Day: May 14, 2018

CEMEX is a Mexican company that has become a major international competitor in cement while maintaining a higher level of profitability than other, long-established majors.  CEMEX’s superior profitability supplies a basis for discussing the sources of superior performance in a global context.  In addition, the wide array of benefits that CEMEX derives from its operations in different countries broadens conventional notions of why firms globalize.

After you review the case, prepare a response (4-5 pages) to the following case questions:

1) What benefits have CEMEX and the other global competitors in cement derived from globalization?  More broadly, how can cross-border activities add value in an industry as apparently localized as cement?

2) How specifically has CEMEX managed to outperform its leading global competitors in the cement industry?  Please focus on comparing it with Holderbank, which is the other large competitor principally focused on cement.  What do this comparison and the other data in Exhibits 4-8 suggest about the competitive game being played out among the major international companies?

3) What accounts for the sequence in which CEMEX entered foreign markets?  How do the markets it has entered recently compare with the markets that it entered early on?

4) What recommendations would you make to CEMEX regarding its globalization strategy going forward?  In particular, what kinds of countries should it focus its future expansion on?

Quantitative Exercises and Final Project 3: Government Securities

 

Part One: Quantitative Exercises

 

Barbow Enterprises, Inc., is considering an expansion in their operations. One of the first items they want to examine is their cost of capital. According to the accounting department, the following items and their respective costs have been identified:

 

• The cost of Common Equity: 15%
• The before tax cost of debt: 12%
• No Preferred stock

 

They have also calculated the marginal tax rate to be 40% and the stock sells at its book value.

 

Barbow Enterprises Inc.
Balance Sheet
Assets			Liabilities and Owners’ Equity
Cash	$240		Long Term Debt		$2,304
Accounts Receivable	480		Equity		3,456
Inventories	720
Net P&E	4,320
Total Assets	$5,760		Total Liabilities and owners’ Equity		$5,760

 

Required:

 

Calculate Barbow’s after-tax weighted average cost of capital, using the data in the balance sheet above.

 

Deliverable:

 

Use a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that illustrates your calculations. You may use the formulas embedded in Microsoft Excel and/or a financial calculator for these calculations.

 

Part Two:  Final Project 3: Government Securities

 

In this part of your Final Project, you will research and analyze current information (that is, within the past two months) on government securities.

 

Step 1: Go to a financial Web site to do your research. The following are three suggested sites, but you may use others. Be sure to cite your sources!

 

• finance.yahoo.com
• http://www.google.com/finance
• moneycentral.msn.com

 

Step 2: Research current information (within the last two months) on the yields and maturity for:

 

1. U.S. treasuries
2. Municipal bonds
3. Corporate bonds

 

Required:

 

• Discuss what the pure expectations theory would imply about the yield curve.
• Compare and contrast the yields and maturities for each of the securities.
• Discuss which you would hold and why relative to interest rate risk.

 

Deliverables:

 

Your submission may be in a 3–6 page Microsoft Word or Excel document. Include a Microsoft Excel document that illustrates your calculations. You may use the formulas embedded in Microsoft Excel and/or a financial calculator for these calculations.

Purpose of Assignment

Students should understand the mechanics in calculating a company’s weighted average cost of capital using the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) and its use in making financial investments.

Assignment Steps 

Resources: Tutorial help on Excel^® and Word functions can be found on the Microsoft^®Office website. There are also additional tutorials via the web that offer support for office products. 

Scenario: You work for an investment banking firm and have been asked by management of Vestor Corporation (not real), a software development company, to calculate its weighted average cost of capital, to use in evaluating a new company investment. The firm is considering a new investment in a warehousing facility, which it believes will generate an internal rate of return of 11.5%. The market value of Vestor’s capital structure is as follows: 

Source of Capital	Market Value
Bonds	$10,000,000
Preferred Stock	$2,000,000
Common Stock	$8,000,000

To finance the investment, Vestor has issued 20 year bonds with a $1,000 par value, 6% coupon rate and at a market price of $950. Preferred stock paying a $2.50 annual dividend was sold for $25 per share. Common stock of Vestor is currently selling for $50 per share and has a Beta of 1.2. The firm’s tax rate is 34%. The expected market return of the S&P 500 is 13% and the 10-Year Treasury note is currently yielding 3.5%. 

Determine what discount rate (WACC) Vestor should use to evaluate the warehousing facility project. 

Assess whether Vestor should make the warehouse investment.

Prepare your analysis in a minimum of 700 words in Microsoft^® Word.

Use Microsoft^® Word tables in the presentation if you choose. 

