Category: Business

Business Economics
Please follow the instructions in the ‘assignment task’ document attached.
PART A – 10 multiple choice questions
PART B – Problem question: This summer appears to be another scorcher. Coca Cola and all the major drink companies are banking for record sales of fizzy drinks. During the past decade the government have pressed for healthy eating and drinking habits as unhealthy Australian culture is costing the government an enormous amount of funding for health care. The government is consistently trying to raise awareness of the sugar content of some of the fizzy drinks via multiple advertising. It appears that that this might have had an effect after all. Coca Cola has reported that sales have been slowly dropping over the years for its fizzy drinks and upon closer look there are now many smaller businesses selling healthy drinks all around the major cities such as Boost Juice. Using the concepts of demand and supply (chapter 1, 2, 3) analyse the change in the trend of healthy drinking for fizzy & healthy drinks.

Consumer Behavior
Depth Interview: Conduct an in-depth interview with someone who is not taking this class, about a recent purchase. Understand how the owner or user feels about the product or service in terms that can be useful to a marketing manager. The interview should be about a product or service costing either less than QR. 20 (low involvement) or over QR.400 (high involvement) that either performs a utilitarian function or a product the customer feels, reveals something about the kind of person he or she is (value-expressive function).
Objective: Your goal in the interview will be to discover how the decision-making process unfolded leading up to this purchase decision:
Need recognition: What led this consumer to realize that he or she needed or wanted to buy in this product category?
Information search: How many alternatives did the consumer consider?
Evaluation of alternatives: How favorable was the consumer’s evaluation of these alternatives? What product attributes were important to this consumer, and how favorably did the consumer perceive these different alternatives to perform on those attributes?
Product choice: Which product did the person buy? Why did the person decide to buy the alternative that he or she chose?
Post-choice evaluation: Will the person buy this same product (and brand) again? Why or why not?
Methodologies: In addition to asking questions such as the ones listed above to determine the consumer’s decision-making process, please select any one of the following two methodologies to enrich your analysis. Please include a discussion of what you learn using these methodologies within the text of your write-up, and include graphical illustrations of your results as exhibits at the end of the paper.
1. Laddering: Many interviewers find it useful to use a laddering technique to prompt the consumer to tell you the key benefits/values that they associate with important product attributes. First, ask them to name an important attribute of the product, and then ask them why it is important to them that the product has that attribute. After they answer, ask them why it is important that they get that benefit, and then why it is important to them that they get that benefit, and so on, until you have obtained a higher-level, more-abstract motivation underlying their preference for the attribute. For example, a consumer choosing a salty snack might say it is important for them to have a flavored potato chip because it has a strong taste, which produces the benefit of them eating less, which means they will not gain weight, which will enhance their self-esteem. In this way, you can use laddering to learn about the higher-order needs the product could meet (e.g., self-esteem, peace of mind, safety).
2. Associative Map: Ask the interviewee to tell you what associations (e.g., beliefs, feelings, memories, etc.) they have with the different choice alternatives. For example, ask them the first word that comes to mind when they think of the brand they chose; then ask them the associations they have to that first word; repeat until you can graphically depict the network of consumer’s associations to the brand they chose. Try to discover which of the consumer’s underlying higher level needs were associated with purchasing that brand.
—————————————–
You will begin this assignment by working on the appendices first.
• Two appendices are required. You should include an appendix for either an Associative Network (see page 317 of the text for an example) or a Laddering (see page 359-360, read the section “Discovering Purchase Motives” of the text), graphics are required for whichever method you use for this appendix. Latent motive need or manifest motive
( 2 marks)
• You should report the different decision making stages that your interviewee went through in a separate appendix. See chapter 1 (page 3) for the decision making stages. ( 2 marks)
• The body of the paper should be 2 pages numbered and double spaced. Below see the guidelines to write the body of the paper.
Assignment Write-up: You should begin your paper by providing your analysis (about one page) based on your appendices for the product. In your analysis, try to uncover the underlying higher level needs that your interviewee had behind making the purchase. For example, in seeking university education, the apparent need may be getting a job, but the higher level abstract need may be having more control in one’s life and to know more about the world. Link your interviewee’s purchase to the concepts covered in readings and lectures. The analysis should apply a range of course terms and concepts. Address the needs of your interviewee while discovering the most higher level abstract need based on your laddering or associative network exercise. (6 marks).
Next, you should answer the question; did brand play a role in this purchase? Why or why not? Explain either way (about ¼ of a page) – 2 marks).
Next, you should provide at least 3-4 implications (about ¾ a page – 3 marks) for the marketing manager based on your analysis and conclusions. (see below for an example of Tiffany’s Bracelet). By now you should have completed 2 pages.
This should give you 2 complete pages double spaced without 2 appendices. Attach your 2 appendices to the 2 complete double spaced pages of your analysis.
Some more guidelines for Write up including marketing strategy implications: Write a concise analysis of your interview findings, not to exceed 2 double-spaced pages of text, not including title pages or any exhibits or appendices you would like at the end of the paper depicting your research results (i.e., from the laddering, and/ or associative map). In your write up, try to apply concepts and frameworks from class discussion/ readings and discover the underlying abstract/ higher level needs of your interviewee based on his/ her decision making process and the methodology you use. In your analysis address the following question: “What role does the brand play in all of this?”
Include in your write-up your findings for marketing strategy implications for managers. For example, suppose your interviewee bought a Tiffany’s bracelet to reward herself after a week-long consulting project. An implication of this might be that firms should consider an ad campaign encouraging women to buy jewelry as gifts for themselves. Follow the detailed instructions given above in completing the assignment:

