Day: April 26, 2018

Research Paper

 

The Research Paper must demonstrate the understanding of new learning in project management and how it relates to cost and value management. This assignment should be six to eight pages (not including the title and reference pages) and should integrate the reading, multimedia, and class discussions. It is mandatory to have research from the classroom text, as well as at least three scholarly sources from the Internet or Ashford Online Library to support your views.

 

Consider the validity of your sources carefully before using them in academic papers. It is recommended to use examples from your professional experience where possible or build from your learning in the discussion boards.

 

Focus of the Research Paper

Use at least one project you have been a team member of or a project manager for as an example to contextualize the research topics below:

All of the following topics must be addressed in order for the paper to be complete:

 

• Discuss the importance of work packages to support the creation and use of the WBS.
• Examine how to establish a cost and schedule performance measurement baseline.
• Present examples of EVM and how it will help the PM understand project status.
• Examine how the PM uses project control charts to show project status and present value.
• Recommend an effective change management process to ensure a successful project.

 

Writing the Research Paper

The Research Paper:

• Must be six to eight double-spaced pages in length (not including the title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the approved APA style guide.
• Must include a cover page that includes:
• – Title of Paper
• – Student’s name
• – Course name and number
• – Instructor’s name
• – Date submitted
• Must include an introductory paragraph with a succinct thesis statement.
• Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
• Must conclude with a restatement of the thesis and a conclusion paragraph.
• Must use at least three outside sources from the Internet or Ashford Online Library.
• Must use APA style as outlined in the approved APA style guide to document all sources.
• Must include, on the final page, a Reference Page that is completed according to APA style as outlined in the approved APA style guide.

 

 

Scenario You are a part of a task team and are trying to take down a drug king Pin. You and your team have been sitting on surveillance for weeks trying to gather enough evidence to finally take him down all that’s needed is an evidence of a hand to hand exchange. You’re tired of sitting on your ass you falsify that last ten percent evidence to obtain a warrant and affidavit in hopes of the sake of getting him off the streets. In doing so you could crush the case all together. You decide to confess our wrong doing opening up a full investigation which could not only break your career but set Mr. Lincoln free and back out on the streets. The team leader advises you that he relieving you of duty pending an internal affairs case investigation. He reports you to the command and also to the states Attorney’s Office for perjury.

Question. How will this incident affect your professional and personal life? How do you foresee your career and are the positive or negative? Do you feel this is the best remedy in handling this scenario? Do you think there are any bad things that can arise out of this plan of action? What affects do you think this meeting will now have? How might you have been able to handle this incident better? How might this incident affect the community? Give a one page response analyzing and answering every question…

This assignment must be completed and submitted using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (.xls). Provide a source for each equation you use. Sources must be listed at the bottom of the spreadsheet. No title page or additional formatting is required.

Channels of Communication

It has been estimated that project managers spend up to 90% of their time communicating and your position at Roto Air is typical. Calculate the number of possible channels of communication if the project team were to grow to nine members, Important: show your work. The total number of stakeholders, including the project team, is estimated at 75 people. Calculate how many more possible channels of communication the additional stakeholders beyond the team members represent. Important: show your work. Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR)

Roto Air plans to spend $1,000,000 on this project, resulting in a total savings of $2,500,000 over the life of the project. Calculate the Benefit Cost Ratio. Important: show your work. Ignore any effects of the time value of money. Roto Air also considered another project that would have partially satisfied their needs. It would have required a $750,000 investment and would result in a savings of $125,000 per year for 10 years. Calculate the Benefit Cost Ratio. Important: show your work. Ignore any effects of the time value of money. Comparing only the BCRs, explain which project should Roto Air should have chosen. Ignore any effects of the time value of money. Payback Period

Calculate the payback period for the $1,000,000 investment shown above. Important: show your work. Ignore any effects of the time value of money. Calculate the payback period for the $750,000 investment shown above. Important: show your work. Ignore any effects of the time value of money. Comparing only on the payback periods, explain which project should Roto Air have chosen. Ignore any effects of the time value of money. Net Present Value (NPV)

Calculate the Net Present Value of Roto Air’s $1,000,000 investment with a $250,000 annual savings for 10 years when the interest rate averages 3% annually. Important: show your work

