Category: Business

MBA 500 Project Two Guidelines and Rubric
Competency
In this project, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competency:
Assess current performance of an organization through analysis of financial statements.
Scenario
In Project One: Applying Strategic and Operational Thinking, you
prepared Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the marketing and sales
departments of your product line.
Now, the CEO has provided you with a revised set of KPIs. You need to
apply these KPIs toward the analysis of a proposed marketing and sales
initiative to increase loyalty card memberships in neighborhoods with
predominantly low-income populations, whether the populations are in
rural, suburban, or city locations.
The CEO wants this analysis so that she can chart the sustainability
and growth of the initiative while assuring it meets standards for
Corporate Social Responsibility.
The CEO has provided you with several documents, available in the
Supporting Materials section of this project. She wants you to use the
provided Triple Bottom Line Balanced Scorecard to assess the strategic
plan’s compliance with the KPIs and summarize your findings in a memo.
Directions
Complete the following to provide the analysis required by the CEO:
Identify the financial records that indicate commitment to TBL.
Outline which financial and other records marketing and sales maintains where TBL can provide data.
Using the TBL scorecard, evaluate the alignment of the strategic plan with KPIs.
Remember, there may be multiple outcomes of this exercise. Your focus
should be to apply your understanding of the scenario and evaluate the
plan accordingly.
Which ideas in the plan support the KPI criteria? Cite specific ideas that meet the criteria.
Explain how they meet the criteria.
In your memo:
Describe how the TBL data relates to the KPIs.
Identify which additional TBL financial line items are needed to measure the cost for each criterion. For example, should there be a line entry for hiring temporary workers?
Referring back to the SWOT analyses from Project One, explain how functional considerations of individual departments contribute to financial performance.
What to Submit
To complete this project, you must submit the following:
KPI and Triple Bottom Line Balanced Scorecard
Complete and submit the KPI and Triple Bottom Line Balanced Scorecard.
In the scorecard spreadsheet, identify one additional KPI, a related
SMART objective, and its measurement criterion. You need to do this for
all three elements of TBL: people, planet, and profit. You have been
provided with one example for each TBL element.
Analysis Memo
In a Word document, write a memo outlining your analysis. Ensure
that the memo is organized by TBL element with a header for each segment
of your analysis. The Word document should use double-spacing, 12-point
Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. This memo should be no more
than 6 pages in length, and include references cited in APA format.
Consult the Shapiro Library APA Style Guide for more information on citations.
Supporting Materials
The following resource(s) may help support your work on the project:
The following resources support your work on the project:
Document: Consolidated Balance Sheet
This
is a consolidated balance sheet for the company. The CEO has
highlighted the areas of the financial statements she wants you to focus
your attention and analysis on.
Document: Consolidated Cash Flow Statement
This
is a consolidated cash flow statement for the company. The CEO has
highlighted the areas of the financial statements she wants you to focus
your attention and analysis on.
Document: Consolidated Income Statement
This
document is a consolidated income statement and a consolidated
statement of comprehensive income of the company. The CEO has
highlighted the areas of the financial statements she wants you to focus
your attention and analysis on.
Document: KPI and Triple Bottom Line Balanced Scorecard
This
is the final and authoritative draft of the KPI Scorecard the CEO wants
you to use. This scorecard provides three KPIs: one for a social
measure (people); one for an environmental measure (planet) and one for
an economic measure (profits). You need to identify three more KPIs and
associated information.
Document: Marketing and Sales Executive Summary
This
is a proposal from the sales and marketing departments to increase
rewards memberships in low-income markets. This summary includes a
high-level estimate of projected sales, costs, and profits.
Document: SWOT Analyses from Sales and Marketing
This document contains a combined SWOT analysis from the two departments.

