Introduction to International Business

/in /by

 Germany is the largest manufacturer of automobiles in the European Union with market reaching a value of $54.02 billion (Data monitor, 2004). It is home to the BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen cars which are world famous for their innovation and quality. The automobile industry is the largest contributor to the German economy. According to the figures of VDA (2010), the production of German vehicles was 6.0 million in 2008 and 5.2 million in 2009, which puts it at the top among other European countries. The German automobile industry is also an important employment sector. According to the data from ACEA (2010), around 1.4 million people work in the automotive sectors or related sectors in Germany. While lacking in natural resources, Germany holds other advantages to maintain its competitiveness in the automobile industry in Europe. Highly educated, qualified and motivated employees are the crucial part of its factor conditions. Germany overcame its lack of natural resources by developing advanced factors conditions. Education in Germany is relevant to local industry requirements, particularly in science and hightechnology. German workers are better educated in theoretical and technical knowledge, which enhances their skills in practice in specific technical fields. The German automotive industry is well known for its related and supporting industries. For example, the region around the city of Stuttgart is the core of MercedesBenz and its suppliers. The other related industries near BMW’s facility in Regensburg and similarly for Volkswagen are good examples. All these leading brands in automobile manufacturing have benefited from their industrial clusters. The suppliers around automakers’ areas are supported by smaller components providers, such as metal, plastic, iron and steel producers. Buyers and suppliers reinforce each other to enhance their respective industries. Therefore, there are various opportunities for buyers and suppliers to cooperate regarding new productions and improving them, which improves the competitiveness of the particular industry. The availability of cars of high quality, innovative products and excellent service of the German automobile industry has earned its customer’s loyalty. German automakers pay attention to the international market and their dominance is embodied in dealing with the relationships among industry, strategy and firm performance. Furthermore, in a recent International Motor Show, among 100 automotive manufacturers, there were 55 companies from Germany, which proves its competitiveness in the automobile industry. Germany’s automotive industry is faced with a challenging and demanding domestic market. The number of consumers in the German market is the highest in the European Union. German consumers are willing to buy larger, better equipped and higher valued automobiles. As a result, Germany focuses on higher value, high quality automobiles that are globally renowned. 3 The German automobile firms are required to face international competition independently, while the government plays a vital role in industrial advancement. The automobile manufacturing requires technicians and scientists to continuously improve product quality and the German government supports the industry in terms of education system and policies to develop industry-relevant workforce and research investment funding. Germany suffered hardships and great losses due to the two world wars. Yet the positive effects outweighed the negative as Germany made great achievements in post-war industrial competition. Porter (1998. p.179) mentioned that the wars created opportunities for Germany in producing high technology products and complex components. Hofstede (1983) holds that national and regional cultures influence management, involving multinational, multicultural organisations in both public and private sectors. The German automobile companies are very efficiently managed. The competitive advantages like technology can be duplicated by other companies, whereas culture is the unique characteristic of a nation or a company. Therefore, the culture also can be a factor of competitiveness. 

(Source: https: www.grin.com, accessed 11 Apr 2021) 

Note: Read Unit 3, section 3.1 on International Trade Theories and focus on Michael Porter’s National Competitive Advantage Theory (Diamond Theory). 

As much as possible, use your own words. 

Question 1 should be a general explanation of the National Competitive Advantage Theory using appropriate examples. 

Question 2 should be focused on the analysis of the German automobile industry as discussed in the case study based on the National Competitive Advantage Theory. 

Question 1 Explain using suitable examples, Michael Porter’s National Competitive Advantage Theory.  (50 marks) 

Question 2 Based on the National Competitive Advantage Theory, analyse the German automotive industry.  (50 marks) 

Jane the Tutor

/in /by

Assignment 2: Interview a Human Service Professional

In this assignment, you will explore the extent of training and education a chosen health care provider has in listening skills. You can compare your findings with those of your classmates to see the differences that may exist between different professional groups. You may be surprised by the results that you find.

Tasks:

For this assignment, you are to conduct a thirty-minute interview (an ideal interview would be in person or via the telephone, but an e-mail or chat-based interview is also acceptable) with a human service professional (for example, a social worker, community-organizational professional, or a counselor). The focus of the interview should be on the person’s training and education in listening skills. Ask questions to determine whether he or she has had formal training in listening as well as what specific strategies he or she uses to effectively listen to patients or clients.

In addition to your interview, use your textbook, the Argosy University online library resources, and the Internet to conduct research on how listening skills impact and are critical to a client-patient relationship.

