.

When reading the book, focus on the following topics:

What is the book’s main argument?
Who seems to be the intended audience for the book?
How is the book structured?
Does the structure of the book (its various parts and chapters) reinforce its larger argument? How?
What kinds of sources, or examples, does the book offer in support of its argument, and which are most (and least) effective? Why?
How would you position the book in relation to our other reading assignments this term?
Does the author seem biased or prejudiced in any way and, if so, is that prejudice or bias the product of the author’s own background, as far as you can tell?
How persuasive is the book (if certain aspects are more persuasive than others, explain why).
Your review should have two goals: first, to inform the reader about the content of the book, and second, to provide an evaluation that gives your judgement of the book’s quality.

Incorporate the elements of the list above into a professional, scholarly book review presentation for your peers to view. Do not spend more than one-third of the presentation summarizing the book. The presentation should not be a chapter-by-chapter summary. The summary should consist of a discussion and highlights of the major arguments, features, trends, concepts, themes, ideas, and characteristics of the book. Much of your grade will depend on how well you describe and explain the material in your own words

Identify the top three (3) activities that you believe could impact the project completion date.

This assignment consists of two (2) parts: a project schedule, and a written response. You must submit both parts as separate files for the completion of this assignment. Label each file name according to the part of the assignment it is written for.

Part A: Project Schedule

(Submit as one [1] Microsoft Project file)

In Assignment 2, you developed a project plan. Now, using the information from your project proposal, create a multi-level work breakdown structure (WBS) and detailed project schedule.

Your project must include the following criteria:
The project must consist of at least twenty-five (25) tasks.
Each task must contain a start date, a finish date, and have main staffing and non-staffing resources assigned.
Assume that your work activities are completed during normal weekdays (no weekend work) under normal conditions (8 hours per day).
In terms of holidays, you can assume no work will be done the following days: New Year’s Day, President’s Day, Good Friday, Good Monday, Friday before Memorial Day, Memorial Day, the business day before Independence Day, Independence Day, the Friday before Labor Day, Labor Day, the day before Thanksgiving Day, Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving), the business day before Christmas, Christmas Day, the business day after Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve.

Part B: Written Response

(Submit as a Microsoft Word file)

Write a one to two (1-2) page response in which you:

Analyze your project in terms of project completion, critical path, and slack / float. Specifically, be sure to answer the following:
When will the project be completed?
What is the critical path for the project?
How much slack / float is in your project? What activities have the greatest slack / float?
Summarize the recommendations or improvements you would make to your project schedule. Specifically, be sure to answer the following:
Identify the top three (3) activities that you believe could impact the project completion date.
What additional activities would you add to this project to make it more complete, from a project management viewpoint?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
Typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
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 is not included in the required page length

How would the media respond? Would they get bad press for continuing to stop in Haiti and be perceived as profiting in the midst of this tragedy, or will the public perception be worse if they suspend sailing to Haiti during this crisis?

Royal Caribbean International, a major cruise line, owns a private beach in Haiti, which is typically a port of call on several of their Caribbean cruise itineraries. The private port, known as Labadee, is about 80 miles away from Port au Prince. The beach was unaffected by the quake.

In the days following the earthquake, the company wrestled with several issues as they determined whether to continue to stop in Labadee or temporarily abandon the port of call.

Their objectives would be to 1) ensure guest satisfaction; 2) protect the brand; and 3) maximize profitability.

Some of the consequences they considered as they tried to determine whether the cruise line should continue to make a stop in Haiti in the midst of this crisis are as follows.

Will cruise passengers be interested in relaxing on a beach when hundreds of thousands are homeless and hungry just 80 miles away? Could this impact new reservations or cause people to cancel? Based on research and consulting with others, you believe there will be minimal impact.

Because the community near the beach depends financially on the cruise line for income, would suspending the stop in Haiti make the country worse off? Based on your analysis, there is a high likelihood that the area would be negatively impacted if the line pulled out of Labadee.

How would the media respond? Would they get bad press for continuing to stop in Haiti and be perceived as profiting in the midst of this tragedy, or will the public perception be worse if they suspend sailing to Haiti during this crisis? You determine that there is a higher chance that the company would get bad press if the company suspended services than if they continued to include it on itineraries.

Using a risk profile such as the one below, define the uncertainties and make the recommendation for a decision for the Labadee Case

Identify the steps you will take, including the use of social media, to build a coalition around the policy, highlighting your role in the process.

For this assignment, you will be building on the problem definition developed inModule 4 and develop a policy proposal for advocacy and adoption.

Tasks:

Create a 10- to 12-page policy proposal, utilizing a minimum of five scholarly sources in your research. Address the following in your proposal:

State the social problem you wish to solve.
Analyze the policy development cycle and the influence of stakeholders throughout the process.
Discuss how the policy development cycle and the influence of stakeholders will be used to effect social change for your identified problem.
As a human services professional, examine your role in policy advocacy and coalition building for improving human services.
Describe all of the resources available to support your policy and how you would organize them.
Identify the steps you will take, including the use of social media, to build a coalition around the policy, highlighting your role in the process.
Determine a list of the different constituents you would engage to advance your policy goal.
Define the specific policy action to be pursued.
Develop the criteria for measuring the effectiveness of the policy for society if adopted.

