This is a TurnItIn proctored INDIVIDUAL Learning Assignment and is worth 100 points

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Module 6, Individual Case Analysis – Drout Advertising Research Project

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Dear International Data Analytics for Business Executives:

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Please read the following Data Analytics for Business case assigned for this Learning Module and please analyze and answer the Assignment(s) requested in this Case Anal

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An important aspect of business analytics is good communication. Write up your answers to this case formally in a well-written report as if you were a consultant to 

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Finally, please answer ALL Questions and Sections of this Data Analytics for Business Case with great detail AND STEP BY STEP being extremely methodical and accurate in your answers. It is extremely important that for each Question and Section, you write the entire question and you LABEL and/or PLACE the appropriate headings and subheadings clearly for EACH part of the question and/or section.

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Please address, analyze, and discuss in great detail and thoroughly support and explain the what’s, how’s, and why’s of each of your answers. 

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I expect high caliber Case Analysis Reports with top analyses and interesting insights!! If you have any questions, please let me know. I am here to help.

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Learning Assignment Guidelines

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Case Analysis Written Report:

This document should be a typed professional written report in Word and PDF format with a 1.5 max line space, a suitable font such as Times Roman or Calibri of 12 point maximum, and left, right, top, bottom margins of .8 inches maximum.

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** No Word and PDF format documents:  No grading.

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Please submit your Case Analysis Written Report and YOUR OWN Business Data Analytics Case Analysis EXCEL model(s) files.

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** No Case Analysis Written Report and YOUR OUR OWN Business Data Analytics Case Analysis EXCEL model(s) files:  No grading.

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TurnItIn Originality Score Index

Case Analysis Reports with a TurnItIn Originality Score Index:

* Orange (50-74% similarity index) and/or Red (75-100% similarity index) 

will NOT be graded and will be reviewed and assess for potential

Academic Dishonesty misconduct.

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Using APA Style and Tips in Writing

You can find several readings and support material for your writing learning assignments and APA Style use at our Canvas Learning Management System section:

Course Content: 1.2 Using APA Style and Tips in Writing

Assignment Content

1. Resources: Pastas R Us, Inc. Database & Microsoft Excel®, Wk 1: Descriptive Statistics Analysis Assignment

   Purpose 
   This assignment is intended to help you learn how to apply statistical methods when analyzing operational data, evaluating the performance of current marketing strategies, and recommending actionable business decisions. This is an opportunity to build critical-thinking and problem-solving skills within the context of data analysis and interpretation. You’ll gain a first-hand understanding of how data analytics supports decision-making and adds value to an organization.

   Scenario: 
   Pastas R Us, Inc. is a fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in noodle-based dishes, soups, and salads. Since its inception, the business development team has favored opening new restaurants in areas (within a 3-mile radius) that satisfy the following demographic conditions:

   • Median age between 25 – 45 years old
   • Household median income above national average
   • At least 15% college educated adult population
   • Last year, the marketing department rolled out a Loyalty Card strategy to increase sales. Under this program, customers present their Loyalty Card when paying for their orders and receive some free food after making 10 purchases.

     The company has collected data from its 74 restaurants to track important variables such as average sales per customer, year-on-year sales growth, sales per sq. ft., Loyalty Card usage as a percentage of sales, and others. A key metric of financial performance in the restaurant industry is annual sales per sq. ft. For example, if a 1200 sq. ft. restaurant recorded $2 million in sales last year, then it sold $1,667 per sq. ft.

     Executive management wants to know whether the current expansion criteria can be improved. They want to evaluate the effectiveness of the Loyalty Card marketing strategy and identify feasible, actionable opportunities for improvement. As a member of the analytics department, you’ve been assigned the responsibility of conducting a thorough statistical analysis of the company’s available database to answer executive management’s questions.