Submission Details:

  • By the due date assigned, prepare a 3- to 4-page paper. Your response should rely upon at least two sources from professional literature. This may include the Argosy University online library resources, relevant textbooks, peer-reviewed journal articles, and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or institutions (.edu, .org, or .gov). Write in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources (i.e., APA format); and use accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Integrative and Analytical Tools

/in /by

 

Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board  area, write 600–800 words that respond to the following questions with  your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for  future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use  examples to reinforce your ideas.

As you close your weekly meeting with Deborah, she says, “There are  some very good ideas here. I would like to see you continue with a  global marketing plan. We need more concrete analysis and data for the  presentation. Get your team to work.”

After your meeting with Deborah, you briefly meet with your team to discuss moving toward a more formal analysis. 

“Tiffany and Mike, we need to provide a more detailed analysis,” you  explain. “You’ve done a great job so far looking at what resources we  need and potential countries, but we need to really dig deeper on this.”

Tiffany nods her head in agreement. “Definitely,” she says. “We need  to look at some internal variables as well as political, environmental,  sociocultural, and technological environments of the countries that we  are considering.”

Mike interjects, “Well, that’s something we should consider, but it’s  not the only way to analyze this type of project. This is such a big  decision, and we need to give as much information as we can.”

You reply, “Great point, Mike. We should look at this from a couple of different angles.”

The next step in your strategic marketing plan is to determine the  tools that are needed to conduct an analysis of the industry and  competitors. Complete the following:

  • What are the best tools to use in this situation?  
    • Provide a brief summary of at least 2 of these tools. 
  • Why do you think these are the best ways to analyze the market?  
  • How will you use these tools in your plan? 

Evaluation

/in /by

applying the concepts learned throughout this course to an analysis of a merger or an acquisition. Much of the information you will need to complete this analysis can be found in the company’s annual report. You may choose any recent merger or acquisition (within the last 5 years). Using the concepts from this course, you will analyze the success of the merger or acquisition. Should include the information listed below.

  • Provide an introduction to the companies involved in the merger or acquisition. Include the companies’ background information and the reasons for the merger.
  • Evaluate the financial statements of both companies (balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement).
  • Evaluate the potential and actual risks that occurred during the merger and what the companies could have done differently to mitigate these risks.
  • Discuss the companies’ management of human capital in the merger or acquisition.
  • Evaluate the soundness of the company’s financial policies after the merger (e.g., capital structure, debt, leverage, dividend policy, enterprise risk management, and others.) based on the material covered during class.
  • Include a synopsis of your findings, including your recommendations and rationale for whether the merger or acquisition was beneficial to both companies and your recommendation on best 
  •  three pages in length, not counting the title and reference pages. Support your findings and recommendations with evidence from the annual report and at least five scholarly sources, such as the textbook, industry reports 

octopus vs the volcano

/in /by

Option #2

1) Octopus vs. The Volcano

https://www.netflix.com/title/80066073

Werner Herzog is one of the most famous working documentary filmmakers in the world.

Let’s check out his film, Into the Inferno (2016), as a way to compare/contrast with MY OCTOPUS TEACHER and understand the unique documentary approach(es) of films in the early 21st Century.

5 pages:

TO DO–

Take as your starting point Herzog’s claim that–

“There was a scientific side to our journey… but what we were chasing was the magic…”

Question: 

In what ways do you see both science AND magic in MY OCTOPUS TEACHER and INTO THE INFERNO… ?  Why do you think films like this are being made in the 21st century when we’ve all become so advanced? fast-paced? and technological (haven’t we?)….

Your paper should

1) COMPARE/CONTRAST how these documentaries approach their material…

Are their styles similar or different? 

Speak to shots, voice over/narration, but also the way the films communicate to us…

are these in search of scientific realities or something more? Make sure to emphasize specific scenes from both works.

2) COMPARE/CONTRAST style of storytelling
We think of documentaries as “objective,” but in fact they are stories… with beginnings, middles and ends, conflicts, complications, and resolutions.

Considering them both as stories, which is most effective in speaking to the audience and why? 

What are the most effective parts of both stories? In what ways do you see them reflecting our age as a kind of mirror screen?

Organizations and Social Change

/in /by

Assignment Instructions

Assignment 1:  Organizations and Social Change, Multimedia assignment.

