The Beefsteak Reinforcing Culture Through Human Capital Development Case Study Analysis: Part 1

[WLOs: 1, 2, 3] [CLOs: 1, 2, 3, 4]

Watch this video with Brenda Forde, Program Chair of MBA.Transcript

Prior to beginning work on this assignment,

• Review the required chapters from Applied Psychology in Talent Management as necessary.
• Watch the Final Presentation video above with Brenda Forde, Program Chair of MBA.
• Visit the Beefsteak Case Study page to review the Company Background Information Packet and the Company Background video.
• Consider reviewing the Filming a Video that Demonstrates Professionalism resource.

For this class, The Beefsteak Reinforcing Culture Through Human Capital Development Case Study Analysis assignment will apply toward Portfolium. Be sure to upload your presentation to Portfolium once you have completed it and share a link in your submission in addition to uploading it to Waypoint to be graded. Learn more about Portfolium by viewing the Portfolium Introduction (Links to an external site.) video and the Portfolium Quick-Start Guide (Links to an external site.).

Watch the following videos to explore the benefits of your Portfolium account:

Access to the video and a written transcript:
Forbes/Portfolium Video A: Overview/Main Objective (Links to an external site.)

Beefsteak is a fast-casual restaurant concept from acclaimed Chef José Andrés that focuses on the “unsung power of vegetables.” José Andrés is a world-renowned chef and owner of a number of restaurants. He was nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for his work with disaster relief through his non-profit organization World Central Kitchen. Andrés’s mission is to change the world through the power of food. Jim Biafore, Senior Director for Beefsteak, knows that culture—much like any good business—is forever changing, adapting to its environment. As Beefsteak grows, he sees the need to develop employees not only for return on investment, but also for maintenance of the culture and values espoused from the larger organization, ThinkFoodGroup. Beefsteak needs to develop programs to develop its employees in line with the company’s mission and strategic direction.

Assume the role of a Beefsteak consultant dedicated to creating and reinforcing the company’s ideal culture. Jim Biafore wants you to assess Beefsteak’s current company culture, determine ways that it can be improved, forecast potential changes through growth, and provide a plan for sustaining cultural longevity through employees.

Using the materials provided to you, as well as at least two to three additional resources pertaining to human resource management, prepare a 12- to 15-minute presentation of the proposal for a strategic human capital development program focused on the transmission of company core values.

To communicate with Beefsteak’s Jim Biafore and executive team, you will orally present your analysis using Screencast-O-Matic (Links to an external site.). If needed, review the Screencast-O-Matic Quick-Start Guide (Links to an external site.). The analysis should be documented using PowerPoint, with 12 to 20 slides which include speaker notes. The strategic human capital analysis should reinforce the culture through

• Recruitment
• Training
• Retention
• Team Development
• Organizational Responsibility.

The analysis should also consider Week 4’s contemporary human capital topic and predictive analysis.

Consider the following questions as you prepare your analysis:

• What might you infer about Beefsteak’s current company culture? Does it have elements of organizational responsibility?
• What key characteristics should Beefsteak recruiters look for in candidates, especially with regard to how someone will fit into the company culture?
• How does job training and employee development differ from a cultural standpoint?
• What motivates individuals or employees to believe in a cause?
• What do employees want out of development programs?
• What about employee development programs benefits the company?
• Why is it important to think about employee development at this stage?
• What contemporary human capital issues might you consider at Beefsteak?
• Is it possible to use some predictive analysis technique?
• How might things differ if Beefsteak expands globally rather than just in the U.S.?
• How do you plan to measure the success/failure of your culture strategy? What steps will you take to ensure that the culture is shifting and/or being reinforced in that way that you intend?

In this presentation analysis,

• Determine ways to improve the company’s culture in a growth environment.
• Assess and make recommendations regarding the company’s recruiting, training, development, and retention strategies.
• Integrate contemporary human capital topics and predictive analysis.
• Discuss potential global expansion on the company culture and success.
• Formulate an overall organized and concise proposal for the company’s ideal culture supported through human resource management.