     Report:
     Write a 750-word statistical report that includes the following sections:

   • Section 1: Scope and descriptive statistics
   • Section 2: Analysis
   • Section 3: Recommendations and Implementation
   • Section 1 – Scope and descriptive statistics
   • State the report’s objective.
   • Discuss the nature of the current database. What variables were analyzed?
   • Summarize your descriptive statistics findings from Excel. Use a table and insert appropriate graphs.
   • Section 2 – Analysis 
   • Using Excel, create scatter plots and display the regression equations for the following pairs of variables:
   • “BachDeg%” versus “Sales/SqFt”
   • “MedIncome” versus “Sales/SqFt”
   • “MedAge” versus “Sales/SqFt”
   • “LoyaltyCard(%)” versus “SalesGrowth(%)”
   • In your report, include the scatter plots. For each scatter plot, designate the type of relationship observed (increasing/positive, decreasing/negative, or no relationship) and determine what you can conclude from these relationships.
   • Section 3: Recommendations and implementation
   • Based on your findings above, assess which expansion criteria seem to be more effective.Could any expansion criterion be changed or eliminated? If so, which one and why?
   • Based on your findings above, does it appear as if the Loyalty Card is positively correlated with sales growth? Would you recommend changing this marketing strategy?
   • Based on your previous findings, recommend marketing positioning that targets a specific demographic. (Hint: Are younger people patronizing the restaurants more than older people?)
   • Indicate what information should be collected to track and evaluate the effectiveness of your recommendations. How can this data be collected? (Hint: Would you use survey/samples or census?)
   • Cite references to support your assignment.

     Format your citations according to APA guidelines.

     Submit your assignment. 

      

  Discussion Board Forum Instructions

In Modules/Weeks 3, 4, 6, and 8, you will participate in a Discussion Board Forum based on concepts from the required reading for a given module/week, organizational situations from your own current, professional experience, and your own research. Each forum is completed in 2 parts: a thread and 2 replies to classmates’ threads. Below are the general requirements for each forum.

Note: The audio PointeCast lessons that are required for citing in both posts are not to be confused with the PowerPoint summaries from the textbook. Also, remember that a major theme of these lessons is how the biblical idea of covenant can provide a solid foundation for organizational leadership and behavior. When you cite them, make sure you build upon that major theme and apply it to the ideas in your posts.

Thread: Find a business problem from your own professional work experience or from peer-reviewed journal articles and apply 2 concepts in your thread from the required reading for that module/week. Each thread must be 500–750 words.

The following 4 sources must be included in your thread:

• The textbook;
• At least 1 peer-reviewed      journal article;
• 1 passage of Scripture;      and
• At least 1 reference from      the lesson presentation found in the corresponding modules/weeks in a      manner that captures the essential ideas of those lessons.

If you choose to research a professional situation, you must cite all sources you used in current APA format.

Replies: Provide 2 thoughtful replies to the threads of classmates. Each reply must include an analysis of your classmates’ threads, based on any experience from your own professional career (if applicable) that might be relevant. All replies must be 200–250 words. Also, be sure to integrate the required reading in a logical and relevant manner.

You must cite:

• The textbook or at least      1 peer-reviewed journal article;
• 1 passage of Scripture;      and
• The audio lesson      presentation.

Submit your thread by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday of the assigned module/week, and submit your replies by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of the same module/week.

The only exception for the Sunday deadline will be discussion forum 4 in the final week of class, which will end on Friday. Peer replies will be due Friday 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the final day of class in Module 8.

Kristin Hamaker 

Preserving a Positive Organizational Climate through Change_DB2 

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Preserving a Positive Organizational Climate through Change

Virtuousness represents “what individuals and organizations aspire to be when they are at their very best” (Kinicki & Fugate, 2018, p. 281). Individuals, teams, and organizations must be at their very best amidst change to preserve a positive organizational climate.

“Organizational climate reflects employees’ beliefs about what they see going on at work and what is happening to them” (Kinicki & Fugate, 2018, p. 279). The employees’ perceptions of the climate or environment around them can range from inspiring (positive) to devastating (negative). An example of a negative climate is an organization supporting an abusive leader. An abusive leader can breed fear, negativity, and low performance. On the other hand, an organization that celebrates the heart and work of a virtuous leader and individuals will create a positive perception of the organizational climate.

The foundation for creating a great workplace and an environment for everyone to do their very best is the building of high-quality relationships. What is one way that can help build high-quality relationships? I believe it starts with a virtuous leader. “Virtuous leaders are more focused on the greater good than on self-interest” (Kinicki & Fugate, 2018, p. 281). The four components that make a virtuous leader are a focus on the greater good, trust, integrity, and forgiveness. Virtuous leaders treat everyone with honor, dignity, and respect. This type of leadership must be voluntary and have the overarching purpose of doing good. Having a Covenant perspective can help any leader become a virtuous leader. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians, 4:29-32 New International Version). When a team is led by a virtuous leader, they help breed virtuous aspirations to the individuals in the group – “authentic leaders set high standards for moral and ethical behavior, they nurture honesty, integrity, and trust within the team, developing positive/upward spirals within the team, making it more virtuous (Rego, Vitoria, Magalhaes, Ribeiro, & Pina e Cunha, 2013).

