Contemporary Business 17th Edition James E Deitz ,James L Southam - Solutions

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There is a widely held belief that native apps, an application program that has been developed for use on a particular platform or device, will one day replace a company’s website. Therefore, many developers are recreating their company’s web content into an app environment. Discuss when it
As e-commerce companies make the shift to the large and growing mobile commerce (m-commerce) market of consumers accessing and shopping on their smart phones, benefits to consumers include diff erent and better deals—and discounts. However, the smaller screen size of smart phones can be one of
Conduct research to learn more about companies that have successfully utilized social media to build their brands. Consider a consumer products company, an electronics company, an automobile company, or an airline. Discuss the various ways companies use social media, and include examples. Visit at
Visit the website http://medium.com, a blog publishing platform.Evaluate how it works, and read some of the blogs posted. Choose one blog post that you think is eff ective and one that is not. Explain your choices.
Visit your local market, hardware store, casual restaurant, or clothing store. How might the business benefit from engaging in e-commerce? What kinds of challenges might it face? If it is already online, how eff ective is its presence in your eyes as a consumer?
A survey among 650 CFOs reveals that their top priority happens to be margin and earnings performance. Margins refer to profits or the diff erence between a product’s (or service’s) selling price and the cost of production. In small groups or in pairs, and based upon the current economic
Working in a small team, select three publicly traded companies.Visit each company’s website. Most have a section devoted to information for investors. Review each company’s dividend policy.Does the company pay dividends? If so, when did it begin paying dividends? Have dividends increased each
Your new small business has really grown, but now it needs a substantial infusion of capital. A venture capital company has agreed to invest the money you need. In return, the venture capital company will own 75% of the business, and you will be replaced as CEO by someone whom the venture
Working with a partner, assume that a company needs $10 million in additional long-term capital. It currently has no debt and $40 million in equity. The options are issuing a 10-year bond (with an interest rate of 7%) or selling $10 million in new equity. You expect next year’s earnings before
Using qualitative and quantitative measures, lenders utilize a review process called the “five C’s of credit” to evaluate a borrower.They include an evaluation of the borrower’s character (trustworthiness or reputation); capacity (borrowing history and repayment track record); capital (the
Adapting the format of Figure 15.8, prepare on a sheet of paper your personal cash budget for next month. Keep in mind the following suggestions as you prepare your budget:a. Cash inflows. Your sources of cash would include your payroll earnings, if any; gift s; scholarship monies; tax refunds;
Human asset accounting, also referred to as human resource accounting, considers the value and role of people within an organization.This includes their replacement cost. How would you apply the concept of human asset accounting to Amazon and the role founder Jeff Bezos plays in the organization?
Identify two public companies operating in diff erent industries. Collect at least three years’ worth of financial statements for the firms.Calculate the financial ratios discussed in the chapter. Prepare an oral report summarizing your findings.
Using open book management, companies make it a practice to share financial and company information with employees. The risk–reward relationship is that sharing what might be sensitive information creates transparency, which encourages employees to understand financial matters and think and act
Using LinkedIn or your personal or professional network, make contact with someone who works as an accountant at a public accounting firm to set up an interview. Ask the individual what his or her educational background is, what attracted the individual to the accounting profession, and what he or
Has your computer ever been hacked or attacked by a virus?What steps did you take to recover lost files and data? What steps have you taken to prevent something similar from happening again?
A number of diff erent storage options are available for students, including Google, Dropbox, and the steadfast USB flash drive. Take a poll among students to determine which storage options they prefer. What are the benefits of each, and why have students chosen each option?Do some utilize more
Some individuals choose piracy—a form of unauthorized duplication and/or distribution of music, soft ware, art, or other copyrighted material, which includes downloading and file sharing. Some argue that piracy does not aff ect a product maker’s revenues because pirates might actually help
Think about your relationship with technology. Has technology been a time-saver, or have its benefits made your work and personal life even more stressful? Do you have extra time as a result of using technology? Discuss the ways technology is supposed to save time and create eff iciencies.
Suppose you’ve been hired to design an information system for a midsize retailer. Describe what that information system might look like, including the necessary components. Would the system be an operational support system, a management support system, or both?
