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BUS SCE Revised 2/2/17 1
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Senior Capstone Experience Guidelines 2017-18
Table of Contents
Overview ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Business Plan Capstone ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2
ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
CHAPTER 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3
CHAPTER 2: GENERAL COMPANY DESCRIPTION ………………………………………………………………………………… 3
CHAPTER 3: PRODUCTS AND SERVICES ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
CHAPTER 4: MARKET RESEARCH …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
CHAPTER 5: MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION ……………………………………………………………………………… 6
Special Topic Capstone ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6
Strategy Capstone ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7
ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8
CHAPTER 2. ANALYZING THE INDUSTRY ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
CHAPTER 3. ANALYZING THE FIRM ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 10
CHAPTER 4. RECOMMENDATIONS ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 13
Research Ethics …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 14
Managing Your Research ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 14
Charts, Images, and Supplementary Material …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 15
Draft Chapters …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 15
Final Chapters ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 15
Grading the Capstone …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 15
Writing Guidelines …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 19
DOCUMENT FORMAT: APA………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 19
STYLE DO’S AND DON’TS ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 20
General Timeline ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 21
APPENDIX A: Business Management Student Learning Objectives …………………………………………………………………. 22
APPENDIX B: Sample Cover Page ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 23 BUS SCE Revised 2/2/17 2
Overview
One of the defining elements of a Washington College education is the senior capstone (officially, the Senior Capstone Experience, SCE). The SCE in Business Management is an intensive individual project that requires extensive research, thoughtful analysis, and clear writing. There is no set length, but most capstones are at least 40 pages long (longer is not necessarily better). Because each student may choose (in consultation with a professor) his or her own capstone topic, the capstone gives you a chance to gain expertise and skills in an area of business or management of your choice, from marketing to finance to information systems.
Beyond research and knowledge, the capstone is an opportunity for you to exercise and display your thinking and communication skills—skills that are highly in demand from employers. A 2010 American Association of College and Universities survey found that 84% of business leaders want college students “to demonstrate a significant project before graduation, to demonstrate their depth of knowledge and a passion for a particular area, as well as their acquisition of broad analytical, problem solving, and communication skills.”
So the capstone is more than a graduation requirement: it’s one of the best ways to help you embark on a career.
Capstone tracks. There are three tracks for the senior capstone in Business Management: (1) the Business Plan
Capstone, (2) the Special Topic Capstone, and (3) the Strategy Capstone.
Course registration, grading and alignment with departmental student learning outcomes. The capstone counts as a course, BUS SCE. Students are enrolled in the 4-credit BUS SCE course in the senior year, usually in the final semester, by the Department Chair. The capstone receives a mark of Pass, Fail, or Honors. Grading is aligned with several Business Management student learning outcomes: managerial knowledge, critical thinking, communication skills, and ethical awareness. Global awareness is incorporated in all Strategy capstones and many other capstones depending on the nature of the topic chosen. Collaboration skills are not an element of the SCE.
Double majors. Most double-major Capstones will fall into the Business Management Department’s ‘special topic’ track (see below), which provides considerable flexibility in designing, researching, and writing the Capstone. The Department encourages double majors to write a single integrated Capstone that can be submitted for both majors. . When faced with timelines from two departments, students should expect earlier ones to take precedence. Double majors can only earn 4 total SCE credits, even if they write two Capstones.
Application and timeline. The first step in pursuing your Senior Capstone is to complete the SCE application form found at http://bit.ly/2j2k2sr. Please see the last page of this document for due dates.
Business Plan Capstone
Students interested in learning what goes into starting a business can get a head start on launching their own enterprises by writing a Business Plan capstone. Students interested in this track should take BUS 320
Entrepreneurship. It is also recommended but not required that students interested in the business plan track take
BUS 212 Managerial Accounting.
Students desiring to pursue this track must meet these initial eligibility criteria:
WC GPA of at least 2.75
BUS GPA of at least 3.00
Students interested in the Business Plan capstone will indicate their business idea on the SCE application and follow up by submitting a complete application a neat, well-written, double-spaced proposal that includes the following elements.
- a) the business idea (description of the products/services)
- b) pertinent current trends in the industry/business; growth potential
- c) description of your core competencies that will support the business
- d) description of what makes your idea/business unique
BUS SCE Revised 2/2/17 3
This track is limited to a maximum of 10 students who will be accepted based on the quality of their proposals. Students who are not accepted to write a business plan capstone will write a strategy capstone instead.
The purpose of business plans are to serve as a roadmap for the entrepreneur to follow in establishing his or her business, to determine if the proposed business will be profitable, to identify strategies to minimize risk, and to provide required information for applying for bank financing of the enterprise. The business plan will consist of the following sections:
BUSINESS PLAN
ABSTRACT
The abstract comes first but gets written last. It is a summary of what you did and what you found: your argument in a nutshell, in 150 to 250 words. The abstract is the only part of your capstone that most people will read if you choose to have the library archive your work, so write it with care.
BUSINESS PLAN
CHAPTER 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This section should be written next to last and not exceed two pages. It should include everything that would be covered in a brief interview with prospective financial backers:
Name
Location
Description of product or services
Target market statement
Legal structure
Differentiation from competition
What does the future hold for your business or industry?
Business goals: include measurable short term (1 year) and long term (3 year)
BUSINESS PLAN
CHAPTER 2: GENERAL COMPANY DESCRIPTION
This section examines the nature of your firm and the environment in which you will compete. It should include:
Mission Statement
Company goals: where do you want your company to be in one year, in two years?
Company objectives: what are the progress markers to reach each goal? How will you know when you have reached each goal? How will you measure each goal?
Business philosophy: what is important to you in the business?
Describe your chosen industry.
Describe your target market.
What are your company core strengths and competencies?
What will be the legal form of the business? Why did you select that form over other recognized forms?
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BUSINESS PLAN
CHAPTER 3: PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Describe in depth your products and/or services. What factors will give you competitive advantages or disadvantages? Include pricing, fees, leasing structure, etc.
BUSINESS PLAN
CHAPTER 4: MARKET RESEARCH
Include both primary and secondary research. Primary research consists of gathering your own data (ex. traffic count, focus groups); secondary research is gathered from published information (ex. demographic profiles, trade journals, literature review). Address the following elements. BUS SCE Revised 2/2/17 4
Economics. Facts about your industry.
What size is your market?
What present share will you have?
What is the current demand in the target market?
What are the current trends?
Growth potential
What barriers to entry will you face (ex. high capital costs, training/skills) and how do you overcome these barriers?
Products/Services. In your earlier description of products/services, you described your products and services as you see them. In this section, describe them from your customers’ point of view. For each product or service:
Describe the most important features. What is special about the product/service?
Describe the benefits. What will the product/service do for the customer?
What after-the-sale services will you provide (ex. delivery, warranty, follow-up)?
Customer. Identify the most important groups and for each group, construct a profile that includes:
Age
Gender
Location
Income level
Social class/occupation
Education
Other (specific to your industry)
For business customers, factors might include:
Industry
Location
Size of firm
Quality, technology, price preferences
Other (specific to your industry)
Competition. What products/companies will compete with you? List your major competitors (provide names and addresses). How will your product/services compare with the competition? Include a short paragraph stating your competitive advantages.
Niche. In one short paragraph, define your niche, your unique corner of the market.
Strategy. Your marketing strategy should be consistent with your niche.