Plant Lab Report Form Procedures: 1. Visit http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/plants/plantae.html; Introduction to the Plantae: The green kingdom, University of California, Berkeley Museum of Paleontology. Click the Systematics link and learn more about a group you desire to begin researching for this lab. Note: The boxes without images have not yet been developed. 2. Visit a number of websites (a few starters are listed below) that deal with the great diversity of plants and their biological, ecological, and economic impacts on life and human society. Gather (and cite!) information and images to allow you to prepare a poster or PowerPoint presentation. 3. In your poster or PowerPoint presentation, you will need to detail the classification of the group of creatures you are detailing. Include the time of first occurrence, fossil record (if any), economic and societal impact of the group, and its evolutionary importance (for example the green algae are not terribly important save as a stem group for the evolution of plants). Example sites:http://www.tolweb.org/tree/ Tree of Life Web Project. Maintained by scientists and collaborators, this site organizes over 5000 web pages about the classification and relationships of the domains and other taxonomic groups. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/05/index.html Links for Systematics. This site compiles many links to aid your research.

Midterm Project

The Midterm Project consists of two parts:

Part one: Use the text, internet, and/or other sources and select an example of terrorists (either domestic or international) that have used technology to further their ideologies.

• Explain specifically how the terrorist organization uses, or has used technology in their activities (or related to a specific event). • Provide a profile on the terrorist group including:• known members • activities involving technology • any legal action taken against the organization

• Explain the use of high tech evidence to support cyber crime cases • Cite your references in your work

Part two: Perform a key word search on online identity theft and locate two cases involving online identity theft.

• Summarize the facts of each case, including how:• the thief obtained the victim’s information • what the thief did with the information • the impact to the victim

• Recommend at least 3 methods for each case that the victim could have used to prevent the theft. • Critique the tracking methods used to investigate the internet identity thefts. • Be sure to cite your references.

Include both parts one and two in a single word document for submission.

Paper Format

• Length should be at least 3.5 pages, excluding your cover and references page, in 10-12 point font (Arial, Courier, and Times New Roman are acceptable). • Viewpoint and purpose should be clearly established and sustained • Assignment should follow the conventions of Standard American English (correct grammar, punctuation, etc.). • Writing should be well ordered, logical, and unified, as well as original and insightful • Your work should display superior content, organization, style, and mechanics • Appropriate citation style should be followed.

You should also make sure to:

• Include a title page with full name, class name, section number, and date • Use double-space and Arial or Times New Roman in 12 point font size • Use examples to support your discussion • Cite all sources on a separate reference page at the end of your paper and cited within the body of your paper using APA format

Lastly, please label your projects: username-project-unit#.doc. For example, a student named Tina Allen would name her file TAllen-Midterm-Unit 5.doc.

Submit this Assignment to the Dropbox by the end of Unit 5.

ID: CJ316-05-10-A

Final Paper

The purpose of the Final Paper is for you to culminate the learning achieved in the course by demonstrating your knowledge of organizational management by synthesizing the information from class into work and life experience.

Focus of the Final Paper

Think of an organization you have worked for or one with which you are very familiar. Diagnose the need for change and present a plan to transform the organization, utilizing Kotter’s 8-Step Approach. Include the following sections headings and additional sections as needed: 1.Introduction 2.Company Overview 3.Diagnosis 4.Kotter’s 8-Step Approach 5.Conclusion

The Final Paper for the course must be submitted to the instructor by 11:59 p.m. of the time zone in which you reside on the last day of the class.

Writing the Final Paper The Final Paper: 1.Must be eight- to- ten double-spaced pages in length (excluding the title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the approved APA style guide. 2.Must include a title page that includes: a.Title of paper b.Student’s name c.Course name and number d.Instructor’s name e.Date submitted

3.Must include an introductory paragraph with a succinct thesis statement. 4.Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought. 5.Must conclude with a restatement of the thesis and a conclusion paragraph. 6.Must use at least five scholarly sources. 7.Must use APA style as outlined in the approved APA style guide to document all sources. 8.Must include, on the final page, a Reference Page that is completed according to APA style as outlined in the approved APA style guide.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Assignment Submission

You are a board member of a large company that manufactures and distributes aftermarket automobile parts. The board consists of six members. You are number two in seniority and the CEO is NOT on the board. The CEO has been a strong leader and an effective manager for over five years but lately the organization’s performance has fallen off and you will now have two consecutive years in the red. The CEO is highly regarded by the subordinates, but it is clear to you as a member of the board that many changes and adjustments have to be made. The serving CEO appears to be entrenched in approaching current challenges and opportunities with tried and true approaches.