When a new team is formed through an organizational restructure, a positive climate can be attainable through the aspiration of virtuousness, both through the leader and the individuals on the team. When the new team has both virtuous aspirations and a Covenant perspective, they can safeguard the overall group process. We learned in the audio lesson presentation that “mutual accountability, Hesed, affirms individuals to affirm the group. Hesed also helps with a smoother integration of the group process (forming-storming-norming-performing-adjourning)” (Fischer, 2012). Through mutual accountability and virtuous behaviors (focus on the greater good, trust, integrity, and forgiveness), the group can achieve high performance at a faster pace than groups that might not have virtuous aspirations and a Covenant perspective. The organizational output of virtuous leadership (and teamwork, in my opinion) can be an increase in financial performance, customer satisfaction, organizational climate, and subjective measures of organizational effectiveness one to two years later” (Kinicki & Fugate, 2018, p. 281).

References: 

Ephesians. (n.d.). Ephesians 4:29-32. Bible

Fischer, K. (2012). BMAL 500 Audio Lecture Series. Lynchburg, VA, United States of America.

Kinicki, A., & Fugate, M. (2018). Organizational Behavior. New York: McGraw Hill Education.

Rego, A., Vitoria, A., Magalhaes, A., Ribeiro, N., & Pina e Cunha, M. (2013). Are authentic leaders associated with more virtuous, committed and potent teams? The Leadership Quarterly, 61-79.

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Kelly Kennie 

Building trust

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One of the biggest challenges I have faced at my current job is building trust. In the last five years the laboratory has had several different directors and supervisors. Most off these employees only stayed four months to a year. When those in a position of leadership are not committed to the organization it becomes hard for followers to trust them. In this case most of the employees believed that in time, just like the previous leaders, the new leaders would simply give up and leave. I found a great deal of insight when reading about group forming and trust building. 

There are three forms of trust described in chapter eight. Contractual trust is the trust of character, communication trust is the trust of disclosure, and competence trust is trust of capability (Kinicki &Fugate 2018). One of the first things new leadership did in the laboratory was establish expectations of one another. They build contractual trust making it clear that the new leadership was there to lead, there would be change, and that the only way they could change for the better is if everyone worked together. Communication trust was built through daily huddles where leadership would inform the entire staff of any changes that would be taking place and as ask for input or concerns. Staff members felt included, valued, and engaged in the decision making and implementation of change. Finally, competence trust was built by showing the team that the leadership staff is able and willing to do the work. Within a week of arriving the new director was able to find qualified traveling technologists that would temporarily help alleviate short staffed shifts while permanent positions could be filled. I provided the staff with a training schedule to guide them to effectively train new staff members. The director and I were able to show staff members that we were competent enough to make positive changes that would provide solutions to problems within the lab.  once some trust is established, it is necessary to build upon it.

           Respect is an effective way of building and maintaining trust through delegation (Kinicki & Fugate 2018) and has also proved to be successful within my organization. As a supervisor there are many tasks I am responsible for which my employees are fully capable of performing. Rather than taking over all tasks I share my responsibilities, oversee, and encourage my employees to complete these tasks successfully. Truly delegating responsibilities and giving people the autonomy to make decisions builds trusts and empowers (Fisher). Through empowerment I can help develop employee’s skills and share knowledge that will contribute to their success. There is a positive relationship between trust and employee engagement (Engelbrecht, Heine, & Mahembe, 2017). Not only am I showing my employees I trust them, but I also believe in their ability to accomplish these tasks which improved self-efficacy. Employees feel they can achieve goals and put forth more effort into organizational goals. Building trust though delegation has improved employee engagement within my organization. 