For your Capstone Project and Presentation, you will be creating and presenting a
business plan for a real or fictional business of your choosing. Your business can offer
any product or service—use this assignment as an opportunity to research an industry
that interests you! The business can be for-profit or not-for-profit, and can be located
anywhere in the world. While most students choose to write business plans on new
enterprises, you may also base your project on an existing business that is looking to
pivot (e.g. to expand or diversify) in the future. What is important is that the plan is
future-oriented. This means that for existing businesses there is no need to include any
historical financial data.

Answer the following questions in a short paragraph of approximately 100 words.
1. What are your personal pet peeves regarding emails?
2. Why is it important to keep business emails formal?

Instructions
Initial PostFor your initial post, discuss the key elements of creating high-performance teams.
Draft a fully developed essay identifying the four most common types of work teams, as discussed in Chapter 8 of the textbook.
Expand your essay by describing the five ways leaders can develop high performance teams.
Include the four strategies identified in Chapter 9 for improving teamwork in the workplace. Peer RepliesEach week, for full credit, you must make at least 3 posts per discussion question according to the following process:
Post a response to the original question. Please do so no later than Wednesday so that others may realize the benefit of your comments. Required
Post a minimum of 2 responses to a classmate’s response by the end of the week. Required
Additional posts and days of participation are not required but are certainly welcome. Optional
Grading
Your initial post is due by Wednesday at 11:50 PM PST. Peer replies are due by Sunday at 11:59 PM PST.
Notes and Suggestions:
Support your posts with citations to the textbook. Personal experiences that are relevant and on-point can be made in follow-up posts after your initial post.
Use classmates’ names and note the discussion topic in your posts when responding. Respond early in the week to generate a collaborative experience.
See the rubric below for grading threaded discussions:
Participation
Quality
low performance
1 or 2 posts on same day; no interaction.
Unsubstantiated opinion only.
moderate performance
2 or more posts on different days; interaction with one student.
Integration of textbook ideas (cite page number). Proper APA citations.
high performance
3 or more posts on different days; interaction with two or more students.
Integration of text ideas (cite page numbers); proper APA citations; no spelling or grammar errors.

For this Case Study assignment, you will be using your own personal conflict examples applying THE PAUSE approach. The PAUSE approach is not about ‘pausing’, be sure to use the model and instructions provided in the text. See the rubric for more guidance. Choose three past personal examples of conversations/conflicts.
Readings for this assignment are from our Course Textbook (pdf attached): The Mindful Guide to Conflict Resolution, by, Rosalie Puiman (2019), pp. 1-35 & pp. 139 – 156.
Detailed instructions for the process in this assignment are on Pg. 144, Puiman (2019).
1. Apply PAUSE to at least three Past Conversations/Conflicts to Practice. You will apply the PAUSE process to at least three past conversations/conflicts. After you complete the detailed step-by-step process for each, go back and reflect and share (minimum 200 words/maximum 400 words for each scenario) about any patterns or themes you noticed about each of the scenarios and more specifically. Consider what you have learned about your own conflict/EI styles, theories and methods of navigating conflict, etc., including connection with course resources and personal experience—share also about what parts of the PAUSE approach you feel confident in and how you need practice.
Helpful attachments will be attached to assist with explanation.
Requirements: Not to exceed word count

Case Study: Frederick is a student at Central Fictional State University (CFSU), and he has a great idea for a new business invention. Frederick’s invention and the business that he plans to found based on it will absolutely revolutionize the market and will make him very rich. He decides to share his idea with a few trusted professors, and he even uses the idea in a research project for one of his classes.
While Frederick is at home over summer break, he discovers, much to his dismay, that his professors have stolen his idea and have opened a business marketing his new invention. Frederick immediately seeks the advice of the local lawyer who has a reputation for being a “scorched-earth” litigator. He advises Frederick that he should sue “those professors for everything they’ve got.” Frederick, however, is not sure if he should file an aggressive lawsuit, or if there is a better way to proceed.
Frederick knows that your business recently completed mediation to settle a lawsuit filed by one of your suppliers. He comes to you for advice on how to proceed. What is your answer to Frederick? In your response, consider whether the decision to file suit or to proceed through some form of alternative dispute resolution is affected by the previous relationship with the professors (can/should you sue a friend, how will the decision impact an ongoing relationship, etc.). Also, what role could Frederick’s faith play in his decision?
Title your thread “Lawsuit” or “ADR” to reflect your conclusion.
Suggested Readings:
Szto, M. C. (2001). Lawyers as hired doves: Lessons from the Sermon on the Mount. Cumberland Law Review, 31, 27-46.
Proverbs 17:14, 20:3, 25:8–10; Matthew 5:25–26, 38–42; Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 6:1–8 (For these passages, you should consult some trusted exegetical commentaries, many of which may be found on www.ccel.org.)