For this assignment, you will prepare a presentation on an organization currently involved in social change.  This can be a local, national, or global organization and an organization in which you have membership or is of interest to you.  You can use presentation software/programs such as Prezi, Kaltura, Powerpoint, Keynote, or Youtube.  Many of these programs offer free basic membership.  Please contact the instructor if you would like to use another program for the assignment.  Be creative in the assignment–you can include audio and/or video clips from meetings, media coverage, or of yourself, graphs, images, links, etc.  The presentation should be creative and visually appealing as well as incorporate each of the following components:

1. Address your interest in the selected organization or group as well as describe the group itself. 

2.  Next, view the website, social media outlets, etc. for the group and attend a local meeting if possible.  How is this group related to social change?  How do they gain members/support?  Remember that you can include images, links, etc. in your presentation.

3.  Describe their mission and methods. 

4.  Next, analyze the group using one of the theoretical perspectives in the textbook.  Address the kind of change, level of change, causes of change (internal vs. external), and intentions (from Chapter 1). 

5.  What has been the impact of the group at the local/national level? 

6.  Finally, incorporate at least two peer-reviewed, scholarly sources that also address the particular type of social change that you are examining. 

A link can be submitted instead of an uploaded assignment if applicable based on the program used.  Submit in the “Assignments” section of the classroom.  

This course has “Resubmission” status enabled to help you if you realize you submitted an incorrect or blank file, or if you need to submit multiple documents as part of your Assignment.  Resubmission of an Assignment after it is graded, to attempt a better grade, is not permitted.

***DISCLAIMER: “Originality of attachments will be verified by Turnitin. Both you and your instructor will receive the results.”***

***NO PLAGIARISM****

MGT 3002 Week 1 project

/in /by

Evaluating Employee Characteristics

This course has major project assignments due in Week 3 and Week 5. It will take more than a week’s effort to adequately complete them. Plan time to start the research and work on those assignments earlier than the week in which they are due.

Evaluating Employee Characteristics

Some research studies (Ilies & Judge, 2003; Saari & Judge, 2004) report that genetics play a very important part in whether an employee has a high level of job satisfaction. Their work suggests that the attitudes, personality, and values that a person brings to the workplace are better predictors of whether the employee will be satisfied than any of the external factors a company or manager might provide the employee. In fact, their studies indicate that a person with high satisfaction will generally report being highly satisfied, no matter the situation within the company. Similarly, a person who reports low satisfaction will consistently report low satisfaction, no matter what the company may do to increase the employee’s satisfaction.

If these studies are correct, then there would seem to be some rationality in only hiring applicants with positive personalities.

In this assignment, you will develop a ten item survey that will be given to all applicants at your company. The purpose of this survey is to determine whether the applicant is a positive or negative person. First determine what attitudes, personality characteristics, and values you want to look for based upon your reading and research. You may ask up to nine questions to determine those individual characteristics. Let question ten ask whether the applicant is satisfied with the company.

Once you’ve completed your survey, write a well-researched, convincing paper to be read by your company’s head of the Human Resources Department in which you do the following:

  • Analyze how personality, values, and attitudes contribute to an employee’s satisfaction. Include support from your reading and research.
  • Justify why you chose to include the questions you did. Explain how each question will contribute to determining whether the applicant is a positive person.
  • Include your full survey as an appendix to your paper.

Submission Details:

  • Submit your plan in a 3- to 4-page Microsoft Word document, using APA style.
  • Name your document SU_MGT3002_W1_LastName_FirstInitial.doc.
  • Submit your document to the Submissions Area by the due date assigned.

References:

Ilies, R., & Judge, T. (2003). On the heritability of job satisfaction: The mediating role of personality. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(4), pp. 750–759.
Saari, L., & Judge, T. (2004). Employee attitudes and job satisfaction. Human
           Resource Management, 43(4), pp. 395–407.

You will receive feedback and suggestions from your facilitator.

Note: On the basis of the suggestions and feedback from your facilitator, refine your work for the course project going forward. If additional input is needed from your facilitator, please arrange for a consultation.

Healthcare Proposal

/in /by

Scenario

The United States continues to experience challenges with respect to health reform. There is considerable agreement on the need for health reform; however, there is an appreciable divide with respect to how to best achieve reform. Discussions on strategies for reform include a repeal of current legislation (the ACA), the implementation of a universal plan, and various “fixes” to the ACA.

Many would suggest that a repeal of the current system would be most appropriate, while others support efforts to “fix” the current ACA. The health organization you work for has asked you to develop a comprehensive proposal for healthcare reform.