Promotion.
How will you get the word out to potential customers?
Advertising: what media, why and how often?
What image do you want to project? What plan do you have for graphic image support (logo design, letterhead, brochures)?
Should you have a system to identify repeat customers?
Promotional Budget. How much will you spend on items listed above before startup and on an ongoing basis?
Pricing. Explain your method of setting prices. Compare your prices with those of the competition. Are they higher, lower or the same? Why? What will be your customer service and credit policies?
Proposed Location.
Is your location important to your customers? If yes, how?
Is it convenient?
Is it consistent with your image?
Is it what your customers want and expect?
Where is the competition located? Is it better to be near them or distant?
BUS SCE Revised 2/2/17 5
Distribution Channels. How will you sell your products or services?
Retail
Direct (web, mail order, catalog)
Wholesale
Your own sales force
Agents
Independent representatives
Bid on contracts
Sales Forecast. Monthly projection based on historical data, marketing strategies you described, market research, and industry data. You may want to include a “best guess” scenario and a “worst case” scenario that you are confident you can reach no matter what happens.
Operational Plan. Explain the daily operation of the business, equipment, people, processes, and surrounding environment.
Production. Explain your methods of:
Production techniques and costs
Quality control
Customer service
Inventory control
Product development
Location. What qualities will you need in a location? Describe the type of location you will have including physical requirements and access.
Construction: costs and specifications
Cost: rent, maintenance, utilities, insurance, initial remodeling
What will your business hours be?
Legal Environment.
Licensing and bonding requirements
Permits
Health, workplace and environmental regulations
Special regulations covering your specific industry of profession
Zoning or building code requirements
Insurance coverage
Trademarks, copyrights, patents
Personnel. Facts about your industry.
Number of employees
Type of labor (skilled, unskilled, professional)
Where and how will you find the right employees?
Pay structure and benefits
Training methods and requirements
Who does which tasks?
Do you have a schedule and written procedures prepared?
Have you drafted employee job descriptions for each position?
For certain functions, will you use contract workers in addition to employees?
Inventory. What kind of inventory will you keep? Will you need seasonal buildups? Lead time for ordering?
Suppliers. Include names and addresses, type and amount of inventory furnished, credit and delivery policies, history and reliability
Credit Policies. Do you plan to sell on credit? Explain.
Financial. Prepare a start-up financial profile (monies needed to get the business going before you have sold anything). Include: BUS SCE Revised 2/2/17 6
Cash – initial amount and sources
Capital expenditures
Debt incurred and projected repayment schedule
Needed ongoing monies to meet fixed and variable expenses until the business begins to generate a profit
Length of time you believe it will be until the business generates a profit: best and worst cases (be realistic)
Pro formas. Prepare 1 year, 2 year, and 3 year financial projections for the business including:
Income statement
Balance sheet
Cash flow projection
Debt reduction statement
Additional anticipated capital expenses based on market/product expansion
BUSINESS PLAN
CHAPTER 5: MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION
Who will manage the business day-to-day? What experience does that person bring to the business? If you will have more than ten employees, create an organization chart. Include position descriptions for each employee and function, and if you are seeking loans or investors, include a resume for key employees.
Professional and Advisory Support.
Board of Directors
Management Advisory Board
Attorney
Accountant
Insurance Agent
Banker
Consultant as needed
Mentors/Key advisors
Special Topic Capstone
The Special Topic capstone is a research-oriented project reflecting the student’s interests and collaboration between the student and faculty advisor. Topics might include an integrated capstone (for double majors), a series of interviews in a particular industry or career path, a research study of a selected business or management topic, or empirical research tied to presentation at an academic conference. Students desiring to pursue this track are encouraged to directly request a business management faculty member to serve as capstone advisor well before the SCE application due date.
Students desiring to pursue this track must meet these initial eligibility criteria:
WC GPA of at least 2.75
BUS GPA of at least 3.00
Students interested in the special topic capstone will indicate their topic on the SCE application and follow up by submitting a well-written, one-page project description along with an outline of chapters and a reference list consisting of at least three credible, preferably peer-reviewed, sources that provide background and insight into the topic chosen.
Final determination of the student being able to pursue this track will be made upon review of the proposal. Students who are not accepted to write a special topic capstone will write a strategy capstone instead. BUS SCE Revised 2/2/17 7
Strategy Capstone
The Strategy capstone is the most popular track. In it, each student makes an intensive study of the recent activities and business results of one publicly traded firm, studied in its competitive environment, its industry. The Strategy capstone provides an excellent synthesis of all the major elements comprising the business management major: facility with statistics and financial analysis, ability to read financial statements, understanding of key business areas like marketing, information systems, organizational structure and leadership, the legal environment, and strategic management.
The Strategy capstone presents research, analysis, and recommendations on a firm’s operations and strategy. In other words, in this capstone the student studies what a firm tries to do within its competitive environment, what it actually does, and how successful it is. There are restrictions on what firms may be chosen for the Strategy capstone. Firms must be publicly traded, to ensure there will be sufficient financial information available, and firms studied within the recent past may not be chosen.
Any business management major may pursue the Strategy capstone. You may request a particular faculty member to serve as capstone advisor; if you do not, an advisor will be assigned to you. However, it is required that in your SCE application, you submit your first three choices for the firm that you will study (be sure to select companies that are not on list of ineligible firms provided). Mrs. Christy Rowan, the department administrative assistant, will confirm which firm you will study; in the event that none of your choices are available, you will be required to submit two new choices. When choosing firms, it can be helpful to think first in terms of industry sectors that you find most interesting (and perhaps may be pursuing a career in) and then identify major players.
The first assignment for students pursuing Strategy capstones is to read your firm’s most recent annual report, concentrating on the written essay generally found at the beginning of the report, and skimming the rest of the report to identify financial and other information included. You will submit a written reflection of the information found in the annual report, identifying at least ten significant things you learned. For instance, you may learn who the firm considers to be its major competitors, or what market opportunities are thought to be most promising for the future.
The Strategy capstone is not a defense of the firm. Students researching a firm sometimes make the mistake of thinking they are an advocate for the firm. This is not an appropriate perspective. Your role is to be an independent, objective source of information for senior management and/or investors. If you see problems, it is your duty to point them out. In fact, in the world beyond college, courage in calling out underperforming companies is a valuable and sought-after quality in business analysts. More broadly, moral courage, which includes the willingness to point out difficult truths and rely on your own honest judgment, is one of the College’s and Department’s core values.
The intended audience for the Strategy capstone is the audience for any similar analysis of a firm and its industry: potential investors, either individuals or institutional investors. What do potential investors want to know, and what do they need to know, to make an informed investment decision about the firm? Similarly, if making recommendations for senior management, think in terms of what they need to know in order to improve the performance of the firm. Keep your intended audience in mind as you write your capstone.
The Strategy capstone draws primarily on research and analytic techniques students have learned over the course of the major. It draws on material in the core BUS courses: BUS 112 (reading financial statements), BUS 202 (marketing analysis), BUS 109 (or MAT 109) (managerial statistics), BUS 209 (analyzing financial data), BUS 210 (management information systems), BUS 302 (organizational dynamics and leadership), BUS 303 (legal environment of business), and BUS 401 (strategic management). In addition, good capstones should draw on knowledge gained from meeting the Global Learning requirement to view all of the above through an international perspective.