responses
Comment on the entry below. No references are required. The entry should be 1-2 paragraphs in length. The entry is related to the HCI observations.
Alta : Oracle’s New Approach
Alta UI, released earlier this week, is the latest launch from tech giant Oracle. The culmination of over two years of user experience analysis and prototyping brings what Oracle is calling revolutionary for their product line. Intended for use with their slew of cloud products, fusion applications, and mobile apps, deployment has been continual.
According to Kanaracus (2014), “the goal with Alta is user interfaces that can adapt to various device types and screen resolutions while giving users a consistent experience.” The development was focused around four key design principles of design for mobile first, keep layouts simple and uncluttered, provide a clear information hierarchy, and engage users with more visual content. In adding support for mobile viewing, layouts are restricted to a maximum display width size of 1024 pixels to allow vertical flow. The layouts are simplified with more space and fewer page elements. A gallery of interface patterns is available for viewing, showing a consistent look and feel of products privately designed. Alta additionally encourages user interaction through the use of data visualizations, animation, and specialized color palette. Combined with a reworked structure for the display of the information hierarchy, users are presented with a modern and highly usable layout.
Alta UI also promises increased performance for users, as a result of the new minimalistic design approach. The modular components give flexibility to developers, with increased support for browser and mobile compatibility. The appropriate reduction of unnecessary stylistic elements encourages faster loading, helping to optimize large systems.
With the widespread reach of Oracle’s line of products, we will soon be seeing the effect Alta has brought upon customer perception. A step in the right direction, this interface trade up has brought the tech influencer up to speed with the likes of interface gurus Google and Apple. Oracle has hinted there is more to this story, and we’ll be on the look out to see what they’ve got in store next.
Kanaracus, C. (2014, September 30). Oracle unveils Alta, a next-generation user interface. Retrieved October 4, 2014, from http://www.pcworld.com/article/2689732/oracle-unveils-alta-a-nextgeneration-user-interface.html

Write a reflective essay on a current ethics or sustainability problem, based on an extended example from a business organisation of the student’s choice.
Compulsory: Extensive application of FOUR ethical theories is demanded.
Don’t necessarily choose a major issue or high profile case. Think widely – own experience, local newspaper, small firms just as relevant as big cases
Don’t choose a classic business ethics case from a text book or journal (e.g. Foxconn and Apple, Nike/Gap and poor labour standards in supply chains, BP and the Mexico gulf oil spill, ENRON and financial scandal)
Don’t choose a classic business ethics case from a text book or journal (e.g. Foxconn and Apple, Nike/Gap and poor labour standards in supply chains, BP and the Mexico gulf oil spill, ENRON and financial scandal)
Don’t do something which you know someone else is doing.
Don’t just talk broadly about a company (e.g. Body Shop, Marks & Spencer, Ben & Jerry’s).
Don’t ignore the bias of the media you draw from. Do focus on APPLYING rather than DESCRIBING ethical theory. Depth of application (and therefore understanding is needed)
Do think carefully about which theories you use – a range which give different perspectives is useful. Recommend using 4 different theories.
Do give reasons for your choice of theory
Do include in your conclusion your own personal perspective on the ethics of the case and why

 

Topic: customers in global markets
Select two different items of marketing communications – such as a TV advert, magazine advert, billboard, poster, website, direct mail brochure, etc. These can be either from two different organisations or two items from the same organisation – but conveying different messages.