Submission Details:

Save your paper in a Microsoft Word document named M5_A2_Lastname_Firstname.doc and by Monday, February 22, 2016, upload it to the M5 Assignment 2 RA 2 Dropbox

Describe how the social and political climate regarding that issue has changed in the last 10 years.

Research a community issue of your choice in which advocacy efforts were executed.

Write a 1,500- to 2,000-word paper discussing the impact of the advocacy efforts in relation to the social and political climate. Address the following:

Choose an issue in your community that was affected by the social and political climate.
Examples include childhood obesity, food deserts, radon exposure, school performance, truancy, addiction, and the legalization of drugs.
Describe how the social and political climate regarding that issue has changed in the last 10 years.
Describe how advocacy efforts have influenced current attitudes and policies.
Identify the stakeholders and their roles in the advocacy process.
Discuss how advocacy efforts have evolved and changed based on an understanding of the interaction of human systems

Examine an effective introduction of the adopted change in an appropriate organization or network. Discuss what made the implementation of this particular change successful.

Assignment 1: Implementing Policy Change

In this assignment, you will review how an adopted policy change can be implemented successfully to ensure that it overcomes the typical causes of implementation failure.

Tasks:

In a minimum of 500 words, post your responses to the following:

Explain what makes for effective implementation of change in general.
Examine an effective introduction of the adopted change in an appropriate organization or network. Discuss what made the implementation of this particular change successful.
Describe the review process during which policy maintenance, modification, or termination can be considered.
Explain the role of leadership in the implementation process. Discuss the relevance of continued influence and coalition building during implementation. Could there be merit in strengthening relationships between people and organizations involved in the implementation process? Why or why not?

Submission Details:

By Saturday, February 20, 2016, post your responses to this Discussion Area.
Through Wednesday, February 24, 2016, respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts. While responding, comment on what you would change in the review process compared to other students. You should focus on why you would make your proposed changes as against the changes they discussed. You should also provide your rationale for your comments on the basis of how each of the processes selected could affect policy implementation

Describe the kind of resistance that might be encountered during the implementation of the policy.

Assignment 2: Evaluating a Policy Proposal for Adoption

In continuation of the policy change cycle, a policy proposal is prepared and reviewed for adoption by key decision makers. Therefore, it is essential that the proposal be technically and administratively effective, politically acceptable, and legally and ethically defensible. In this assignment, you will learn how to prepare and review a policy proposal for adoption by key decision makers.

Tasks:

On the basis of the readings and your research, create a 3- to 4-page paper addressing the following:

Discuss a draft policy or plan for review. What problem does it address, and what solutions does it propose?
Identify the possible stakeholders’ interests and concerns regarding the draft and proposed solutions in particular.
Identify the risks associated with the proposed policy.
On the basis of your analysis of the second and third points above, suggest modifications to the proposal to enhance its chances for adoption.
Describe the goals of the involved parties in preparing the draft. What influence efforts (if any) do you see represented in the draft? What additional influence efforts might you recommend to convince decision makers to consider the proposed changes and, ultimately, adopt them?
Identify the actions and resources required for implementing the proposal once adopted.
Describe the kind of resistance that might be encountered during the implementation of the policy. What are some steps that leaders of policy advocacy efforts can take to overcome it?

Your paper should utilize a minimum of two resources from professional literature in your research. Professional literature may include the Argosy University online library resources; relevant textbooks; peer-reviewed journal articles; and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or institutions (.edu, .org, or .gov).

Submission Details:

Save your paper in a Microsoft Word document named M4_A2_Lastname_Firstname.doc and by Wednesday, February 17, 2016, upload it to the M4 Assignment 2 Dropbox.

Assignment 2 Grading Criteria	Maximum Points
Discussed the policy, including what it addresses and solutions it proposes. Included a discussion about the stakeholders who might be able to influence the proposed solutions.	30
Discussed the risks associated with the proposed policy. Included a discussion about the social, political, and implementation risks of the policy.	20
Discussed the modifications and goals of the policy. Included a discussion about the efforts that might be used to influence decision makers to adopt the policy for implementation.	20
Discussed the actions and resources necessary to implement the policy. Included a discussion about the potential risks and ways to overcome risks of implementing the policy.	20
Wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrated ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; displayed accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation

Evaluate the state and federal statutory and regulatory enactments relative to patient rights and responsibilities.

Create a 1,050- to 1,400-word pamphlet that conveys the following information:

Evaluate accountability and liability implications for individuals and organizations in the health care industry.
Evaluate standards of care and potential liability for health care professionals and organizations.
Evaluate the status of provider rights and responsibilities in the delivery of health care.
Evaluate the state and federal statutory and regulatory enactments relative to patient rights and responsibilities.
Evaluate various forms of health care fraud.
Evaluate civil and criminal penalties associated with fraudulent activities.
Analyze the legal and ethical implications of using technology in the health care industry.

Format your assignment consistent with APA guidelines.

Cite 3 peer-reviewed, scholarly, or similar references