The Strategy capstone consists of four chapters, plus an abstract, references, and optional additional material.
STRATEGY CAPSTONE
ABSTRACT
The abstract comes first but gets written last. It is a summary of what you did and what you found: your argument in a nutshell, in 150 to 250 words. The abstract is the only part of your capstone that most people will read if you choose BUS SCE Revised 2/2/17 8
to have the library archive your work, so write it with care.
STRATEGY CAPSTONE
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1 tells the reader what you’re studying and provides useful information on how you did your research. Since
it provides an overview, you will write it when you’ve written the rest of the capstone.
Topic. What you studied. A Strategy capstone typically studies the past five years of a company’s operations within
its industry setting.
Assessment. How you define the firm’s strategic success. To gauge the effectiveness of your company’s generic and corporate strategies, you need a clear measure of assessment to apply against your company’s performance. Hard numbers like net profit, earnings per share, and market share tend to be the best bottom-line assessments, especially when put in comparative perspective. If you wish to use an alternative metric or technique, for instance, a balanced scorecard, please explain.
Methods. How you conducted research. What sources did you use? (SEC.gov, S&P, Hoover’s, business periodicals, etc.). Did you employ any unusual methods, like interviews or attending trade shows?
Industry Benchmark. The industry benchmark is the quantitative heart of your strategic analysis. It provides key data for measuring and evaluating the performance of the industry, and how your firm compares to its competitors. The point is that numbers without a basis for comparison don’t tell much, whereas a sensible comparison with relevant firms and a good benchmark provide lots of insight into a firm’s strategic success.
The benchmark consists of a weighted average (weighted by sales) of key firms in the industry (weights adjusted for each year of data). In particular, the benchmark will include the three or four competitor firms, as well as your chosen firm. The benchmark should be calculated over a four- or five-year period (four years is the minimum amount of data you need: to compute a three-year Compound Annual Growth Rate [CAGR], for instance, you need four years of data). Later on, when you compile these and other numbers, you probably won’t wish to display more than one, or sometimes two, decimal places. Your detailed financial ratio analysis, which draws on the benchmark, will occur in chapter 3. You should complete your benchmark data gathering by the fall deadline; this will give you more time in the spring to analyze your data.
Here, in this initial section in the first chapter, your job is simply to tell the reader how you constructed the benchmark. That means identifying the firms you chose. For each firm, you should include a short (20 to 50 words) snapshot that provides key business information, and helps make clear why you chose the firm. In addition, you should briefly describe the process of constructing the benchmark, drawing on and perhaps expanding the explanation above.
If you excluded any major competitors from the benchmark (for instance because it is a privately held company or its stock is not traded in the United States), explain why you did so.
Key Findings. A summary of your key findings and recommendations. A good plan is to provide a paragraph summary for each chapter, or you may make use of bullet points, if convenient.
STRATEGY CAPSTONE
CHAPTER 2. ANALYZING THE INDUSTRY
As you learn in BUS 401, there are two fundamental levels of strategic analysis: industry-level analysis and company-level analysis. In other words, business strategists and observers study a firm and its competitive environment. Chapter 2 explores the competitive environment in detail. This includes more than the industry itself—it covers everything in the firm’s environment that affects its operations, from the economy and politics to the physical environment, technology, and demographics. But the focus is the industry, and you are expected to develop a good understanding of the industry your firm is in.
Industry Background (SIC, NAICS, or GICS data; industry definition; history; current snapshot; recent changes or highlights) BUS SCE Revised 2/2/17 9
It is recommended that you include one or more snapshot or trend charts here to help make sense of the industry. These charts can quickly provide an understanding of key metrics like overall industry size, revenues, key competitors, and trends. There is no required chart, but it is likely that well-designed visual presentation of quantitative data will help you get your story off to a strong start with your reader.
Ethics and Current Events
A summary or selection of popular-press coverage over the past three to five years, with special attention to ethical issues. Choose topics that pertain to your key insights about the industry, rather than just a grab-bag. In strong capstones, the topics covered in this section relate to the key points about the industry and are woven into a narrative that organizes and clarifies the key points.
Stock Summary
One significant source of finance for publicly traded firms is the issuance of stock. Your research should include answers to the following questions for your firm and its benchmark competitors for the most recent year common to all firms for which data is available:
What is each company’s stock trading symbol?
Where is the stock listed?
How many shares of common stock are outstanding?
What is the market value of common equity?
What’s the beta coefficient of the company stock?
Did the company pay a dividend in the past year? If yes, what are the dividend yield and payout ratio?
Since this section on stock financials includes lots of numbers and not a lot of text, you may find it convenient to present this section as a table rather than as a written narrative.
Sales and Market Share Growth Rates
You’ll use benchmark data to construct sales and market share growth rates. For most firms, the most recent available data will follow this 3-year CAGR formula for sales:
(2016 revenue ÷ 2013 revenue)⅓ -1
PESTEL (or similar framework)
The PESTEL analytic framework encourages a strategic overview of external environment characteristics. It covers six analytic areas:
Political analysis
Economic analysis
Sociocultural analysis
Technological analysis
Environmental analysis
Legal analysis
You don’t have to follow this exact PESTEL format. As long as you cover these broad areas, you may organize this material as you wish. It’s common, for instance, to combine political and legal analysis.
Porter’s Five-Forces Model
Prof. Michael Porter’s famous five-forces model helps identify the forces that determine the basic competitive structure of an industry:
Rivalry
Threat of entry and exit barriers
Supplier power
Buyer power
Threat of substitutes
Strategic Group Map
The Strategic Group Map is an optional element of the strategy capstone. It is a two-by-two graphical representation of industry competition, including your firm and key competitor firms. There is no one right way
to do a strategic group map. It is important to choose metrics for the x-axis and y-axis that help convey important competitive information about competition among these key firms. BUS SCE Revised 2/2/17 10
It is especially important to avoid choosing metrics for both axes that measure, directly or by proxy, size. If you do so for both axes, you’ll end up with a strategic group map or graph that slopes neatly at 45 degrees; this will most likely tell us nothing interesting about the industry or the firm. (Suggestion: For firms in an industry with global competition, one useful metric for the x-axis is often percent of sales outside of the United States.)
Summary
You should end up with a few key points about the company’s external environment. Since you should be repeating, for emphasis, points you’ve made earlier in the chapter, you don’t need to cite them as if they were
new information. We recommend that you organize your summary in terms of key opportunities and threats or
challenges facing companies in the industry. These will set the stage for the SWOT analysis you’ll present in
Chapter 4.
STRATEGY CAPSTONE
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CHAPTER 3. ANALYZING THE FIRM
Chapter 3 focuses on the firm itself. This includes the firm’s history, leadership, structure, and operations. (Style note: remember that a firm is singular, not plural. Don’t use “they” or “their” when talking about your company; use “it” and “its.”)
Company Background (history, vision and mission, highlights, snapshot of current operations, and key recent events). The background provides a quick, concise overview of the company’s history, key moments in its life, a snapshot of current operations (here’s a good place for a table that summarizes key numbers like sales, units sold, key markets, etc.), and key recent events, like a concise mention of a leadership change. The vision and mission are included here to capture the firm’s statement about what it does and how it does it; you will refer back to them in your analysis in subsequent sections of this chapter. This is really an introduction to chapter 3,
so your main job is to set up the rest of the discussion. It is likely that you’ll come back and rewrite this opening bit after you’ve written the rest of chapter 3.