The current CEO is internally focused, tradition based and conservative. He has shown some overly cautious actions with respect to entering new markets and expanding the company’s product line. The organization has little in the way of external investment activities and the CEO came close to dismissing the Deputy to the vice president for finance for an investment decision he felt was both risky and radical. He has consistently promoted managers from within and has a poor relationship with the VP for HR. There have been some long term problems with the quality level of one major product line (wheels) and the CEO has moved very slowly to correct it. Finally, he recently rejected the introduction of an enterprise architecture platform that was recommended by a major consulting firm.

What should you do and what should the board do? How should you do it?

You are a board member of a large company that manufactures and distributes aftermarket automobile parts. The board consists of six members. You are number two in seniority and the CEO is NOT on the board. The CEO has been a strong leader and an effective manager for over five years but lately the organization’s performance has fallen off and you will now have two consecutive years in the red. The CEO is highly regarded by the subordinates, but it is clear to you as a member of the board that many changes and adjustments have to be made. The serving CEO appears to be entrenched in approaching current challenges and opportunities with tried and true approaches.

The current CEO is internally focused, tradition based and conservative. He has shown some overly cautious actions with respect to entering new markets and expanding the company’s product line. The organization has little in the way of external investment activities and the CEO came close to dismissing the Deputy to the vice president for finance for an investment decision he felt was both risky and radical. He has consistently promoted managers from within and has a poor relationship with the VP for HR. There have been some long term problems with the quality level of one major product line (wheels) and the CEO has moved very slowly to correct it. Finally, he recently rejected the introduction of an enterprise architecture platform that was recommended by a major consulting firm.

What should you do and what should the board do? How should you do it?

Please show ALL work.

1. A manager is trying to decide whether to purchase a certain part or to have it produced internally. Internal production could use either of two processes. One would entail a variable cost of $17 per unit and an annual fixed cost of $200,000; the other would entail a variable cost of $14 per unit and an annual fixed cost of $240,000. Three vendors are willing to provide the part. Vendor A has a price of $20 unit for any volume up to 30,000 units. Vendor B has a price of $22 per unit for demand of 1,000 units or less, and $18 per unit for larger quantities. Vendor C offers a price of $21 per unit for the first 1,000 units, and $19 per unit for additional units.

a. If the manager anticipates an annual volume of 10,000 units, which alternative would be the best for a cost standpoint?
b. For 20,000 units, which alternative would be best?
c. Determine the range for which each alternative is best. Are there any alternatives that are never best? Which?

Imagine that you are an analyst who has been asked to produce a report on Apple’s financial performance, including its ability to attain its objectives, over the last five (5) years. You are to report your findings to your boss. You should assume that your boss has no prior knowledge of Apple’s specific strategy. Your task is to shed light on the company’s results, thoroughly explaining any deviations from projections. This means that it is not sufficient to describe the ratios you have calculated. Rather, you are to provide an overall analysis with an assessment of whether these financial ratios and analyses are supportive of Apple’s strategy or whether Apple may be required to modify its strategy because of any financial constraints indicated. A major part of this report involves projections or forecasting. Part A Access Apple’s balance sheets and income statements for the last 5 years from the Apple web site (http://investor.apple.com/financials.cfm). From those statements, calculate the financial ratios for Apple for each of the past 5 years, as noted below. 1. Liquidity Ratio: For each of the indicated five (5) years, you need address only the Current Ratio. 2. Profitability Ratio: For each of the five (5) indicated years, you need address only the Return on Investment. 3. Activity Ratio: For each of the five (5) indicated years, you need address only the Asset Turnover. 4. Leverage Ratio: For each of the five (5) indicated years, you need only address the Debt to Asset Ratio. 5. Other Ratios: For each of the five (5) indicated years, you need only the Dividend Yield on Common Stock.

Present your findings in a table, titling each row with one of the five ratios, as follows: 1) Liquidity Ratios, 2) Profitability Ratios, 3) Activity Ratios, 4) Leverage Ratios, and 5) Other Ratios. Your table should have six columns, each labeled for one year, plus a column for the mean value for the entire period.

Part B Next, review Apple’s stated strategy for each of these years and analyze each Apple ratio from one year to the next during this time period. Be sure to explain what the ratio indicates in general, as well as with respect to the specific period. Discuss whether the ratios support Apple’s strategies or if changes are indicated. Identify any trends that you detect from one year to the next. As an example, let us state, hypothetically, that Apple’s Current Ratio has been declining over several periods. You will want to assess its implications for Apple’s stated strategy. (40 points) (A 3-page response is required.)