Employees need to trust leaders, but they also need to trust each other in order to increase team effectiveness. A positive climate of trust within team members is built through positive conflict resolution and supportive leaders. This allows employees to remain focused on the tasks rather than being worried about their standing within the organization or others (Fisher). In order to build this climate there needs to be a degree of fairness where leaders remain objective and ethical. Proverbs 29:2 says, “when the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” It is important as leaders to stay righteous, authentic, and ethical in order to be trusted. When leaders treat members of the team equally and fair they can better solve conflicts and build cohesiveness within the group. Leaders who are ethical and genuinely care for followers will display fairness towards employees and treat them with respect; in return employees will have confidence, belief, and trust in their leader (Engelbrecht et al., 2017). When leaders thrive in righteousness followers will rejoice, trust is built, and success is achieved. It is in the leader’s best interest to remain ethical and fair. Proverbs 21:21 tells us, “whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.” Maintaining fairness helps foster teamwork and trust between members and between leaders and followers. Building trust is an important first step to succeeding in creating a team that will ultimately lead to achievement of organizational goals and successful leadership. 

References

Engelbrecht, A. S., Heine, G., & Mahembe, B. (2017). Integrity, ethical leadership, trust and work engagement. Leadership & Organization Development Journal,38(3), 368-379. doi:10.1108/lodj-11-2015-0237

Fischer, K. (n.d). Lesson 4: Group Behavior and Work Teams [PowerPoint Slide]. Retrieved July 24, 2018, from https://learn.liberty.edu/bbcswebdav/courses/BMAL500_D09_201830/Presentations/Module%204/Reading%20%26%20Study/Lesson%204%20presentation/4-Group_Behavior/index.html

Kinicki, A., & Fugate, M. (2018). Organizational behavior: A practical, problem-solving approach. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

Proverbs. (2011). In Holy bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

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Choose a poem in Chapter 12 or in the Exploring Gender album.

Prompt: Write an essay in which you show how and why the speaker experiences a conflict between particular ways of looking or being. Also look at how the speaker’s attitude toward, or thoughts about, something or how our vision of the speaker’s character changes over the course of a poem. Be sure to clearly identify the speaker’s conflict and what changed during the poem.

Your postings will be reviewed according to the following criteria:

• Writing well-developed paragraphs relevant to the prompt(s) (minimum 300 words).
• Be sure that your thesis is explicit and supported with one to two quotations from the literature.
• Do not write in first or second person.
• Replying to two of your classmates with meaningful responses with a minimum of 30 words (do not simply write “I agree. I like what you’ve written.”)
• Following the rules of Standard English. Please proofread your writing before clicking the ‘submit’ button!
• When you include a quotation from the literature in your mini-essay, please place an in-text citation (also called a parenthetical citation) immediately after you close the quotation marks and before you place a period at the end of your sentence. That way, anyone in the class (including me!) can easily find the quotation in the literature if necessary. If you’re not sure what to place inside the parentheses, there is instruction in the textbook in Chapter 34- Quotation, Citation, and Documentation. 
• When you include in-text citations, there must be a Works Cited listing at the bottom of your post.
• Be sure to follow the “Quote Sandwich” when you insert quotations.

The Changeling” by Judith Ortiz Cofer

    Judith Ortiz Cofer was born in Puerto Rico in 1952.  As a child, she only spoke Spanish.  She moved to the United States as a child and has spent much time in Georgia.  She is a poet, novelist and essayist.  Her primary focus is Hispanic American culture. She is best known for her creative non-fiction.
The Changeling
As a young girl
vying for my father’s attention,
I invented a game that made him look up
from his reading and shake his head
as if both baffled and amused.

In my brother’s closet, I’d change
into his dungarees — the rough material
molding me into boy shape; hide
my long hair under an army helmet
he’d been given by Father, and emerge
transformed into the legendary Ché
of grown-up talk.

Strutting around the room,
I’d tell of life in the mountains,
of carnage and rivers of blood,
and of manly feasts with rum and music
to celebrate victories para la libertad.
He would listen with a smile
to my tales of battles and brotherhood
until Mother called us to dinner.

She was not amused
by my transformations, sternly forbidding me
from sitting down with them as a man.
She’d order me back to the dark cubicle
that smelled of adventure, to shed
my costume, to braid my hair furiously
with blind hands, and to return invisible,
as myself,
to the real world of her kitchen.