Ethics and Current Events
A summary or selection of popular-press coverage over the past three to five years, with special attention to key
ethical issues. The topics you choose to cover should relate to your key points about the firm (you’ve already covered ethics and current events for the industry in general). In a good capstone, this should not be a random list of articles, but rather, a well-informed narrative. That means that you should read extensively, and pull out a few key issues, rather than listing many minor stories or events.
Now we get into the analytical heart of chapter 3. You’ll recognize that the following sections draw on topics and learning from previous classes in the major:
Organizational Analysis
This section provides information on the company’s organizational structure, leadership, and organizational culture.
Structure. What kind of organizational structure does the firm possess (functional, divisional, matrix, or something else)? How does the firm explain the logic of its organizational structure? Include a formal organizational chart showing the firm’s formal organizational structure.
Overall, is the firm’s structure typical of its industry? Has it recently reorganized or announced a reorganization? Is so, why? What was or is the strategic intention of the change?
What is the firm’s corporate governance structure (Board of Directors)? Provide an overall assessment of the board—its size, stability, and effectiveness. How does it compare to industry norms? Is its board viewed as effective by industry observers?
Have outsourcing, alliances, joint ventures, or informal partnerships with other firms, suppliers, or customers been strategically significant for the firm? If so, concisely describe them.
Leadership. How stable has senior leadership been in the years covered by your research? Who are the key executives? Provide snapshots of CEO, COO, CIO, and any other key senior executives who you determine play a significant role in guiding the company’s strategic operations. If the firm is facing a likely leadership change in the BUS SCE Revised 2/2/17 11
CEO position soon (within three years), what succession planning, if any, is being done?
Culture. Along with structure and leadership, culture helps hold organizations together. What kind of culture does this firm possess? Some firms may have extensive press coverage that sheds light on their culture, but for many firms there will not be very much news coverage of their culture. In such cases, useful sources of information within the firm are likely to be departments of Human Resources and Investor Relations. In addition, speeches by the CEO or other senior leaders may be good sources of information about the firm’s culture. Websites like Glassdoor.com provide rich if unverified sources of information on company cultures from an employee perspectives; as long as these are treated cautiously, they can shed a lot of light on what a company’s culture ‘really’ feels like to workers.
Here are key questions about your company’s culture you should consider: What are the firm’s core values as articulated by its vision or mission statement? How stable has the culture been? Is the organization’s culture similar to industry norms, or distinctive? Have there been recent changes or tensions about culture (especially likely in cases of merger and acquisition)? Keep in mind that what a firm claims as its formal, “espoused” values may not be exactly the same as what employees within the firm perceive as the daily reality. Ideally, your job as an analyst is to try to look beyond the “espoused” surface and see more deeply into the heart of the organization you are studying. Summing up this analysis, do you think its culture is a distinctive strength, or a weakness?
Marketing Analysis
Use the four P’s of marketing (product, place, price, and promotion) to assess the company’s marketing performance. Note: If the firm you are studying is a conglomerate with products in different markets (as will be the case for many firms studied in strategy capstones), with different approaches to marketing for different products and product lines, it is suggested that you pick one product area and focus on it. If you do so, please
note this so your reader understands what you’re doing.
A purely narrative discussion is not acceptable: select useful quantitative measures to buttress your analysis of these specific points:
Has the company segmented the market? If so, how? Why? Multiple segments? Are the segments growing? Contracting? Stable?
Product: What is the product, really? Who buys it? Does the product possess brand equity?
Place: What are the distribution channels? Direct to consumer? Opportunity for new channels by your company? By a competitor? Multiple channels? Who has the channel power? Retailer? Manufacturer?
Price: Skimming? Penetration? Value? Low? High? Differential?
Promotion: What is the unique selling proposition (USP)? Brand promise? Channels?
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Management Information Systems Analysis
This section provides an understanding of information systems key to the firm’s success. Management information systems is defined as the ethical use of information systems to help organizations achieve their goals and objectives.
Which corporate goals and objectives are supported by the firm’s use of information systems? Does the use of information technology reflect the firm’s vision, culture and ethics? How does the firm distribute power among stakeholders through the use of information systems?
What are the key business processes within the firm? For these key business processes, what transactional systems (such as ERP) does the firm employ? Does the firm compete on analytics as well as on operations? How does the firm use analytics as a competitive tool?
Since information systems are internal to the corporation, it may be difficult to obtain this information. One way to peer into the inner workings of the firm is to look at job postings for information systems positions on sites such as Monster.com; many times these postings, will reveal which systems the firm uses, giving you a starting point for your research. High-profile firms may also be used as case studies by information systems firms promoting their technology products and services.
Financial Analysis
The section on financial analysis is one of the most challenging—and important—parts of the strategy capstone.
First, you must gather extensive amounts of financial information and derive pertinent ratios that help tell the story of BUS SCE Revised 2/2/17 12
your company. Second, you must think about how best to present that information to help your reader gain insight. Third, you must analyze and reflect on this extensive amount of information to draw key lessons about your firm’s successes and challenges, as compared to its industry benchmark. Your analysis should include graphs and charts as appropriate, showing how the firm’s financial performance compares to the benchmark (your designated proxy for the industry average); a company’s financials by themselves, without the context of competitive comparison, don’t carry much meaning.
In some instances, your analysis may be complicated by anomalies or data gaps, where a corporate merger or privatization or other one-time event makes gathering data complicated or even impossible. There are no easy rules about how to deal with these complications: expect to consult with your faculty advisor on how to handle problematic cases.
Financial Ratios: Using your weighted benchmark, compare company performance to benchmark ratios over a four- or five-year period. Ratio analysis should include these elements, where pertinent:
- Liquidity Ratios: These ratios measure the firm’s ability to pay off its short-term debt.
Current Ratio = Current assets/Current liabilities
Quick (Acid-Test) Ratio = (Current assets – Inventory)/Current liabilities
- Activity Ratios: These ratios measure the firm’s ability to use its assets to generate sales.
Total Asset Turnover = Sales/Average total assets
Inventory Turnover = Cost of goods sold/Average inventory
- Debt Ratios: These ratios measure the firm’s ability to raise and pay off long-term debts.
Debt Ratio = Total debts/Total assets
Equity Multiplier = Total assets/Total equity
TIE (Times interest earned) Ratio=EBIT (Earnings before interest and taxes)/Interest
- Profitability Ratios: These ratios measure the firm’s ability to generate profits.
Net Profit Margin = Net income/Sales
ROE = Net income/Total equity
For firms that produce and/or sell a tangible product, it’s also useful to compare gross profit margin, operating margin, and net profit margin.
- DuPont Identity: The DuPont Identity analyzes ROE as a product of three other ratios identified above: operating efficiency (Net Profit Margin), asset use efficiency (Total Asset Turnover), and financial leverage (Equity Multiplier). The DuPont Identity is expressed like this:
ROE = Net Profit Margin × Total Asset Turnover × Equity Multiplier
Use the DuPont Identity to analyze how the ROE of your company has been affected by its three components over the past three to five years.
Critical Reflection: Along with presenting your ratio data in the form of tables and/or charts, you are expected to analyze and reflect on what story or stories the ratios tell, to shed light on the financial and strategic situation of your particular firm. After presenting and discussing your ratios one by one, you should step back to consider three big questions at the close of this section on financial ratios:
Has the company’s financial performance been good or bad?
