Day: October 18, 2020

Case Study: Harvard Business Case 4 – Group Assignment
Read the Dakota Office Products case and answer the following questions.

Why was Dakotas existing pricing system inadequate for its current operating environment?
Develop an activity-based cost system for Dakota Office Products (DOP) based on Year 2000 data. Calculate the activity cost-driver rate for each DOP activity in 2000.
Using your answer to Question 2, calculate the profitability of Customer A and Customer B.
What explains any difference in profitability between the two customers?
What are the limitations, if any, to the estimates of the profitability of the two customers?
Is there any additional information you would like to have to explain the relative profitability of the two customers?
Assume that Dakota applies the analysis done in Question 3 to its entire customer base. How could such information help the Dakota managers increase company profits?
Suppose that a major customer switched from placing all its orders manually to placing all its orders over the internet site. How should this affect the activity cost driver rates calculated in Question 2? How would the switch affect Dakotas profitability?

Write at least a three-page analysis using the case study on pages 343-344 of your textbook: Expatriate Management at AstraZeneca PLC.
Your analysis should address the prompts listed below.
Critically analyze AstraZenecas expatriate management practices.
Surveys show that most expatriates report feeling the strain of managing the demands of work and home while adjusting to the foreign environment, leading to more anxieties at home and at the workplace. What steps can an organization take to mitigate this?
What decisions related to expatriates can organizations take to maximize the benefits to the company despite the economic downturn? Do you think a company that paid more careful attention to selection could further boost its chances of success?

Write at least a three-page analysis using the case study on pages 311313 in your textbook: Kellys Assignment in Japan.
Your analysis should address the questions listed below.
Explain the clashes in culture, customs, and expectations that occurred in this situation.
What stage of culture shock is Kellys family experiencing?
Turn back the clock to when Kelly was offered the position in Tokyo. What, if anything, should have been done differently, and by whom?
You are Kelly. What should you do now?

The first step in this project is to come up with your idea as to how you are going to increase motivation within the company (it can be a real or fictional company). I want you to explain the idea, and present research to support the importance of motivation (how it benefits both the company and the employee) as well as support for your idea specifically.

This does not need to be written as a formal research paper, but all research provided does need to be cited in APA format. You may write in the first person because you are presenting your own ideas. You do not need to provide an abstract, but you do need an APA formatted title page and reference page. Your paper should be a minimum of 2 pages (approx. 700 words) not including the title and reference.

Choose an article (newspaper, magazine, industry journal) that relates with one of the management functions or more than one but not required to do all (planning, leading, organizing and controlling). 

Submit an APA formatted Word document approximately 5 – 7 pages not including cover and reference page. 

Case Assignment:

What means can managers use to assess political risk?

What do you think is the relative effectiveness of these different methods?

At the time you are reading this, what countries or areas do you feel poses political risk sufficient to discourage you from doing business there?

BE SURE TO USE 3 REFERENCES AND CITE APPROPRIATELY.

Research Rules: APA format, APA citations, 3 pages (no less than 3 complete full pages so more is better), no abstract, reference page separate using a page break.