Product placement is also called embedded marketing, and you’ve probably seen it in TV programming, movies, and even video games.Skipping ads has never been easier due to advances in technology, so marketers have come up with alternative ways of placing their products in various media. One way is
A “freemium” pricing model like Pandora, Dropbox, or LinkedIn off ers a basic service free of charge with the option to upgrade at a cost. It’s a common pricing strategy among web start-up companies to get users onto the site and then later to convince them to subscribe to a premium or
Evaluate outdoor advertisements by neighborhood and type—either where you live or in your college town. Include billboards, bus shelters, wall advertisements, advertisements and billboards in transit terminals, sporting arenas, and outdoor benches. Are they digital? Do you see any trends or
Evaluate the price of the product you selected in the preceding exercise. What appears to be the pricing strategy that its manufacturer used? Do you think the price is fair? Why or why not? Choose a diff erent strategy and develop a new price for the product based on your strategy.Poll your
Choose a product that you purchased recently. Identify the various media that were used to promote the product and analyze the promotional mix. Do you agree with the company’s marketing strategy? Or would you recommend changes to the mix? Why?
Choose one of the following products and select a distribution intensity for the product. Describe specifically where and how your product would be sold. Then describe the reasons for your strategy.a. line of clothing manufactured from recycled or reclaimed materialsb. custom-designed jewelryc.
Does online success as an e-commerce company automatically translate into successful brick-and-mortar commerce? Discuss and research the strategy behind Amazon’s recent decision to open retail bookstores. To date, what do results look like?
Choose one of the following products that is either in the maturity or decline stage of its life cycle (or select one of your own), and develop a marketing strategy for extending its life cycle.a. popcornb. fast-food restaurant chainc. newspaperd. MP3 playerse. paper stationery or note cards
On your own or with a classmate, choose one of the following goods or services. Decide whether you want to market it as a consumer product or a business product. Now create a brand name to convey the right image to the buyer, and one that links the product with its positioning strategy.a. lawn
Comarketing and cobranding are techniques that companies oft en use to market their own and each other’s products, such as Sherwin Williams paints featured in Pottery Barn home furnishings catalogs. On your own or with a classmate, choose two companies with products you think would work well
Think of two situations in which you have been a customer: one in which you were satisfied with the merchandise you received and one in which you were not. Make a list of the reasons you were satisfied in the first case and a list of the reasons you were not satisfied in the second case. Would you
As a marketer, if you can find ways to classify your company’s goods and services as both business and consumer products, most likely your company’s sales will increase as you build relationships with a new category of customers. On your own or with a classmate, choose one of the following
Think back to one of the largest purchases you’ve ever made.Discuss how each of the steps in the consumer behavior process was applied and whether cultural, family, or social influences came into play. How would you evaluate the purchase decision today?
On your own or with a classmate, choose one of the following products and create an advertisement that illustrates how your company creates time, place, and form utility in its delivery of the product to the customer.a. auto-repair serviceb. outdoor adventure toursc. craft supply stored.
Choose two companies for comparison (one company should provide a good benchmarking opportunity for its production processes). Keep in mind that the benchmarking company doesn’t necessarily have to be in the same industry as the other selected company. Present your decisions to the class and
With same-day and one-hour delivery services from Amazon and Google becoming common, discuss whether this fulfillment model is long lasting or just a passing trend. Discuss the types of products that lend themselves to same-day or one-hour delivery, as compared to traditional 1- to 3-day (or more)
On your own or with a classmate, select one of the following businesses and sketch or describe the layout that you think would be best for attracting and serving customers:a. Mexican restaurantb. clothing boutiquec. pet stored. motorcycle dealershipe. skateboard shop
With a partner or in small teams, discuss the impact on quality when a company decides to outsource the production of its goods or services. Is domestic production always a sure sign that higher quality standards will be followed and met? Compare and contrast both options with regard to quality.
In groups or in pairs, compare your backpacks, handbags, and any articles of clothing or shoes. Can you determine from the item’s label where it was manufactured? What type of production process do you think was used to make the item? Is anyone wearing an item made in the United States? If so,
Every day we hear news about companies in crisis. Either online or through media reports, find and research a recent event and how the company used external communication to address the crisis.Review the communication steps outlined in the chapter and discuss the eff ectiveness of how the company
On your own or with a classmate, visit the college library, a mall, or anywhere else on or off campus people gather. For about 10 or 15 minutes, observe the nonverbal cues that people give each other:Does the librarian smile at students? What is the body language of students gathered in groups?
Try this listening exercise with a partner. First, spend a few minutes writing a paragraph or two about the most important thing that happened to you this week. Second, read your paragraph out loud to your partner. Next, have your partner read his or her paragraph. Finally, take turns summarizing
Is teamwork more important than skill? In pairs or in groups, discuss the importance of an organizational culture that includes teamwork and collaboration over an organization that lacks such traits.Using sports as an analogy, why is it that a team with weaker players but stronger cohesiveness and
Find a classmate or friend who is on a team—sports, speech and debate, math, or any other type of team. Go through the five stages teams typically progress through—forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning—and provide specific examples and occurrences at each stage.
