Questions and Answers of Contemporary business

What is the structure of the finance function at a typical company?
Explain the risk–return trade-off.
Explain the steps involved in preparing a financial plan.
Why do companies often choose to invest excess cash in marketable securities?
Why do companies generally rely more on long-term funds rather than short-term funds?
What is an important determinant of a company's dividend policy?
Explain trade credit.
Describe venture capitalists.
Why do companies divest assets?
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
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
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
In small groups or in pairs, and based upon the current economic environment, research and discuss top CFO priorities.
Technology has played an integral role in helping entrepreneurs or anyone with a cause to raise funds. The concept of peer-to-peer (P2P) lending took off during the Great Recession of 2007, when
Companies have codes of conduct, and with recent financial scandals, there are a few that have specific codes of conducts spelled out for their CFOs. Research three companies with specific codes of
Using any news source, search for a recent merger or acquisition announcement. Discuss the nature of the merger or acquisition, its terms, and, to date, its current results.
The continued acceleration of merger and acquisition (M&A) activity remains strong. As companies find it more challenging to increase revenue growth from within their organizations, big mergers
With small business loans accounting for a small percentage of a bank's lending business, some banks are providing alternative funding to small businesses. It's called supply-chain financing, and it
While on vacation in the Middle East, entrepreneur Lisa Mendelson witnessed a group of American tourists sampling halvah at an outdoor marketplace. The experience immediately brought back childhood
Define e-commerce.
Discuss mobile or m-commerce.
What is e-tailing? How does it work?
Combining enthusiasm, retail shopping, and technology, a hauler is commonly a female in her teens who creates a homemade video. The video is posted on YouTube to brag about the virtues of recent
Susan Gregg's closet was stuffed with vintage clothing and shoes. She couldn't possibly wear them all, and she didn't have space for new purchases. So she did the only thing a budding entrepreneur
What are the two general types of information systems?
What is malware, and how does a computer virus work?
What are the types of disasters to which information systems are vulnerable? Natural disasters, power failures, equipment malfunctions, software glitches, human error, and even terrorist attacks can
Distinguish between data and information. Why is the distinction important to businesspeople in their management of information?
What are the four components of an information system?
What is an intranet? Give specific examples of benefits for companies that set up their own intranets.
Why is disaster recovery important for businesses? Relate your answer to a natural disaster such as a hurricane, tornado, or fire.
Describe three information technology trends.
A number of different 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
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 youtaken to prevent something similar from happening again?
How has the smart phone impacted business?
What is disruptive innovation?
What is a database?
Explain the Internet of Things (IoT) and Blockchain.
What is Augmented and Virtual Reality?
What steps can organizations and individuals take to prevent cybercrime?
A little over a decade ago, while attempting to help his cousin Nadia with math, Salman “Sal” Khan stumbled upon the idea to upload a few tutorials onto YouTube for a more interactive learning
Over the next decade, one of the hottest trends will be digital reality —a blending of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality, 360°, and immersive technologies. Augmented
As a member of Zipcar, the world's largest car-sharing service, consumers avoid the costs associated with car ownership: gasoline, insurance, maintenance, and parking. Based in Cambridge,
What are the three business activities that involve accounting?
What are the four basic requirements to which all accounting rules must adhere?
What is the purpose of the IASB?
What is accrual accounting? Give an example of how accrual accounting affects a company's financial statement.
Using LinkedIn or your personal or professional network, make contact with someone who works as an accountant at either a public accounting firm, government, or nonprofit to set up an interview. Ask
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
Identify two public companies operating in different industries. Collect at least two years' worth of financial statements for the firms. Calculate the financial ratios discussed in the chapter.
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
Letter to Shareholders. Berkshire Hathaway's annual letter to shareholders, written by CEO Warren Buffett, happens to be one of the most interesting, down-toearth, folksy, and unique communications
Apple's balance sheet. Go to Apple's website to review the company's most recent annual report. Find the balance sheet and the corresponding discussion. Using concepts from the chapter, review and
Preparing a personal balance sheet. Go online to find a template for a personal balance sheet. Fill in as many items as you can, and create your own asset categories if needed. Upon evaluating your
A crime fighter might not immediately come to mind when most people think about the role an accountant plays in everyday business. Yet the rapidly growing field of forensic accounting involves
The Internet of Things (IoT), as discussed in Chapter 14, has blurred the line between products and services - and, as a result, taxes. The issue is how companies are taxed, because products are
The success of the Mei Mei Group, which includes its Street Kitchen food truck and its new restaurant, can be credited to three siblings from the Boston area. Andy, Irene, and Margaret Li's
What is a government bond? A municipal bond?
What are the primary differences between commercial banks and savings banks?
How is the Fed organized?