The narrative poem entitled The Changeling by Judith Ortiz Cofer allows the reader to have a glimpse into interactions between a father and a daughter.  The speaker in this poem is a young girl as she tells us about a game she made up to gain her father’s attention.  By transforming herself into a male by putting on her brother’s dungarees and a helmet, she was able to have her father put down his reading and capture his attention momentarily.   With taking on the persona of Ernesto “Che” Guevera (a Cuban revolutionary leader) and telling stories of make-believe battles and adventures, the speaker challenges the typical role women have in society.  While her father was rather amused by her antics, her mother was not.  Her mother seemed to have strong feelings concerning the role of women.  To her, a woman’s place was in the kitchen.
The title of this poem (The Changeling) reflects the make-believe world of children and their tendency to role play.  The poem is written in free verse.  It does not contain rhyme or any particular rhythm.  It is written in first person.  Certain phrases stand alone, which makes them stand out;  i.e., “as myself” (line 28).  The mood of this poem is rather sad in that the girl has to pretend to be someone else in order to get her father’s attention.  There is a sense that the girl feels lonely and almost abandoned by her father.  On the other hand, the speaker shows us an impish side to her that is imaginative and playful.    There is an undertone in the poem that suggests the speaker wants to branch off and discover/ be a part of things outside of the traditional view of “little girls.”  
 

For Part I of your Final Project, you will comprehensively evaluate an article of your choice that reports on a qualitative study. (Remember, a study that uses qualitative methods utilizes data that is not numerical.) Locate an article in the professional literature that addresses a topic you are interested in. Use the Area of Interest interactive (Links to an external site.) to assist you with this process. The article you select should describe a qualitative study and should have all or most of the expected sections, either with their own headings or embedded in the article, including: Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, Results, and Discussion.

In writing your evaluation of the article, you will use the information in Section 3.3 in your text. Do not simply tell what is in the article, but evaluate it using the questions in your text. Explain and justify your evaluation based on specific examples from the article.

Your paper should be 2100-2800 words (not counting the title, abstract and reference pages) and comprehensively evaluate an article of a qualitative study. Use proper APA formatting and good writing and organization in your evaluation paper.

In addition to your 2100-2800 word paper, upload a .pdf copy of the article to the Waypoint dropbox.

The following questions may help you in evaluating your articles, though you do not have to follow this format exactly. Be sure not to format your review as a Q/A list of responses. Rather construct a cohesive narrative focused on key themes in the literature.

1. Evaluate the Introduction and Literature Review.
   • Do the researchers present an adequate rationale for conducting the study? Explain.
   • What is the significance of the study?  What difference will it make to the field?
   • Is the literature review thorough and comprehensive?
   • Do the researchers demonstrate any potential biases in the literature review?
   • Are all important concepts clearly defined by the researchers?
   • Do the researchers clearly describe previous methods that are relevant to understanding the purpose for conducting this study?
2. Evaluate the Purpose Statement.
   • Does the article clearly state the purpose statement?
   • What is the purpose statement as expressed in the article?
   • Is the purpose statement clearly based on the argument developed in the literature review?
3. Evaluate the Methods Section.
   • Is a particular qualitative research design used (ethnography, case study, etc.)?  If so, what is it?
   • Is the research design consistent with the purpose presented in the introduction?
   • Did the researcher introduce any bias in the procedures used?
   • What type of sampling method is used?  Is that appropriate?
   • Are relevant demographic characteristics of the sample clearly identified?
   • Do the methods of sample selection used by the researchers provide a good representative sample, based on the population?
   • Are there any apparent biases in selection of the sample?
   • Is the sample size large enough for the study proposed?
   • What data collection method was used in the study (such as direct observation, interviews, survey)?
   • Is there an adequate description of the interview protocol or other instruments used?
   • What biases or limitations might there be in the data collection method?
4. Evaluate the Results Section.
   • How were the qualitative data analyzed?
   • Is the analysis method clearly described?
   • In describing the results, are concrete examples of the data clearly linked to identified themes, concepts, and/or theories?  Are these examples adequate?
5. Evaluate the Discussion Section.
   • Do the researchers clearly restate the purpose and research questions?
   • Do the researchers clearly discuss the implications of the findings and how they relate to theories, other findings, and actual practice?
   • Do the researchers identify potential limitations of the study and the results?
   • Do the researchers identify possible directions for future research?
6. Remaining Questions.
   • What aspects of qualitative methods do you still find challenging?
   • Was there any information in the above list that you were not able to find in the article you chose?