CSU MBA5101 FULL COURSE [ ALL DISCUSSIONS ALL ASSESMENT AND ALL ASSIGNMENT ]

Do you think benchmarking is just another fad or is it really useful for all firms? Why, or why not? How could benchmarking be used in your place of employment? Does it rate as a viable tool for future develop

ment?

Week 8 Discussion

Did this course meet your expectations? What did you like the best about this course? What suggestions can you offer to improve this course?

ALL ASSIGNMENT

Unit Assignments

Unit II Assignment

SWOT Analysis

Based on your unit reading, create a SWOT analysis for the company you chose to research. Your analysis should be between one to two pages and identify the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Use Microsoft

Word and create four sections to your paper using the SWOT categories as your headings. Each category should have approximately 200-300 words describing the issues that fall under that area. The opportunities and threats should have at least ten items identified for each. Format your SWOT Analysis using APA Style. Use your own words, and include citations and references as needed to avoid plagiarism.

Unit III Assignment

PowerPoint Presentation

Review both Milton Friedman's “Traditional View of Business Responsibility” (p. 72) and Archie Carroll's “Four Responsibilities of Business” (p. 72-73) in the textbook, and develop an understanding of their ethical principles. You are also welcome and encouraged to research them using outside sources. You are to compare the two theories and create a PowerPoint presentation on your comparative study. Your PowerPoint presentation should include the following elements:

· Slide 1: Title page

· Slides 2-3: A summary of Milton Friedman's main points

· Slides 4-5: A summary of Archie Carroll's main points

· Slide 6: Which principles would you like implemented at your current place of work (or where you wish to work in the future), and why?

· Slides 7-8: Provide two detailed examples of organizations where you believe that Friedman's theories are applied.

· Slides 9-10: Provide two detailed examples of organizations where you believe that Carroll's theories are applied.

· Slide 11: List of sources using APA guidelines

Unit IV Assignment

Using the information gathered from your SWOT analysis conducted in Unit II, create an EFAS table for the company you researched. Use Microsoft word to create your table. It should have five columns. The first column heading should be entitled External Factors, the second column should be titled Weight, the third column should be titled Rating, the fourth column should be titled Weighted Score, and the fifth column should be titled Comments. (Refer to pages 126-127 in your textbook for an example.)

1. In the External Factors column, list at least six opportunities you saw in the company you researched. Underneath the opportunities, list at least six threats you saw in the company you researched.

2. In the Weight column, assign an importance factor to each of these issues from 0.0-1.0 (1.0 is most important; 0.0 is least important). These ratings are based on the probable impact on a particular company’s current strategic position. The higher the weight, the more important the factor to the current and future success of the company. You may not be privy to the exact information for this company, so in some cases you will need to use your best judgment. (You will justify your weighting in column five.)

3. In the Rating column assign a rating factor from 5.0-1.0 (5.0 is Outstanding; 1.0 is poor). These ratings are based on the company’s response to that particular factor. It is a judgment call on how the company is currently dealing with each specific factor. Once again, you may need to make an estimate in this area if you are not privy to all of the information. (You will justify your weighting in column five.)

4. In the Weighted Score column, multiply the weight from column 2 by the rating in column 3 to get the factor’s weighted score.

5. In the Comments column explain why a particular factor was selected and how its weight and rating were estimated.

6. At the bottom of column 4 add the weighted scores for the external factors. Is the company doing better or worse than others in the same industry? Complete this answer underneath your table.

Format your assignment using APA Style. Use your own words, and include citations and references as needed to avoid plagiarism.

Unit VII Assignment

PowerPoint Presentation

Review the portion of Web Chapter A concerning new product innovation. You can access Web Chapter A at this web address: http://www.pearsonhighered.com/wheelen/cases.html. Then select a new product that you have been introduced to in the past 12 months. You are also welcome and encouraged to research this new product using outside sources. You are to create a PowerPoint presentation about the marketing strategy for this relatively new product. Your PowerPoint presentation should include the following elements:

· Slide 1: Title page

· Slide 2:Description of the new product

· Slide 3:Explain which category of innovation is emphasized.

· Slide 4:List what differentiates the product from the competition.

· Slide 5: Describe the product's target market and its demographics.

· Slide 6: Describe the market size and potential product demand.

· Slide 7: Explain in which stage of the product life cycle is the product.

· Slide 8:Predict product demand in five years.

· Slide 9: List of sources using APA guidelines

Unit VIII Case Study

Read the Internet Mini Case #6 on Williams-Sonoma, and answer the written response questions in order to complete this assignment.

Internet Mini Case #6 on Williams-Sonoma can be found on the Pearson Higher Education web site at this address: http://www.pearsonhighered.com/wheelen/cases.html. A PDF file containing Mini Case #6 can be found in Unit VIII.

There are four written response questions below worth 25 points each. Your answers should include information from your course materials and/or from outside research but should be primarily in your own words. If you paraphrase or quote words or ideas from your course textbook or other resources, you should cite your sources using APA guidelines. Each of your responses to each of the four questions should be spell and grammar checked and should be 200-300 words in length to be considered a “complete” answer to a written response question. Please contact your instructor if you have any questions.

1. If the Williams-Sonoma continues with its present strategies and objectives, where will it be in five years?

2. If you were the CEO of William-Sonoma, what strategies would you recommend, and why?

3. Describe the competitive strategies used by each of Williams-Sonoma's competitors. Which of these strategies are the most effective? Support your answer.

4. How is Williams-Sonoma using the Internet as a distribution channel now, and how would you recommend that they use the Internet in the future?

ALL ASSESMENT