List the three tools the Fed uses to control the supply of money and credit.
List two ways in which the securities markets are self regulated.
Where do U.S. banks rank compared with international banks?
Day trading refers to buying and selling securities (stocks and bonds, for example) in the same day, with hopes of an upward price movement. What information does a day trader need to make accurate
You've probably heard of U.S. savings bonds-you may even have received some bonds as a gift. What you may not know is that two different types of savings bonds exist. Do some research and compare and
Working with a partner, assume you are considering buying shares of Lowe's or Home Depot. Describe how you would go about analyzing the two companies' stocks and deciding which, if either, you would
Discuss investment strategies with regard to diversification and asset allocation for someone in their 20 s versus someone in their 40s. How does risk tolerance change with age? Discuss in pairs or
How would you decide whether to use an investment advisor or stockbroker at a full-service brokerage firm such as Charles Schwab or to open a brokerage account and try your hand at do-it-yourself
Virtual stock trading. The website listed below is a virtual stock contest and training ground of sorts for students and investors alike. Go to the site, read "Getting Started" as well as the
Researching and managing investments. Go to the website listed below this paragraph, sponsored by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Under "Researching \& Managing Investments," read more
IPOs. A number of different sources are available for finding recently filed IPOs, or initial public offerings. Research companies that have recently filed IPOs. What industries are these companies
For the first time ever, Hewlett-Packard has abandoned its annual convention-style shareholder meeting in favor of a virtual one.Another format, a hybrid meeting, is where companies hold both virtual
Financial technology firms continue to make headway by taking away loan and mortgage business from traditional banks. One of the most valued fintech companies today is SoFi, short for "social
"Fair Trade has always been part of my legacy in coffee," says Rik Kleinfeldt, president and co-founder of Rhode Island-based New Harvest Coffee Roasters. "That's where I started with New Harvest."
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
Think back to one of the largest purchases you've ever made.Discuss which steps in the consumer behavior process were applied and whether cultural, family, or social influences came into play.How
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
Comarketing and cobranding are techniques that companies often use to market their own and each other's products, such as Sherwin Williams paints featured in Pottery Barn home furnishings catalogs.
You have probably taken a marketing survey at one time or another. Go to SurveyMonkey.com, an online survey tool, to learn more about how it works. What are some of the different ways surveys are
VALS™ (Values, Attitudes, and Lifestyles)is a proprietary psychographic research software used to segment U.S. adults into eight distinct types using a specific set of psychological traits and key
Retailers, airlines, and hotel chains have well-developed customer loyalty programs. Pick one of the following companies and evaluate its customer loyalty program against one of its competitors in
Building customer loyalty over the long term involves becoming more aware of customer lifetime value (CLV). Go to the following website to learn more about CLV and the relationship between average
Want to “improve your posture, align your balance and live your life?” That's the ad campaign for SOLS, a $3 million company that makes custom 3D-printed orthotics, a custom-made insert or
When marketing a good or service in a foreign market, the decision must be made about whether to standardize or adapt a product's marketing mix. Tencent Holdings Ltd., the world's largest mobile
The owners of Boston-based food truck Mei Mei Street Kitchen and Mei Mei restaurant, collectively known as the Mei Mei Group, imaginatively provide context to the definition of marketing by
Differentiate among convenience, shopping, specialty and unsought products.
What are the marketing implications of each stage?
Define brand equity.
Define supply chain.
Classify each of the following business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) goods and services. Then choose one and describe how it could be classified as both.a. Runner's World or
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
Does online success as an e-commerce company automatically translate into successful bricks-and-mortar commerce? Discuss and research the strategy behind Amazon's recent decision to open retail
Go to the website and social media accounts of your favorite retailer. How has a competitive retailing strategy been developed, and how has a target market been selected? How does this retailer
You may not think about what is in your favorite candy bar or bag of chips, but the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act enacted more than 35 years ago regulates how “consumer commodities” are
Go to the Interbrand website and research the “Best Global Brands” for the most recent year. Go to the “Best 100 Brands” and sort by sector and ranking to evaluate the various concentrations
A few years ago, Boston-based Converse, one of the most iconic brands in existence today, underwent the first-ever remodel of its Chuck Taylor shoe, simply known as Chucks, in nearly a century. The
Three years after its launch, eyewear e-commerce pioneer, Warby Parker, opened its first Manhattan showroom. According to Dave Gilboa, the company's cofounder and co-CEO, the physical stores are
No matter how powerful they are, comic book heroes can't get themselves into bookstores—and readers' hands—without a little help. Leon Avelino and Barry Matthews, co-founders of Secret Acres,
Why do companies pursue multiple promotional objectives at the same time?
What is the leading advertising medium in the United States?

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