Virtual and global teams are becoming commonplace in many companies due to a multitude of factors. I need you to write a part of the research paper about the challenges that might be faced in working in Virtual and/or Global Project Teams.

Final Project: Present a Business Plan
WHO: You are the entrepreneur and your job is to present a business plan for your entrepreneurial venture. Review the following link:
Click Here To Review The Link
This web site includes sample business plans for 60 companies. Choose one company from the list (based on your interests).
Then use the information on this site, the information in your textbook, tips from the Small Business Administration web site ( https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/plan-your-business/write-your-business-plan) to present your business plan.
WHAT: Your project, a presentation of a business plan, should be in the form of a PowerPoint presentation. You are the entrepreneur and will use this presentation to show where your business is now, where you plan to go, and how you are going to get there. Assume that this presentation is being made to potential investors.
Your presentation should be comprised of approximately 15-25 PowerPoint slides. Each slide should summarize the main points you are making, and additional details (those that you would be saying in your presentation) should be included in the “Notes” in PowerPoint (under each slide there is a “Click to add notes” feature). Your mock presentation should last approximately 20 minutes, so ensure that the PowerPoint contains sufficient information to guide you through this presentation to potential investors.
Be sure that your presentation includes all of the main parts of a business plan, and is not merely a copy of the business plan that you are using as a basis for the presentation.
Choose your business and plan from the following site: https://www.bplans.com/sample_business_plans.php. Clearly label which business type and name you are using.
Review your textbook and the Small Business Administration site: https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/plan-your-business/write-your-business-plan
Before you begin writing your business plan, consider the four core questions:
What service or product does your business provide and what needs does it fill?
Who are the potential customers for your product or service and why will they purchase it from you?
How will you reach your potential customers?
Where will you get the financial resources to start your business?
Final Project Grading Criteria:
Business Plan Content: 50 points possible
Followed Guidelines: 20 points possible
Grammar/Spelling: 20 points possible
Creativity: 10 points possible

1. How did Ray Anderson translate his awakening into action?
2. In what ways did he motivate his senior staff and factory floor employees to embrace his vision?
3. What strategies did he employ to engage experts in innovation?
4. What were the key challenges faced, and how were they overcome?
5. How did holding a company meeting at an unsustainable hotel serve the company’s goals?
6. As future contributors to the workforce, consider how you could apply insights from the documentary in your career.
7. After watching, share your emotional responses and any personal reflections it may have inspired.
Choose three of these questions to answer for the quiz. We’re looking forward to your insights and reflections.
under 100 words per question

Response sheets are 1.5-2 pg. single-spaced, and include typed, bullet-point answers to the following:
Main message/significant quote from the reading [keep this section short]
Things I’d like to discuss in class, things that surprised me, or I agreed/didn’t agree with
My thoughts about development changemaking (needs, program characteristics, success/failure, connections to related topics/concepts, ideas to address this issue)
Things I don’t understand from the reading [only include this if relevant]
Your response sheet must cover each reading assigned
the readings are: Look them up on the web
Rippling: Chapter 2- How Social Entrepreneurs Spread Innovation Throughout the World, and Chapter 2. Effectual Entrepreneurship, 2nd edition