Is its financial position sufficient to fulfill its mission and goals?
How does its financial position compare with industry benchmarks?
Concisely justify your answers to these questions.
Business (Generic) Strategy
Identify the firm’s chief business (sometimes called generic) strategy for its lead products. How stable has this strategy been? Compare the company’s generic strategy with industry norms, and assess its effectiveness. Note: you should tie this effectiveness of the firm’s generic strategy to the success measure presented in chapter 1. This helps tie your analysis together. In practice, since you’ll write chapter 1 after you’ve worked up the analysis here, that means that BUS SCE Revised 2/2/17 13
your analysis of the generic strategy here will help you select an appropriate success measure in chapter 1.
Corporate Strategy
Corporate strategy is often misunderstood, and a good capstone will distinguish itself by getting corporate strategy right. Corporate strategy is different from business strategy, which centers on how to do one thing really well. Firms that only do one thing (for example, Living Essentials, which makes and markets the 5-Hour Energy brand) don’t face the challenges of diversification, and thus of corporate level strategy. But most publicly traded firms studied in strategy capstones have become complex and diversified enough that they do face the challenge of corporate strategy.
A firm’s corporate strategy refers to how to do many things in an optimal fashion. As successful firms grow, they tend to diversify—entering new markets, taking on new activities, and facing new choices about how to allocate resources. Corporate strategy refers to this juggling act, the challenge of making decisions about what portfolio of assets to hold.
If this is relevant to your firm, identify its corporate strategy or strategies. How does its approach compare to industry norms? How stable and effective has its corporate strategy been? What kinds of acquisitions has it made, and have they been effective? What is likely to lie ahead?
Summary
You should end up with a few key points about the company’s operations. Since you should be repeating, for emphasis, points you’ve made earlier in the chapter, you don’t need to cite them as if they were new information. We recommend that you organize your summary in terms of the firm’s key strengths and weaknesses. These will set the stage for the SWOT analysis you’ll present in Chapter 4.
STRATEGY CAPSTONE
CHAPTER 4. RECOMMENDATIONS
Chapter 4 begins by summarizing your research in a SWOT analysis, then looks to the future.
SWOT Analysis
SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) is a powerful clarifying tool for strategic analysis. And the good news is that you’ve already done the analysis! At the end of Chapter 2 you presented key opportunities and threats in the company’s external environment. At the end of Chapter 3 you presented the firm’s key strengths and weaknesses. All you have to do now is put them together in a simple two-by-two matrix, like this: Positive | Negative | ||
Internal | Strengths | Weaknesses | |
External | Opportunities | Threats | |
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Category | 5 Excellent | 3 Adequate | 1 Poor |
1. -Writing Process
Organization/ Clarity |
*Writing engages reader and enhances his/her understanding of the topic. *Vocabulary & sentence structure are sophisticated and appropriate for the discipline *Writing clearly demonstrates an effective pattern of organizing that facilitates the reader’s understanding. *Papers have an effective beginning, sophisticated development, and thoughtful conclusion. *Demonstrates use of a carefully executed writing process. |
* Writing enables reader to understand ideas with little or no re-reading. * Vocabulary and sentence * Writing follows an appropriate * Incomplete execution of writing |
* Writing requires reader to frequently re-read in order to understand ideas or writing is so confusing that reader fails completely to understand ideas. * Simplistic word choice limits * Redundancies distract and confuse * Writing’s overall structure lacks * No apparent writing process used. |
2. Explanation/ Evidence | * Main points clearly stated and well
advanced. * Statements substantially supported with * Effectively addresses audience. |
* Main points adequately stated.
* Statements sufficiently * Partially addresses audience. |
* Main points not clearly stated.
* Statements insufficiently supported or * Misses audience. |
3. Critical Thinking | * Insightful, well-articulated analysis, synthesis, and critique of the subject * Sustains a well-focused analysis, * Thoughtfully considers multiple |
* Cogent, clear analysis, synthesis, and critique of the subject. * Connects ideas logically. * Identifies multiple viewpoints |
* Superficial and/or poorly articulated analysis of subject. * Fails to connect ideas logically. * Ignores or superficially evaluates |
4. Research Techniques | * Uses appropriate materials from a variety of resources to support ideas. * Consistently employs a standard |
* Adequately uses appropriate materials from a variety of resources to support ideas. * Employs a standard |
* Fails to select and synthesize appropriate resources. * Makes significant errors in |
5. Mechanics / Usage | * Sophisticated use of grammatical conventions * Writing is virtually free from the kinds of |
* Grammatical structures are generally appropriate, although not necessarily perfect. * Occasional errors may distract |
* Grammatical errors are so obvious
that they seriously distract readers. |
|
||||
|
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PEEG 460 Petroleum Economics & Risk Analysis
Spring 2017
PROJECT SCENARIO
Your team has been selected by ADNOC to study an interesting prospect – a sour gas reservoir in a foreign country. The host government is proposing two alternative methods to develop the field, with gas used in local power generation, but at present only limited data is available, primarily from one well test (currently waiting for the service company to provide the data) and other reservoirs in the same country. You need to supplement existing data by consulting the literature and/or making engineering estimates as required.
Working in your teams, you will do the following:
- Complete your individual CV as instructed previously. These will be included in an Appendix in your final report. [Deadline Mon. 10th Apr. by e-mail]
- Each team member must carry out the following personal assignment:
- Divide the following subjects among team members:
- Likely future product prices for gas and other products
- Decommissioning techniques and costs for facilities after abandonment
- Political and economic issues in your “host” country (to be revealed shortly)
- What new technology could be applied to improve recovery and/or economics
- Each team member will write a report on their subject which will form an appendix in the final project report. The report should summarise the issues in the subject area associated with the project description. Then it should make recommendations about what to do or what data to use which relate to the project above. The rest of the project should be aligned with the recommendations as far as possible.
- There must be at least one reference to the course textbook and at least three to other published work. You can use web page references but at least one reference must be to a refereed publication or book. Use SPE guidelines for the citation.
- The report should use a minimum of 1000 works but not exceed 3000 words.
- Don’t forget your Student Pledge of Academic Integrity!
- Please submit your agreed assignments for your team by Mon. 10th Apr. by e-mail. The deadline for this individual report is Sunday 16th April but you should try to complete the work earlier, as other project work is likely to depend on it.
- This assignment will be worth 20% of the overall project grade.
- Make a simple plan stating which team members will be responsible for the remaining tasks on the project as described below (max. 2 per task) and giving target dates for tasks. The work should be shared out evenly. [Deadline Weds. 12th Apr. Send assignments by e-mail]
- Based on the agreed assignments carry out the following tasks:
- Estimate the reserves and recoverable hydrocarbons for the reservoir.
- Make a development plan for the reservoir (number of wells, timing, production etc.).
- Develop a cash flow model using Excel spreadsheets.
- Plan for the entire field to be decommissioned by plugging and abandoning wells and removing and scrapping all facilities or other more-economic option.
- Compare the two development options proposed by the host government:
- A special service contract where the operating or service company handles all costs and is paid a fixed price per unit of gas produced (with ownership of any oil or condensate produced being transferred to the host government).
- A concession contract in which all costs are handled by the operator, products are sold at market rates, and the government charges royalties and corporate tax.