Some employees might question the need for company policies related to workers’ appearances. As tattoos and piercings have become mainstream, discuss the pros and cons of putting appearance-related policies in place in the work setting.
Choose what you think would be your dream job five years from now. Then create a chart according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and identify the ways in which you envision this job fulfilling each level of need.
With a classmate or individually, evaluate and prioritize beyond just salary what would be important for you as part of a total job off er.You may want to consider vacation, work–life balance, performance review, schedule, flexible work arrangements, and required perks, among other things.
Choose one of the following companies, or one that you might like to work for sometime in the future. Using the company’s website in addition to a popular jobsite like Indeed.com or Glassdoor.com, research the company’s benefits and perks. Outline the company’s benefits and then determine if
When hiring new employees, it is common for companies to use internal recruitment (from within the organization) and external recruitment(from outside the organization). With a partner, choose internal or external recruitment and compare and contrast the benefits and drawbacks of each from the
Research two companies you admire in each the following industries:a technology start-up and a traditional bank. Learn what you can about each organization’s culture. How does each diff er? Explain which culture, if any, best suits you? Share your findings with the class.
Identify someone who you think is a good leader—it can be someone you know personally or a public figure. Describe the traits that you think are most important in making this person an effective leader. Would this person’s leadership style work in situations other than his or her current
Contingency planning requires a combination of foresight and adaptability. Research the news headlines for situations that could (or did) require contingency planning. Report to the class what the challenge was and how the managers involved handled it. Remark on whether the planning was effective
Search your personal or professional network to find a supervisor or manager to interview. Find out more about how he or she performs each of the four management functions discussed in this chapter.Which of the technical, conceptual, and human skills are important for on-the-job performance?
A micromanager is someone who, for many diff erent reasons, closely observes or tries to control the work of subordinates or employees.Discuss why someone might micromanage, and why it might be diff icult for someone who does so to accept that there are numerous ways to accomplish tasks and goals.
You’ve recently graduated, and you’re trying to decide whether to take a job at a large company or start your own company. Form two teams to evaluate, compare, and contrast the risk of entrepreneurship and business ownership versus working for a large company. Outline and debate the risks and
Many entrepreneurs turn a hobby or area of interest into a business idea. Others get their ideas from situations or daily problems for which they believe they have a solution—or a better solution than those already off ered. Think about an area of personal interest—or a problem you think you
Either individually or in groups, come up with ideas from large companies such as Google, Facebook, and Apple that are seemingly intrapreneurial. Discuss how each company is innovating beyond its core business.
Certain demographic trends can represent opportunities for entrepreneurs—the aging of the U.S. population, the increasing diversity of the U.S. population, the growth in population of some states, and the predominance of two-income families, to name a few. On your own or with a classmate, choose
You got the entrepreneurial bug aft er taking an entrepreneurship class. You are at the point of deciding whether to leave college to launch a business. Aft er all, some famous entrepreneurs—for example, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Steve Jobs of Apple—were college dropouts. What are the
Discuss your experience and thoughts about crowdfunding sites as an alternative to funding by big banks. Have you ever contributed to a crowdfunding campaign, and if so, what were the details of the venture?If you were to set up a crowdfunding campaign, what steps would you take to encourage
Identify an organization—such as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting or the United States Postal Service—that is owned by a unit or agency of government. Discuss the pros and cons of whether the organization should remain publicly owned. Research its successes and failures, and create an
Think of your favorite small business—you know, the one where they know you by name. Maybe it’s your hair or nail salon, coff ee shop, or corner market. Interview the owner of the business and ask how the current form of ownership was chosen. Present your findings in class.
Go to the website for Entrepreneur and research information on“Franchise 500,” the magazine’s top franchises. Choose one that interests you and evaluate the information about its start-up requirements.Discuss whether you would consider a partnership in your franchise with someone you know.
Research a large company to find out more about its beginnings as a start-up or small business. Who founded the company? What were the company’s original off erings, and how do they diff er today?
Use the most recent edition of “The Fortune Global 500,” which usually is published in Fortune magazine in July, or go to Fortune’s online version at http://fortune.com.a. On what data is the Global 500 ranking based?b. Among the world’s 10 largest corporations, list the countries in which
Describe briefly the EU and its goals. What are the pros and cons of the EU? How do the goals of the EU change with the news events around Brexit and the potential departure of the United Kingdom?
Microlending is the disbursement of small loans to people, typically entrepreneurs and small business owners, living in extreme poverty.Due to their lack of collateral and creditworthiness, many have been locked out of the banking system. A small dairy farmer in Nepal can benefit from a microloan,
The tremendous growth of online business has introduced new elements to the legal climate of international business. Patents, brand names, copyrights, and trademarks are diff icult to monitor because of the boundaryless nature of the Internet. What steps could businesses take to protect their
What are some examples of business or personal mishaps that have resulted from cultural misunderstandings? How did they occur, and how were they resolved? Give specific examples and discuss among classmates.