The Beefsteak Reinforcing Culture Through Human Capital Development Case Study Analysis

• Must be 12 to 15 minutes in duration.
• Must be 12 to 20 slides in length (not including title and references slides) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation (Links to an external site.) resource. You need to include speaker notes for each task on the slide to submit in Part 2 of your Final Presentation.

Competencies

1. Value the importance of information technology to accountants.
2. Assess accounting information systems.
3. Design the steps to justify an information system initiative.
4. Synthesize appropriate and effective use of technology for managing accounting and financial information flows and presentation.
5. Evaluate the threats and risks associated with accounting information systems.
6. Explore special topics in accounting information systems to include  the impact of globalization and a multinational business presence.

Scenario Information

Your company, Swift Athletics is a publicly held, mid-sized  manufacturer, with $20 million dollars in annual revenue. You produce  high-end running shoes exclusively in the US. You are planning to sell  your products internationally within the next two years. You operate in a  lean environment, and your supplier monitors your raw materials needs,  and shipments are made JIT.

Assume that you are the Chief Accounting Officer (CAO) for the  company. The company is publicly held; therefore, it must follow all  reporting requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The company is expanding rapidly and has outgrown its information  system. You have been given the task of evaluating and recommending a  viable accounting information system solution for the accounting and  financial data. Your final proposal will be delivered to the Chief  Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Information Officer (CIO). You must be  able to support your proposal with appropriate research.

Instructions

To complete this project:

1. Articulate the value of an AIS and how it can be used to facilitate  growth at Swift. Identify the departments/functions of a manufacturer  like Swift that will utilize the AIS, and how the departments will  interact.
2. Prepare a summary that identifies the departments listed above, a  weakness or threat for each department, explanation of why the weakness  exists, and the steps that you will implement in your new system to  address the weakness issues. Note: An example of a weakness or threat in  the general ledger and reporting system might be an unauthorized  disclosure of financial statements. Controls to respond to this weakness  or threat include access controls and encryption. You may wish to  present this information in a table for your presentation.
3. While the balanced scorecard is not a new concept, it does offer a  framework allowing managers to measure an enterprise’s performance from  four categories: financial, customer, business processes, and learning  and growth. The balanced scorecard considers both financial and  nonfinancial measures. After researching the balanced scorecard, for  each of the four categories, identify at least one critical success  factor for Swift to achieve shareholder value.
4. As part of the planning process for your new accounting information  system, you need to prepare flowcharts. This graphic will present the  flow of information through the accounting cycles. Prepare flowcharts  for at least two business departments/functions for Swift. Each  flowchart should be detailed, and have the right symbols for each  process. Also, think your way through the processes from beginning to  end. For example, how is sales revenue defined, such as when is it  considered earned? The following are the business processes that you may  elect to address:
   • Sales
   • Purchasing
   • Production
   • Payroll
   • Please note that you will have two distinct flowcharts for this  assignment. Be sure your flowcharts are professionally presented and  clearly labeled.
5. What are the steps you will take to justify the new information  system initiative? What must be considered for Swift? How will you  assess the financial implications? What is the impact on the AIS of  globalization and a multinational business presence?
6. How will appropriate and effective use of technology for managing  the accounting and financial information flows and presentation be  affected?
7. Evaluate the threats and risks associated with the accounting information system for Swift.

Prepare a PowerPoint presentation along with an executive summary to  be delivered to the CEO and CIO which includes the information in 1-7  above. Be creative in your slides by incorporating charts, graphs,  and/or artwork. Your PowerPoint presentation should begin with an  introduction as to why the project is being considered, and conclude  with the value of the project. Incorporate slide notes where needed.  Include an APA formatted reference slide and in-text citing where  appropriate.