- Estimate financial parameters which management could use to compare your project with others.
- Perform a risk analysis, including sensitivity studies using the cash flow model you have built, and use of other techniques to be presented in classes.
- Write a report (minimum 2000 words) describing all the work done above, and making recommendations as to which if any development option is worthy of more detailed evaluation. You must take into account the findings of individual projects assignments.
- The report must contain the individual reports as appendices (they do not contribute to the 2000 word limit above).
- Proof read the report checking consistency, spelling, units, rounding etc.
- Submit Word report by e-mail [Deadline Sun. 30th April – start of the final week of the semester]. Note: If for any reason the PI indicates that there will be no deadlines on this day, the deadline will be moved earlier to whichever day is permitted to be a deadline.
Notes:
- You are at liberty to enhance the scenario according to your own ideas, providing these build on the basic scenario.
- Teamwork means different members work on different tasks, but communicate with others to ensure work is towards the same goals. If disagreements occur, the team should meet to find a solution.
- If a team is unable to agree on the distribution of tasks, let me know and I will attribute them to you by “drawing lots out of a hat”.
More data on your particular project will be send shortly
John M. Williams 27th March 2017
Khalifa University of Science and Technology
(Note: We have been told to use this new name in all PI communications)
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Comparison Report
Part 1 Art & Music Characteristics
- What are the characteristics of early Christian art and music according to your text and from websites?
- What are the characteristics of Islamic art and music according to your text and from websites?
3.What are the characteristics of Indian art and music according to your text and from websites?
Part II Building Comparison:
Christian building: Santa Costanza (Chapter 5, p. 181, figure 5.6)
Islamic building: Sinan, Mosque of Sultan Sulayman (Chapter 6, p.223 figure 6.4)
Indian building: Great Stupa (Chapter 7, p. 249 figure 7.3)
Similarities
Differences
Reflects their culture values
Reflection
Part III Comparing Philosophies between Christian and Islamic Thinker
Main thoughts and ideas of Augustine
Comparison
Ideas still influence
Reflection
Part IV Art, music, & literature research
Pyramid of the Sun
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M2A2 Marketing Plan: Find Your Marketing Template
Product/Service: COFEE SHOP
Student’s Name
BUS 351 – Marketing Concepts and Application
Student’s Address
Student’s Telephone Number
Student’s Email Address
Instructor’s Name
Table of Contents
Executive Summary…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
Product/Service……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
Purpose……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Audience…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Product Life Cycle ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
Marketing Environment …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
Competitive Forces ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
Economic Forces …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
Political Forces ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
Legal Forces ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Technological Forces ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
Sociocultural Forces …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Marketing Objectives ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
Marketing Management …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
Marketing Mix (4 Ps) / (7 Ps) ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
Product ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
Price……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
Place ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Promotion …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
Marketing Segmentation ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Target Market 1 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
Target Market 2 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
SWOT Analysis ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
Strengths ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
Weaknesses ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
Opportunities ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
Threats ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Competitor Analysis ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Advertising Strategy ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Budget ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
References …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
TRINTEX COFFEE PRODUCTION
Executive Summary
This is a new company that deals with the sale of coffee products and sandwiches for breakfast in the morning. This paper is portrays the marketing plan that aims at promoting the sale of coffee at Trintex coffee company (De Pelsmacker, Driesen & Rayp, 2015).
PRODUCT/SERVICE
The product for sale in this case is the sale of coffee products. The varieties of coffee products including hot and cold drinks and chocolate is combine with snacks and sandwiches for sale especially in the morning.
PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE
Coffee products are known to be bought in the morning and in the evening of every day. Hence sale of coffee is continuous and the business will continue for a long time in the market. However new coffee brands have to be introduced to keep the pace for competency and competition with the various coffees selling companies (De Pelsmacker, Driesen & Rayp, 2015).
AUDIENCE
The target market is big for coffee shop. Mostly workers in the morning hours take coffee products before going to work. This includes professional workers and other workers working in various fields.
PRICE
The price of a coffee mug goes for $5. Black coffee is sold at $7 while chocolate will sell at $ 9. The snacks will be sold depending on the quality and size but the price will be ranging from $5 to $15.
BUSINESS AND LEGAL SYSTEM INSTRUCTION
This includes the legal rules surrounding the business. Various legal terms set by the government must be identified and kept to avoid causing conflict. Moreover, internal business rules and ethical codes must be developed to regulate employee behavior.
MARKETING OBJECTIVES
The aim of this plan is to develop a good business plan that will oversee the development and launching of the coffee business. We are dedicated to create a promotional strategy that will enable the sale of coffee products (De Pelsmacker, Driesen & Rayp
References:
De Pelsmacker, P., Driesen, L., & Rayp, G. (2015). Do consumers care about ethics? Willingness to pay for fair‐trade coffee. Journal of consumer affairs, 39(2), 363-385.
Cohen, W. A. (2014). The marketing plan. John Wiley & Sons.
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Module 3 Assignment 2: LASA 1—Case Study for Research of an Emerging Market
In this assignment, you will research an emerging market and create a PowerPoint presentation for your manager.
Review the following scenario:
You have been hired as business analyst and have been given a project to research an emerging market. Your manager wants you to select an emerging market from the Business Perspectives for Emerging Markets 2012–2017 Report for this task. Your manager wants to evaluate your research skills, critical thinking skills, and your ability to analyze data and report on the data with the creation of a PowerPoint presentation that covers the specific requirements of the task (see below):
You may refer to the following Web sites for research:
Instructions:
Part 1: Overview of the Nation
Provide the following information about the country you selected:
- Brief History
- Geography
- People and Society
- Government
- Economy
- Military
Part 2: Detailed Analysis of the Nation
Provide information that covers the following criteria:
- Examine the components, such as liquidity of debt, equity markets, existence of some form of market exchange, and regulatory body, that explain why the country you selected is considered an emerging market.
- Identify techniques that were used to classify the country you selected as an emerging market.
- Explain at least three factors that would lead an investor to invest in the country you selected as an emerging market.
Develop a PowerPoint presentation with 10–12 slides with detailed speaker notes. In addition, include Title, Summary, and Reference slides. Use the country’s flag and colors to best represent the country. Use three or more scholarly resources when preparing your presentation. Apply APA standards to the citation of sources.
Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M3_A2.ppt.
Make sure you write in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Click here to download the APA guidelines document. Use these guidelines to format your assignment.
By Wednesday, March 29, 2017, deliver your assignment to the M3: Assignment 2 LASA 1 Dropbox.
CIA World Fact Book. (n.d.). https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bg.html
FindTheBest. (2013). http://country-facts.findthedata.org/
InfoPlease. (2013). http://www.infoplease.com/countries.html
LASA 1 Grading Criteria
Assignment Components | Proficient | Max Points |
Provide specifics about the country you selected:
[CO: 5 |
The nation’s history, geography, society, government, economy, and military are accurately identified and described in both the slides and the speaker notes. | 36 |
Examine the components that explain why the country you selected is considered an emerging market.
[CO: 6 |
All relevant components used to determine whether a market is emerging are examined. A complete and accurate description is provided for each component in both the slides and the speaker notes. | 40 |
Identify techniques that were used to classify the country you selected as an emerging market.
[CO: 3 |
Identification and justification of techniques used to classify the specific country are accurate in both the slides and the speaker notes. | 40 |
Explain at least three factors that would lead an investor to invest in the country you selected as an emerging market.