On your own or with a classmate, go online to research the economy of one of the following countries. You may use the World Factbook website (http://www.cia.gov) to learn about the type of economy the country has, its major industries, and its competitive issues. (Note which industries or services
Some businesses automatically experience seasonal unemployment.More and more, however, owners of these businesses are making eff orts to increase demand—and employment—during the off season. Choose a classmate to be your business partner, and together select one of the following businesses.
Go online to research one of the following government agencies—its responsibilities, its budget, and the like. Then make the case for privatizing it:a. Veterans Administrationb. Bureau of the Censusc. Department of Labord. Transportation Security Administratione. Social Security
Choose one of the following products and describe the diff erent factors that you think might aff ect its supply and demand.a. Nike running shoesb. the latest smart phone releasec. web conference toolsd. newly created name-brand druge. Kansas City Royals baseball tickets
Describe a situation in which you have had to make an economic choice in an attempt to balance your wants with limited means. What factors influenced your decision?
As technology becomes more pervasive, new and complex ethical issues have arisen in the workplace, which have contributed to ethical and sometimes legal challenges for employers and employees. Consider the action of transmitting confidential or proprietary company data, for example. With a
Warren Buff ett is a world-famous investor and CEO of conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway, which includes companies as diverse as Kraft Heinz, Geico Auto Insurance, and Benjamin Moore Paints. Buff ett plans to give away 99% of his wealth and has already donated over $2 billion to the Bill and Melinda
Take the company you chose for question 2 (or choose another), and search for information about the company’s social and environmental responsibility practices—some companies publish annual corporate social responsibility and sustainability reports. Present to the class the company’s
On your own or with a classmate, visit the website of one of the following companies, or choose another that interests you. On the basis of what you can learn about the company from the site, construct a chart or figure that illustrates examples of the firm’s ethical awareness, ethical education,
Write your own personal code of ethics. Create standards for your behavior at school, in personal relationships, and on the job. Then assess how well you meet your own standards and revise them if necessary.
Today’s business leaders must guide their employees and organizations through the changes brought about by technology, marketplace demands, and global competition. Choose a for-profit or not-for-profit organization and provide one example for each of the specific changes brought about by: (a)
This chapter describes how the nature of the workforce is changing:the population is aging, the labor pool is shrinking, the workforce is becoming more diverse, the nature of work is changing, the workplace is becoming more flexible and mobile, and employers are fostering innovation and
More and more businesses are forming strategic alliances to become more competitive. Sometimes, businesses pair up with notfor-profit organizations in a relationship that is beneficial to both.Choose a company whose goods or services interest you, such as REI, FedEx, Kashi, or Sam’s Club. On your
Branding distinguishes one company’s goods or services from those of its competitors. Each company you purchase from hopes that you will become loyal to its brand. Some well-known brands are Amazon, Google, Toyota, and Apple. Choose a type of good or service you use regularly and identify the
The entrepreneurial spirit fuels growth in the U.S. economy. Choose a company that interests you—one you have worked for or dealt with as a customer—and read about the company by visiting its website.Learn what you can about the company’s early history: Who founded it and why? Is the founder
Discuss current e-commerce trends. As an online shopper, can you identify additional trends?
Do you agree with the decision by some firms to abandon their websites and rely on social networking sites and blogging sites instead?Why or why not?
If a business is planning to develop its website for use by mobile phone devices, what factors should it keep in mind when designing the site?
Most of the world’s Internet users live in Asia. Identify two implications that you believe this fact will have on e-commerce over the next few years.
Do you predict that businesses will continue to use social networking as part of their e-commerce strategy over the next decade? Why or why not?
What are consumers’ greatest concerns about e-commerce? How are businesses addressing these concerns?
What are the benefits of B2C e-commerce, to both consumers and companies?
What is e-tailing? How does it work?
Health insurance is one industry in which B2B e-commerce is prevalent. Name another industry that you think is suitable for B2B e-business and explain why.
How does a small business specifically benefit from e-commerce?A large business?
Why do company divest assets?
Briefly describe the mechanics of a merger or acquisition.
Define venture capitalist, private equity fund, sovereign wealth fund, and hedge fund. Which of these four sources of funds invests the most money in start-up companies?
Compare and contrast the three sources of short-term financing.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of both debt and equity financing?
Discuss the concept of leverage. Use a numerical example to illustrate the eff ect of leverage.

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Contemporary Business 17th Edition James E Deitz ,James L Southam - Solutions

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