Show all calculations and analysis in the presentation. 

Format your assignment consistent with APA guidelines. 

Click the Assignment Files tab to submit your assignment.

Due Week 6 and worth 100 points

 

 

 

Read Case Study 9 from Multi-Sector Casebook in Health Administration, Leadership, and Management, and respond to the following:

 

 

 

1. Summary of the major facts

 

Summarize the facts in narrative or outline form. Include the most important and pertinent incidents in the situation. (Do not simply restate the entire case.)

 

 

 

1. Problem(s)

 

The facts of the case reveal one or more problems that require attention. Indicate at least three problems affecting GreenHealth and explain their importance.

 

 

 

1. Alternative Solutions and Probable Outcomes

 

Analyze optional courses of action. This is one of the most important parts of the analysis. Remember that a decision not to act or to do nothing is always an alternative. However, doing nothing also has repercussions—sometimes worse repercussions than any other action. Identify three alternatives you would present to the senior leadership team.

 

 

 

1. Recommended Solution

 

Recommend 1 solution per problem (three recommendations total). Each recommendation should include a justification for the action, how the action would be implemented, and the probable outcome. While some of this information has been included in previous sections, it is still important to present the recommendation in its final form and to justify its selection.

 

 

 

1. Include two or more references to support your rationale.

you have learned how important performance management is for both employees and organizations. You have also explored how important a well-designed performance management program is to ensuring an organization’s success. Part of its success also relies on the ability of the manager to have the skills necessary to effectively work with employees as a mentor (a relationship built on trust, focused on the person and his or her individual growth and career) and a coach (a method of training, focused on an employee’s performance, giving advice, and monitoring progress). Based on a manager’s personal style, there are guidelines available to help with mentoring and coaching employees to successfully meet the short- and long-term objectives in their development plans. These skills will help managers to ensure they are effective in providing the guidance, support, advice, and training necessary so that employees have the confidence to achieve the desired competencies.

 

Post a cohesive and scholarly response based on your readings and research this week that addresses the following:

 

Evaluate the performance management approach that would fit you, as a manager, and your personal style that you believe is most important in executing this role effectively. Why are these important skills for ensuring the success of a performance management program? Justify your response with references to your resources.

 

Scenario: You have just graduated from your current University with your Bachelor’s Degree. You have decided either to seek a promotion at your current work, explore new career opportunities, or open your own business and are using your marketing knowledge to position yourself for career growth. 

 

Develop a 950-word response to the following 3 bullets using the scenario above:

• Provide a definition of marketing from the American Marketing Association. Define the customer value proposition. Discuss the differences between the marketing process and advertising, the goals of creating a strong customer value proposition, and the unique relationship that exists between company and customer.
• Use your workplace, a company you would like to work for, or an entrepreneurial vision and apply the concepts of the customer value proposition and relationship marketing to their operations. Introduce who the company, or business idea is and what they do. Provide examples demonstrating how the company uses these concepts successfully. Are there any ways they can improve in these areas? How?
• Determine how your own personal brand links to the organization’s customer value proposition. Discuss ways you can integrate a customer value proposition and use relationship marketing to position yourself the best. Please share examples to illustrate your thoughts and reasoning.

Cite a minimum of two peer-reviewed sources with at least one coming from the textbook (Marketing 13th edition Roger Kerin and Steven Hartley)

Complete the following Questions and Problems from each chapter as indicated.

Show all work and analysis. 

Prepare in Microsoft^® Excel^® or Word. 

 

A firm evaluates all of its projects by applying the IRR rule. If the required return is 14 percent, should the firm accept the following project?

For the cash flows in the previous problem, suppose the firm uses the NPV decision rule. At a required return of 11 percent, should the firm accept this project? What if the required return is 24 percent?

A proposed new investment has projected sales of $635,000. Variable costs are 44 percent of sales, and fixed costs are $193,000; depreciation is $54,000. Prepare a pro forma income statement assuming a tax rate of 35 percent. What is the projected net income?

Dog Up! Franks is looking at a new sausage system with an installed cost of $540,000. This cost will be depreciated straight-line to zero over the project’s five-year life, at the end of which the sausage system can be scrapped for $80,000. The sausage system will save the firm $170,000 per year in pretax operating costs, and the system requires an initial investment in net working capital of $29,000. If the tax rate is 34 percent and the discount rate is 10 percent, what is the NPV of this project?