[CO: 4 |
Obvious and subtle factors that would lead to investing in the market are described and justified in both the slides and the speaker notes. | 40 |
Presentation Standards | ||
Organization (12) Usage and Mechanics (12) APA Elements (16) Style (4) [CO_O |
Presentation is concise with a logical flow of thought. Content includes clearly articulated key points that are free of major errors. Presentation is visually appealing and addresses audience considerations adequately.
Use of scholarly sources aligns with specified assignment requirements. |
44 |
Total: | 200 |
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Hamad Al-Marri
#820356791
CON 101
Killer Show
Introduction
Many agree to the idiom that fire is a good service but a bad master. It is true that many have enjoyed the services of fire while very few have lived to testify how fire looks like as a master. There have quite a number of tragedies that have come as a result of fire. However, urban fire fires are the most in number due to the massive loss of life and property. These fires enlist destruction in ships, mines and individual structures. These tragedies have been outlined throughout history and the number of fatalities and survivors determining the rating of the fire. Many authors have endeavored to write tales about several of these arson tragedies. Reports indicate that many of the notable nightclub fires at both indoor and outdoor venues involve pyrotechnic failures. One such tragedy is the Station Nightclub Fire that took place on a Thursday February 20th in the year 2003. This was in West Warwick, Rhode Island. According to reports, this was one of the major arson tragedies that have ever happened in a nightclub in the 21st century. As a matter of fact, it was rated the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in the United States of America and the second deadliest in New England (Grosshandler 32). The Cocoanut Grove fire that happened in 1942 only surpassed the fatalities. The latter tragedy resulted in 492 deaths. Several writers took upon themselves to tell the story of what happened in this arson tragedy. One such record of the tale is The Killer Show: The Station Nightclub Fire. This book describes that night’s events as deadliest rock concert that ever happened in the history of America.
Description of the Fire
This book authored by John Barylick. The book was the first of its kind to make a comprehensive detail of the order of events that led up to the arson. The author also outlines the conflagration itself and the burdening hunt for evidence to pinpoint the individuals responsible for the tragedy. The author presents the book as some sort of justice plea for the victims of the fire. According to Barylick (10), that very night at the roadhouse, in the few minutes it usually takes to play a hard rock standard, the fate of many of the lovers of rock and roll together with the unsuspecting nightclub patrons was determined with awful certainty (Barylick 12). Barylick (15) indicates that the arson was instigated when the Great White band lighted up pyrotechnics. Great White was a heavy metal band that was famous in the 1980s. The members of the band had lit flammable polyurethane. This was in the form of an egg crate foam that was meant to insulate sound on the club’s walls. The rest happened in a matter of minutes. The great speed of the fire that caused an intense black smoke that engulfed the entire club vicinity in about 5 minutes (barylick 12). The book gives a record of a video footage that detailed that particular starting point. The video showed the fire’s ignition, fast and rapid growth together with the black intense smoke. This black billowing smoke made escape nearly impossible. This was coupled with the blockage of the exit points that hindered evacuation of people who were in the building. According to the book, the main causes of death were the smoke that was toxic, massive heat and the stampede of the great number of people that scampered towards the exits.
In ten minutes, about 96 people had met their end. This was along with the 200 more that were injured as a result. These numbers rate the arson as a great catastrophe. The overall death toll was determined three months after the ordeal. Reports indicate that approximately 100 people perished as a result of the fire in the Station Nightclub on the Rhode Island. Due to the nature of investigation done by John Barylick, he was able to give step by step details of the happenings. A survivor testifies that, the fire began just seconds after the band had begun singing their first song. Daniel Biechele lighted the pyrotechnics. He was the tour manager of the band. The acoustic foams that were highly flammable were on both sides and above the alcove of the drummers that was at the back stage. According to Barylick (23), burning polyurethane foam instantly develops opaque, aggressive, dark smoke along with deadly carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide gas when burning (Barylick 23). He says that inhalation of this sort of gas would cause instant unconsciousness and death by internal suffocation eventually. This only takes 2 and 3 times of inhalation. The flames were first taken as part of the show but the smoke and fire on the ceiling later indicated that it was not controlled. A minute after this realization, the stage was full of flames. This caused the members of the bands and their entourage fled the stage towards the exit on the west. It was high time the club’s fire alarm was activated. This was when the audience fled for exits. Although the club had four exits, the people fled towards the front door. This caused a stampede that caused a crash in the narrow hallway that led to the front door. The crash blocked the entire exit and resulted to deaths to both the staff and the patrons. Records indicate that the club hosted 462 people at the time though the club had been licensed to host only 404 people. There were claims that a certain bouncer had stopped people from exiting via the exit door claiming that it was for band members only.
The records is a near accurate record of the happenings of that day. This was because Barylick was for seven years the lead counsel in the investigation and prosecution wrongfully death and personal injury cases arising from The Station Fire (Barylick 1). Barylick (35) has been a practicing lawyer in Rhode Island since the year 1977 to date. However, it was not precise on the statistics of the injuries. The accurate record number of injured people was 230. This is opposed to Barylick’s record that stated that 200 people got injured. It also does not include the actual number of uninjured survivors that was 132. It was not all about physical injuries however. Most of the survivors suffered posttraumatic stress disorder as a result of the psychological trauma (Grosshandler 8). Other records indicate that there were other notable people who perished in the fire. Among those who died as a result of the fire were Jack Russell; Great Whites lead guitarist, Ty Longley, and the shows emcee, DJ Mike Gonsalves (Grosshandler 9). There are a few reasons that might have caused the deaths of these band members. Some say that Longley had exited the building at first but later went in to pick his guitar. It was also recorded that Gonsalves wasted a lot of valuable time in salvaging band equipment during the early stages of the fire. This enabled the raging fire to create a dense smoke and that created difficulties in breathing at that zero-visibility situation.
Influence of the Built Environment
There were not very many elements of the build environment that influenced the events of the day. However, because of the age and size of the building, the building had been exempted from the sprinkler system requirement. The building had undergone occupancy transformation. The building had been transformed from a restaurant to a club (Grosshandler 10). This particular change made the law exemption invalid (Grosshandler 12). Fire inspectors never realized this detail. The absence of the sprinkler system made fire control impossible. Another factor was the number and size of the exit points. Another built environment aspect was the polyurethane foam in the building. In order to solve the noise complaints from neighbors of the establishment, the owners resolved to use polyurethane form for sound insulation. The foam was placed under blocks on the walls and the ceiling. This form was described as solid gasoline since it was the one that enabled the fire spread rapidly.
Conclusion
The occurrences of that day instigated changes in design in such buildings. There were also set regulations on recreation and entertainment buildings. Buildings nowadays are regulated to have emergency exits and keep a controlled number of people inside. The hallways and doors are larger and wide. Due to these practices, we feel safer in buildings today. This book is a perfect recommendation to entertainment building owners and the public. It has a detailed explanation of what really happened in the Station Nightclub Fire (Grosshandler 18).
Works Cited
Barylick, John. Killer Show: The Station Nightclub Fire, America’s Deadliest Rock Concert. Hanover: University Press of New England, 2012. Internet resource.
Grosshandler, William Lytle, et al. Report of the technical investigation of the station nightclub fire. Gaithersburg, MD: National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2005.