Whether you plan to serve as a leader or not, it is beneficial to identify your leadership style. At some point in your life or career, you may be faced with leading a project, directing a social group, or providing some oversight for an initiative personally or professionally. Knowing your leadership style can help you to recognize your response and approach to situations and hone the skills that could better the situation. Complete the leadership style assessment: What’s Your Leadership Style? (results are at the bottom of this.) Then:

• Develop a PowerPoint presentation.

• Include the following assignment points:

1. Summarize your assessment outcomes and leadership style. a. You can include charts, figures, or graphs if you choose

2. Describe how your leadership style benefits you personally and/or professionally.

3. Summarize the pros and cons for this leadership type

4. Use one or more articles or credible sources from the CSU-Global library to support your ideas, assertions, and claims.

leadership style interpretation:

You lean toward a democratic or participative style of leadership. You tend to set the parameters for the work and have the final say on decisions, but you actively involve your team members in the process.

This style can build trust between you and your people, as they’ll likely feel engaged and valued. But it’s not great in a high-pressure situation that requires a fast turnaround, as it will slow you down. And, if you dislike disagreement or conflict, you might struggle with how people respond to consultation. Read more below

Resources: Microsoft Excel®, DAT565_v3_Wk6_Data_File

Scenario: A city’s administration isn’t driven by the goal of maximizing revenues or profits but instead looks at improving the quality of life of its residents. Many American cities are confronted with high traffic and congestion. Finding parking spaces, whether in the street or a parking lot, can be time consuming and contribute to congestion. Some cities have rolled out data-driven parking space management to reduce congestion and make traffic more fluid.

You’re a data analyst working for a mid-size city that has anticipated significant increments in population and car traffic. The city is evaluating whether it makes sense to invest in infrastructure to count and report the number of parking spaces available at the different parking lots downtown. This data would be collected and processed in real-time, feeding an app that motorists can access to find parking space availability in different parking lots throughout the city.

Instructions: Work with the provided Excel database. This database has the following columns:

• LotCode: A unique code that identifies the parking lot
• LotCapacity: A number with the respective parking lot capacity
• LotOccupancy: A number with the current number of cars in the parking lot
• TimeStamp: A day/time combination indicating the moment when occupancy was measured
• Day: The day of the week corresponding to the TimeStamp
• Insert a new column, OccupancyRate, recording occupancy rate as a percentage with one decimal. For instance, if the current LotOccupancy is 61 and LotCapacity is 577, then the OccupancyRate would be reported as 10.6 (or 10.6%).
• Using the OccupancyRate and Day columns, construct box plots for each day of the week. You can use Insert > Insert Statistic Chart >Box and Whisker for this purpose. Is the median occupancy rate approximately the same throughout the week? If not, which days have lower median occupancy rates? Which days have higher median occupancy rates? Is this what you expected?
• Using the OccupancyRate and LotCode columns,construct box plots for each parking lot. You can use Insert > Insert Statistic Chart >Box and Whisker for this purpose. Do all parking lots experience approximately equal occupancy rates?Are some parking lots more frequented than others? Is this what you expected?
• Select any 2 parking lots. For each one, prepare as catter plot showing occupancy rate against TimeStamp for the week 11/20/2016 –11/26/2016. Are occupancy rates time dependent? If so, which times seem to experience highest occupancy rates? Is this what you expected?

Presentation: 

Create a 10- to 12-slide presentation with speaker notes and audio. Your audience is the City Council members who are responsible for deciding whether the city invests in resources to set in motion the smart parking space app.

Complete the following in your presentation:

• Outline the rationale and goals of the project.
• Utilize boxplots showing the occupancy rates for each day of the week. Include your interpretation of results.
• Utilize box plots showing the occupancy rates for each parking lot. Include your interpretation of results.
• Provide scatter plots showing occupancy rate against time of day of your selected four parking lots. Include your interpretation of results.
• Make a recommendation about continuing with the implementation of this project.