The U.S. expends more of its Gross Domestic Product on healthcare than any other developed nation. However, the superior amount of spending has not resulted in superior outcomes when compared to other countries. In addition to higher costs, the U.S. is the only developed country that does not offer universal health to its citizens. There has been a significant amount of discourse with respect to the pros and cons of universal coverage. Those who oppose universal coverage often refer to the Canadian, single-payer system and its challenges, such as high tax liabilities for citizens, its long wait times, and the perception of the single payer system as socialized medicine. However, those in favor of universal coverage argue that the single payer system is not socialized medicine and its costs relative to the current system in the U.S. is more cost effective. Moreover, the single payer system is only one form of universal coverage. Countries that consistently rank high in terms of positive health outcomes often employ a multi-payer universal system as opposed to a single-payer system.

Instructions

You will analyze the current literature on the health system in the U.S. Your final project will include a paper, a voiceover PowerPoint presentation, and an infographic of your proposed solution. Possible solutions include a single payer universal plan, a multi-payer universal plan, a potential enhancement to the ACA such as adding a public option, Medicare for all, or a complete repeal of the current law.

The three (3) deliverables are:

  1. A paper that includes the challenges facing the U.S. in terms of balancing the iron triangle of health – Costs, Access, and Quality. Please address the following:
    1. An examination of current policy
    2. A discussion of whether healthcare should be considered a right or a privilege
    3. A discussion of the role of special interest groups on health reform
    4. Articulate the significance of the involvement the Congressional Budget Office in determining the cost effectiveness of reform
    5. Explain the importance of considering existing privacy laws in reform efforts
    6. Describe and justify your potential solution to current challenges facing the U.S., including resource allocation
  2. A voiceover PowerPoint presentation that summarizes the major challenges facing the U.S. in terms of balancing the iron triangle of health, a comparison of various possible solutions, and your proposed solutions.
  3. An infographic that outlines your final proposed solution to the current challenges facing the U.S. in terms of balancing the iron triangle of health.

week-3-Enterprise

/in /by

no plagiarism, no grammar mistakes, minimum of 450 words 

From your research, discuss whether or not your organization(Sam’s Club ) has ISO 27001 certification. Outside of overall protection from cyber-attacks, describe, in detail, some other benefits your organization will achieve in obtaining this certification. If your company does not have this certification, how can they go about obtaining it?

Present your discussion post as if you were presenting to senior leaders of your company.

Please make your initial post and two response posts substantive. A substantive post will do at least two of the following:

After 250 words, each 100 words should be discussed addressing below 

  • Ask an interesting, thoughtful question pertaining to the topic
  • Provide extensive additional information on the topic
  • Explain, define, or analyze the topic in detail
  • Share an applicable personal experience
  • Provide an outside source (for example, an article from the UC Library) that applies to the topic, along with additional information about the topic or the source (please cite properly in APA)
  • Make an argument concerning the topic.

At least one scholarly source should be used in the initial discussion thread. Be sure to use information from your readings and other sources from the UC Library. Use proper citations and references in your post.

Business Ethics Unit III Assignment

/in /by
  1. This assignment provides you with an opportunity to create a code of ethics for you and your family, as well as to explain the strategies and thought processes that went into developing the code. First, create an original code of ethics for your family by thinking about your family as an organization. In your code of ethics, please include the following items:
    •   guiding principles,
    •   purpose of the code,
    •   core values,
    •   training and education (How will you train and educate others about the code?),
    •   definitions,
    •   who it covers,
    •   mission statement, and
    •   other pertinent elements you feel necessary to have a comprehensive code of ethics.
      The next part of this assignment involves an evaluation, where you describe the thought process behind the code of ethics that you prepared. For the evaluation part of this assignment, draft an essay to include the following items:
    •   Identify the key roles of those who have a vested interest in the ethical behavior that your code defines.
    •   Explain the strategies and thought processes that you used to formulate the code.
    •   Explain how you would strategically implement and communicate the code to others in the organization.
    •   Explain how you will monitor the practice of ethical decision-making.
    •   Provided that laws exist and have been enacted for resolving conflict, why do we also need a code of ethics?
      In the process of writing your code, you must research the topic of codes of ethics and incorporate at least two articles, no older than five years. Your code and evaluation must be at least 1,000 words. Format the code as you like; however, be sure it is professional and legible. Format the evaluation part of the assignment by using APA Style. Save both parts in one W ord document, and submit it in Blackboard for grading.
      Information about accessing the Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.