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W3 Assignment “Gillette: Why Innovation May Not Be Enough”
Case Analysis: “Gillette: Why Innovation May Not Be Enough”
To help you better understand the concepts of Marketing Analysis, you will be asked to complete a case study for each weekly assignment. To prepare for this level of analysis, first read “How to Analyze a Case” in the W1 lesson folder.
This Week’s Case
“Gillette: Why Innovation May Not Be Enough” (located in textbook appendix)
After reading, reviewing, analyzing and evaluating the case study, pretend you are the Executive Marketing Director for Gillette. Develop a 3-5 minute video that will be shared with the newly formed New Product Development Team. You may use any video recording device that will produce an MP4 video. When you write your script for the presentation, be sure to cite at least two outside sources to back up your arguments. Your presentation should address the following questions (at a minimum). Feel free to include insights gleaned from our study of marketing analysis so far.
- Present an evaluation of the history of Gillette. Explain and summarize their competition, innovation and razor wars.
- What actions would you present and suggest to the new product development team to help maintain its dominance in the shaving market?
- Evaluate and present what products, pricing and strategies you would recommend to the team for consideration over the next 5 years.
The requirements below must be met as you write the script for your video presentation :
- Write between 750 – 1,250 words (approximately 3 – 5 pages) using Microsoft Word in APA style (download an APA sample paper from the Purdue OWL here).
- Use font size 12 and 1” margins.
- Include cover page and reference page.
- At least 80% of your paper must be original content/writing.
- No more than 20% of your content/information may come from references.
- Use an appropriate number of references to support your position, and defend your arguments. The following are examples of primary and secondary sources that may be used, and non-credible and opinion based sources that may not be used.
-
- Primary sources such as, government websites (United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Census Bureau, The World Bank, etc.), peer reviewed and scholarly journals in EBSCOhost (Grantham University Online Library) and Google Scholar.
- Secondary and credible sources such as CNN Money, The Wall Street Journal, trade journals, and publications in EBSCOhost (Grantham University Online Library).
- Non-credible and opinion based sources such as, Wikis, Yahoo Answers, eHow, blogs, etc. should not be used.
- Cite all reference material (data, dates, graphs, quotes, paraphrased statements, information, etc.) in the paper and list each source on a reference page using APA style.Buy your Essay: [http://customwritings-us.com/orders.php]
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Running Head: 10 Essential Services of Public Health
10 Essential Services of Public Health
[Student Name]
HCA415: Community and Public Health
[Instructor’s Name]
[Date Submitted]
Instructions: Public health services are divided into four major categories and 10 specific services. For each of the four categories and 10 essential services of public health listed below, provide a definition. The definition should be approximately three to four sentences each and be written in your own words. Then, via an internet search, identify a real-life example of each of the 10 essential services. The example may be a program, initiative, or service of a government agency, community service agency, non-profit organization, or community action group. Provide a description and brief discussion of how this example relates the definition of the essential service. Include a link to the website where you found information about each example. You only need to include a definition of each of the three categories of services; you do not need to provide an example of the categories. All information you include on the worksheet must be in your own words. No quotes or copy-pasted material will be accepted. Cite your sources appropriately in APA style as outlined by the Ashford Writing Center.
Four Categories and 10 Essential Services of Public Health | Definition
Describe each category and service in your own words. No quotes or copy-pasted material will be accepted. Cite your sources in APA style. |
Example
Provide an example of the service in your own words. No quotes or copy-pasted material will be accepted. Cite your sources in APA style. |
Category 1: Assessment | [Description of category] (Citation, date) | N/A |
Monitor Health | [Description of service] (Citation, date) | [Description of example, discussion of how example relates to definition] (Citation, date)
[URL of where information about example was located] |
Diagnose and Investigate | [Description of service] (Citation, date) | [Description of example, discussion of how example relates to definition] (Citation, date)
[URL of where information about example was located] |
Category 2: Policy Development | [Description of category] (Citation, date) | N/A |
Inform, Educate, Empower | [Description of service] (Citation, date) | [Description of example, discussion of how example relates to definition] (Citation, date)
[URL of where information about example was located] |
Mobilize Community Partnerships | [Description of service] (Citation, date) | [Description of example, discussion of how example relates to definition] (Citation, date)
[URL of where information about example was located] |
Develop Policies | [Description of service] (Citation, date) | [Description of example, discussion of how example relates to definition] (Citation, date)
[URL of where information about example was located] |
Category 3: Assurances | [Description of category] (Citation, date) | N/A |
Enforce Laws | [Description of service] (Citation, date) | [Description of example, discussion of how example relates to definition] (Citation, date)
[URL of where information about example was located] |
Link to/Provide Care | [Description of service] (Citation, date) | [Description of example, discussion of how example relates to definition] (Citation, date)
[URL of where information about example was located] |
Assure Competent Workforce | [Description of service] (Citation, date) | [Description of example, discussion of how example relates to definition] (Citation, date)
[URL of where information about example was located] |
Evaluate | [Description of service] (Citation, date) | [Description of example, discussion of how example relates to definition] (Citation, date)
[URL of where information about example was located] |
Category 4: System Management | [Description of category] (Citation, date) | N/A |
Research | [Description of service] (Citation, date) | [Description of example, discussion of how example relates to definition] (Citation, date)
[URL of where information about example was located] |
References
(Sources must be cited correctly in APA style according to the Ashford Writing Center. Below are examples of how to cite various types of documents in APA style. Please visit the Ashford Writing Center for more details on using APA style, or visit https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/1/.)
Article in journal:
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume number(issue number), pages. http://dx.doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyyy
Article from and online periodical:
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of article. Title of Online Periodical, volume number(issue number if available). Retrieved from
http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/
Chapter a web document or online book chapter
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of article. In Title of book or larger document (chapter or section number). Retrieved from http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/
Nonperiodical web document or report:
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of document. Retrieved from http:// http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/
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The following asks you to provide a short answer to each of the learning objectives outlined at the beginning of this chapter and prepare you for the quiz.
LO1 Explain four basic properties of a consumer’s preference ordering and their ramifications for a consumer’s indifference curves.
LO2 Illustrate how changes in prices and income impact an individual’s opportunities.
LO3 Illustrate a consumer’s equilibrium choice and how it changes in response to changes in prices and income.
LO4 Separate the impact of a price change into substitution and income effects.
LO5 Show how to derive an individual’s demand curve from indifference curve analysis and market demand from a group of individuals’ demands.
LO6 Illustrate how “ buy one, get one free” deals and gift certificates impact a con-sumer’s purchase decisions.
LO7 Apply the income– leisure choice frame-work to illustrate the opportunities, incentives, and choices of workers and managers.
LO8 Explain alternative ways of measuring the productivity of inputs and the role of the manager in the production process.
LO9 Calculate input demand and the cost-minimizing combination of inputs and use isoquant analysis to illustrate optimal input substitution.
LO10 Calculate a cost function from a production function and explain how economic costs differ from accounting costs.
LO11 Explain the difference between and the economic relevance of fixed costs, sunk costs, variable costs, and marginal costs.
LO12 Calculate average and marginal costs from algebraic or tabular cost data and illustrate the relationship between average and marginal costs.
LO13 Distinguish between short- run and long-run production decisions and illustrate their impact on costs and economies of scale.
LO14 Conclude whether a multiple- output production process exhibits economies of scope or cost complementarities and explain their significance for managerial decisions.
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