You should then compare and contrast how each item uses consumer behaviour theories to achieve its objective.3 pages

Topic: Organization Theory and Design
Choose a company of your preference and bring out the following details.
1. Provide a brief account of the company; its products; subsidiaries; growth and development
2. Bring out the hierarchy of authority and identify the members of the top management
3. Bring out the details of the divisional and functional management activities in the organization
4. Discuss the Customer support efforts taken by the Company at various levels of its operation.
* 12 Font Size, Times New Roman and single spacing for compiling the report

1. Analyze your company’s cost classification for pricing of the navigation system. Defend your cost classification to the US government.

2. Determine reasonable, allowable, allocable, variable, fixed & semi-variable costs for your company after the initial start  up phase is complete.

3. Predict the method for performing price analysis that the US government will want from your new company and Vector Cal. Justify your response.

4. Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Examine the various cost classifications, the different allocation bases, and the application of cost-accounting standards.

• Use technology and information resources to research issues in cost and price analysis.

• Write clearly and concisely about cost and price analysis using proper writing mechanics.

 

HR ramifications of SW Airlines merger and expansion.
Objective of this assignment:
Provide your knowledge of the strategic and administrative function of Human Resources by thinking about the situation of Southwest Airlines recent merger and their expansion.
Deliverable:
Read and reflect on the case study below and prepare a response paper of not less than five pages (excluding title and reference pages) with appropriate in text citations. Demonstrate research and analytical skills in developing a comprehensive paper by using the organizations website and outside articles written about the organization to supplement the information provided in the case study. However, the case study is unique in that it is focused on the HR ramifications and most of the outside reports you will locate articulate the business side of the merger or expansion possibilities. Tailor your paper to the HR ramifications of the merger and expansion.
Keep in mind that the purpose is to demonstrate your knowledge of the strategic and administrative function of Human Resources. While the business side of the situation is the foundation, it is the command of the needed tasks and role for the Human Resource function that you are to focus most of your attention.
Key Components
The key components of the paper are as follows:
Title page
Introduction in which you restate the issue(s) and state the purpose of the paper
SWOT analysis from the HR perspective
Recommendations to address the issues. Scholarly research is expected to support the recommendations.
Examples of issues that may want to be elaborated upon may be possible redundant positions, maintaining the culture of both organizations (or not), combining compensation and benefits plans and union involvement (just to name some).
There are many tasks for recruiting and hiring for the expansion (in various global locations). Think about and list what those tasks are.
Provide the metrics for evaluating the outcomes of the expansion of the organization (again, from an HR perspective).
Synthesize and summarize your thoughts about the merger and expansion (from an HR perspective), including recommendations for aligning the HR function of the two organizations and addressing any of the S.W.O.T. assessment HR related elements as appropriate.
Reference page containing at least five scholarly references cited in the paper and presented in APA guideline format
Situation:
Southwest Airlines is a major airline in the United States with limited flights outside the country. The organization has a strong culture which is described in the following excerpt from Gary Kelly, CEO Southwest Airlines found on the Southwest Airlines Website.
Living the Southwest Way
(Gary Kelly states that)…..I ask three things of the 46,000 Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways Employees every day: Work hard, have fun, and treat everyone with respect. We call this Living the Southwest Way, and it comprises three characteristics that we look for in job candidates and require of our Employees: a Warrior Spirit, a Servant’s Heart, and a Fun-LUVing Attitude. While it may sound simple (and it is), the impact can be profound. Our Culture has long been admired and has earned Southwest much recognition, including a yearly spot on Fortune’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” list (we ranked seventh this year) and the distinction of being named one of the Best Places to Work in Glassdoor.com’s 2013 Employees’ Choice Awards. Our Culture is not a program or a campaign; it is the sum of the personalities and behaviors of our People who Live the Southwest Way every day.
(The following is fiction but is the situation to consider for this assignment). Due to the recent acquisition of AirTran Airways and with the possibility of acquiring other airlines that will expand the organization to other countries, Southwest Airlines will add thousands of employees quickly from any number of existing airlines in a variety of global locations.
Faced with the tasks of maintaining the values of the organization, consider and propose steps the Human Resources team will need to take to achieve a successful merger of the two companies and to expand to additional global locations.
PLEASE NOTE: Much has been written about Southwest Airlines, its culture and the recent merger. While that information may be used as reference material, the situation you have been asked to use for your application of your knowledge about HR is unique. Do not merely cut and paste from what you find in the documents you locate.