Night Shades, Inc. (NSI), manufactures biotech sunglasses. The variable materials cost is $9.64 per unit, and the variable labor cost is $8.63 per unit.

a. What is the variable cost per unit?

b. Suppose NSI incurs fixed costs of $915,000 during a year in which total production is 215,000 units. What are the total costs for the year?

c. If the selling price is $39.99 per unit, does NSI break even on a cash basis? If depreciation is $465,000 per year, what is the accounting break-even point?

In each of the following cases, calculate the accounting break-even and the cash break-even points. Ignore any tax effects in calculating the cash break-even.

Format your assignment consistent with APA guidelines if submitting in Microsoft^® Word.

1. In a well-written paper:
   • a. In a three-page paper discuss define jihadi Salafism and outline its history dating back to the Crusades to its modern day version. Next discuss any past/present U.S. foreign policies that may have reinforced the concept of jihadi Salafism. Finally give your thoughts on the belief some have that had the West done things differently, jihadi terrorism, as we know it today, would not exist.
   • b. Make sure your discussion reflects themes in Chapters 11 through 12 of our textbook.
2. Your papers must:

• • • i. The first page of your paper will be a cover sheet correctly formatted according to APA guidelines.
    • ii. The second page will include an Abstract.
    • iii. This paper will use 1-inch margins, Times New Roman 12-point font, and double spacing.
    • iv. A minimum of three citations must be included and the citations for each article MUST be correctly formatted according to APA guidelines. Do NOT use an automated citation manager to perform this function. Do it manually for this assignment and check your formatting against available APA resources.
  • a. Excluding the cover page, the Abstract and references page, this paper must be at least 3 pages of written text.
  • b. Only COMPLETE paragraphs consisting of an introductory sentence, a full explanation of key points supported with properly cited sources, and a concluding sentence may be used.
  • c. Only use published articles from academic texts, such as those found at scholar.google.com or accessed through your Grantham University EBSCO host account (not Wikipedia).
  • d. The entire paper must be your original work. It may not include quotes and at no time should text be copied and pasted.

This paper DOES require an introductory paragraph, explicit thesis statement, concluding paragraph, and references page.

Imagine you are the chief of police. As the chief of police, you will need to ensure that your law enforcement officers lead ethical careers. In order to prepare for this assignment, review Chapters 7 through 9 in the textbook. Then, research Kohlberg’s stages of moral development and find at least two (2) relevant articles that discuss Kohlberg’s theory, Means vs. Ends, and Kantian ethics.

 

Write a two to three (2-3) page paper in which you:

1. Identify and discuss the three (3) levels of Kohlberg’s stages of Moral Development, and explain how you would address each level within your department.
2. Explain how your officers can use Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development to evaluate three (3) types of criminals who are at different stages of moral development.
3. Illustrate two to three (2-3) ways in which you would address self-interest and pursuit of pleasure to prevent police corruption.
4. Identify and discuss at least three (3) Prima Facie Duties that you believe all of your law enforcement officers should fulfill.
5. Support your position statement with two (2) relevant and credible references, documented according to latest edition of APA. (Note: Do not use open source sites such as Ask.com, eHow.com, Answers.com, and Wikipedia.)

 

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

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

 

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Recommend ways to use ethics to improve decision making in the criminal justice system.
• Analyze various philosophical approaches for ethical decision making, and the effectiveness and limits of each approach for making ethical choices.
• Analyze basic questions about morality, norms, and values.
• Examine the concepts and effectiveness of reward and punishment.
• Explain why and how the concept of justice is important to the field of criminal justice.
• Explain Kohlberg’s moral development stages and how they can be applied to issues in criminal justice.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in ethics and leadership in criminal justice.
• Write clearly and concisely about ethics and leadership in criminal justice using proper writing mechanics.

You are to use ALL 4 listed and explain in-depth the ideologies of:

 

1) Trajan’s Column

2) Arch of Titus

3) Pantheon

4) Ara pacis

 

All 4 must be in seperate paragraphs and contain a minimum of 250 words for each ideaolgy. You will be assesed uon how indepth your disscusion is. Plagiarism will not be tolerated and will result in a zero for this assigminet.

 

Demonstrate perceptive understanding involves showing insight into a range of aspects and/or factors of significant ideology(ies) in the classical world.

Features of a perceptive understanding may include:

• providing reasons for similarities and differences

 

• establishing themes and patterns

 

• identifying cultural expectations and codes of behaviour

 

• showing discernment regarding limitations of sources of evidence.

 

3 Ideology(ies) refers to religious, philosophical, or political belief systems. Examples of significant ideologies include religions, Stoicism, Epicureanism, Socratic moral philosophy, and Alexander’s Oriental policy. Possible context elaborations for significant ideology(ies) are provided in the Teaching and Learning Guide for Classical Studies.