ACC 556

Discussion 1

“Budgets”

Please respond to the following:

• Analyze the major pros and cons of preparing annual company budgets. Identify at least two (2) critical budget line items that you believe are essential for managing your company. Provide a rationale for your response.
• One way to monitor a company is to break it into different centers or business units. For example, a Revenue Center oversees the sales teams while the Cost Center focuses on making the product or delivering the services. If the company maintains a store or locations that handles both revenue and costs, this is called a Profit Center. Managers of each center have their own budgets and are held accountable for achieving it. Analyze the most common responsibility reporting systems. From your analysis, argue at least one (1) pro and one (1) con of using responsibility reporting systems.
• How do companies fall short from achieving such a task (assigning proper responsibilities to match the level of responsibility given to the employees or managers) ? In your opinion, how the gap between what the corporate office determines and what the field actually trends can be reduced?

Discussion 2

“Liabilities”

Please respond to the following:

For this week’s Discussion, research one (1) publicly traded company in which you are interested using the Internet. Locate the company website and financial statements. Also locate information on the types of bonds the company issues. Review the Liabilities section of the company’s Balance Sheet. Be prepared to discuss.

• Imagine that you just read about another company in the same industry facing criminal charges for misrepresenting their liabilities. Naturally, you’re worried that the company you’re researching might be doing something similar. Hypothesize a scenario in which someone at the company could intentionally misstate liabilities for his or her personal financial gain. Recommend two (2) actions that these companies can take to prevent or detect intentional misstatements of liabilities for personal financial gain. Justify your response.
• Imagine that you are advising an investor who is considering purchasing bonds issued by the selected company. Analyze the types of bonds the chosen company issues. Make a recommendation to the investor as to which type of bond would provide the most value. Justify your response.

Discussion 3

“Cash Flows”

Please respond to the following:

For this week’s discussion, research one (1) publicly traded company in which you are interested using the Internet and/or Strayer databases. Review its most recent statement of cash flows and income statement on the company’s Website. Be prepared to discuss.

• Outline one (1) strategy for companies to spend excess cash and maximize the value of that transaction. Provide a rationale for your response.
• Compare and contrast the selected company’s statement of cash flows to its income statement. Suggest at least two (2) items from each statement that investors should analyze when deciding whether or not to purchase the company’s stock or bonds. Justify your response.

BUS 520

Discussion 1

Effective Communication

Watch this video: Communication Model

https://www.lynda.com/Communication-tutorials/Comm…

Barrier in Communications

Respond to the following items:

• Explain how barriers to communication can impede effective leadership. Provide a rationale for your response.

• Describe your greatest communication challenge in the workplace and suggest strategies you would use to address this issue.
• What are other common barriers to effective communication?

Note: Use information from your readings (Chapters 11, 12, and the Poorly Informed Walrus Case) and/or other outside research to support your response.

Discussion 2

Assess Your Leadership Skills

Go to the Mind Tools Management Toolkit and complete the short leadership traits assessment exercise.

Leadership Skills : Qualities of a Great Leader

As you explore your strengths and weaknesses, address these items in your responses:

• What are your strengths?
• Where do you need to improve?
• Based on your assessment results, propose three recommendations for how you will improve your leadership skills.
• From the list below, select the leadership style you use or that you have seen used in your organization. Describe the traits and behaviors associated with your selection in your response.

  A. Directive leadershipB. Supportive leadershipC. Achievement leadershipD. Participative leadership

• How does “performance at all costs” affect ethical leadership?Note: Use information from your readings (Chapters 13 and 14) and/or other outside research to support your response.

Discussion 3

Managing Innovation Through Change

SUBWAY Story: Training & Development

Recall a situation when your organization decided to make changes to an internal process or procedure. In your response, address these topics:

Explain whether or not the change fit into your organization’s mission and values.

• Provide an example of the most significant barrier to this change.
• Suggest ways that your organization could have addressed this issue more effectively.
• Do you think that personal characteristics (personal references, personality tests) should be favored over work-related assessments during the applicant selection process?
• Which cultural influence do you feel will constitute the greatest challenge for management as it relates to maintaining a functional organizational culture? Why do you think so?

  A. Generational change (millennials)B. Artificial Intelligence (robotics)C. eCommerce (the age of the Internet)D. Globalization (technology-driven solutions)

Note: Use information from your readings (CFrom the list below, select the leadership style you use or that you have seen used in your organization. Describe the traits and behaviors associated with your selection in your response.

ECO 550

Discussion 1

“Predicting Price-Setting Strategies” Please respond to the following:

• From the scenario for Katrina’s Candies, determine the importance of predicting the pricing strategies of rival firms in an industry characterized by mutual interdependence. Examine the common price setting strategies of airlines that use game theory. Predict the potential effects of such pricing strategies on the demand for seats, and conclude the resulting impact on the profitability of the airlines.
• Why not have one of the company’s focus their efforts on the smaller jets and leave the other market to the other competitor? Doesn’t that allow them to be monopolists in their fields and eventually increase the prices?Thank you,

Supplemental Resources

The Prisoner’s Dilemma Explained

Nash Equilibrium

Value-Based Pricing

Use Value-Based Design to Drive New Product Success

Value-Based Pricing with Stefan Michel

Are you charging the price you deserve? You might be able to increase revenue through value-based pricing, a strategy in which you set prices based on the perceived value to customers instead of on cost. In this lynda.com course, IMD professor Stefan Michel lays out the differences between cost-based and value-based pricing, while detailing the four capabilities of value-based pricing: superior customer insights, an understanding of your market, and the abilities to manage prices and apply pricing psychology. Along the way, explore the benefits of customer segmentation and the concept of pricing as pain management, and learn about the importance of maintaining confidence during price negotiations.

Scenario

https://blackboard.strayer.edu/bbcswebdav/institut…

Discussion 2

“Entering a Merger and Organizational Form” Please respond to the following:

• From the scenario for Katrina’s Candies, examine the major implications for firms entering into a merger. Explain the criteria the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission would follow when deciding on whether or not to approve a proposed merger.

Scenario

https://blackboard.strayer.edu/bbcswebdav/institut…

Supplemental Resources

Corporate Governance Overview

Discussion 3

“Impact of Government Regulation” Please respond to the following:

• Take a position on whether the banking industry needs more or less government regulation. Support your position with two (2) examples of the impact of regulation.

Scenario

https://blackboard.strayer.edu/bbcswebdav/institut…

Supplemental Resources

Understanding Government Regulations

It is important that you stay abreast of pertinent government regulations. Each country has different regulations, so if you’re doing business outside the U.S., you’ll want to make sure that you know which rules and regulations apply to you in those countries. Watch the lynda.com video Understanding Government Regulations (4 min 52 s) to learn more.

https://shib.lynda.com/InCommon

https://www.lynda.com/Business-Online-Marketing-tu…