Author: chris

The firm is WALMART

This course requires research, analysis, and drawing conclusions on a firm operating in the international business environment. This paper will provide you an opportunity to explore the many strengths and weaknesses a firm encounters in the international business environment.

 

A 12-15 page (excluding appendices, table of contents, abstract, reference, and bibliography) research paper (case study) is required. This paper represents 35% of the final course grade. Students will select a firm operating in the international business environment. This paper will be prepared consistent with the current APA Manual and will have a minimum of ten different references (No Wiki’s or Pedia’s). Some of the bibliography and references will most likely come from the firm you have chosen: source documents, e.g., annual reports, and financial statements.  As such this reduces the need for peer reviewed sources. However, peer reviewed sources are still important and should be listed in the bibliography/reference section(s) and cited in the paper as appropriate. This paper is due the last day of class.

In addition, the research paper will be prepared consistent with the following guidelines:

1. This serves as an introduction to the Research Paper. Provide an overview of the research design of the paper. Introduce the various topics that will be addressed in the research paper. Identify the method(s) that will be used to collect the data for the topics and how that data will be evaluated. 2. There will be a brief discussion of the firm to include its principle goods and services, market share, geographic locations where it operates, and major competitors.  3. Evaluate and discuss whether the firm could benefit by using Activity Based Costing (ABC). The discussion should include what factor(s) influenced your decision, the ramifications of implementing ABC in the international business environment, and how you would structure the distribution of costs using ABC for your firm.  4. Evaluate and discuss whether the firm could benefit by using standard costs. The discussion should include what factor(s) influenced your decision, the ramifications of costs, quantity, and variances, and the ramifications of using standard costs in the international business environment. 5. Evaluate and discuss how the firm could benefit by analyzing future projects in terms relevant costs. This discussion should include the firm’s future plans, such as, expansion, consolidation, and downsizing and how relevant costs could be used in the decision making.  6. Summary and conclusion(s). The discussion should provide a brief summary of the previous sections, and the conclusions you have reached.

To prepare you for the researched-based report assignment, you will need to do some research. One of the more useful tools in conducting research is the annotated bibliography. An annotated bibliography combines the citations found in the References list at the end of documents in APA format with annotations about each of the sources. For this assignment, you will construct an annotated bibliography based on the workplace or community issue or problem that you have selected to focus on for the researched-based report. Remember it must be specific and actionable – that is, you must be able to identify an audience for your proposal that could realistically respond to your idea.

Purpose: An annotated bibliography is an organizing tool that is helpful when working on a research project. An effective annotated bibliography is used to compile research sources in one location and provide the researcher with quick access to the information contained in each source.

Content/Subject: Your annotated bibliography will consist of the sources that you have deemed relevant to your topic and/or question(s) of inquiry. While you may encounter sources that are not relevant or do not fit the scope of your project while researching, for the purposes of this assignment, you will only include the ones that you find useful and relevant.

Cite the source in proper APA format. The citations should be organized in alphabetical order by author just as in an APA References page.

Follow the citation with a brief annotation that summarizes the source and explains how it will be used in your researched proposal (no fewer than 100 words, no more than 150). Annotations are in your own words. Do NOT quote from the source. Do not repeat the title of the source or the author – your reader can see that.

Constraints: The annotated bibliography is a fairly rigid genre. Your citations must adhere to APA format. This will be one of the central components of the grade for this assignment. Failure to follow APA format exactly will harm your grade. The model I provided from Kathy Smith will help guide you.

Paul and Elder encourage students to redefine grades as levels of thinking and learning. What do they mean by this? In your view, are grades necessary or unnecessary for self-assessment? Provide an example from your own experience to support your position.

Your response should be at least 300 words in length.

 

Describe the logic behind a field of study that is not covered in the text book. Answer questions about the elements of thought (assumptions, problems, point of view, etc.) for the subject.

Your response should be at least 200 words in length.

Suppose you are a security director for a consulting firm that implements, secures, investigates, and supports point-of-sale (POS) for small and medium businesses (SMBs) in the retail industry. Read the article titled, “Verizon DBIR 2012: Automated large-scale attacks taking down SMBs” located at the following SearchSecurity link: http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com.au/news/2240147412/Verizon-DBIR-2012-Automated-large-scale-attacks-taking-down-SMBs.

Write a three to four (3-4) page paper in which you:

1. Evaluate the recent trend toward attacking small and medium businesses and identify the benefits that these types of businesses have which attract attackers.
2. Compare and contrast the digital forensic operations of small-sized companies to large companies in terms of costs, personnel, inexperience, naivety, etc.
3. Explain the common purpose of attacks on point-of-sale (POS) systems and identify why you as a security professional would have cause for concern for your customers’ POS systems.
4. Assess why and how these POS systems have become a prime target for hacking groups.
5. Examine the forensics challenges that exist for investigations on POS systems.
6. Use at least two (2) quality resources in this assignment other than the article linked above. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Outline system forensics issues, laws, and skills.
• Describe and analyze practices in obtaining digital evidence.
• Use technology and information resources to research advanced issues in computer forensics.
• Write clearly and concisely about topics related to computer forensics planning using proper writing mechanics and technical style conventions

Assignment 3: LASA 1: Whole Foods Market, Inc. and MyAccountingLab

Review Whole Foods Market, Inc’s 2010 Annual report, company information and investor information(see the link: Whole Foods Market, Inc. Investor Relations in the webilography) and write a 5-7 page paper following APA guidelines which addresses the following:

1. Summarize the company’s financial performance for 2010. Do you think they satisfied stockholder expectations? Why or why not?
2. Explain three business risks or threats that might threaten Whole Foods ability to accomplish their financial goals for the next 3 years. Use examples and references to support your response.
3. Describe three examples of control activities Whole Foods Market, Inc. could use to minimize these risks.
4. What is your overall impression of Whole Foods Market, Inc.’s annual report? Is it a financial accounting document or a managerial accounting document? Who is the target audience? Did the annual report present a positive or negative image of the company? Provide support for your responses.

Write a 800 word paper using the information found in the CJi Interactive Multimedia and this week’s readings. Include the following in your paper:

• A description of jail’s place in corrections and its role throughout history
• A summary of the history of state and federal prisons
• A comparison of the similarities and differences between security levels in jails, state prisons, and federal prisons
• An explanation of factors influencing growth in jails, state prisons, and federal prisons

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Materials provided after hand shake.

Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper that examines the purpose and history of penitentiaries. Include the following:

• History of punishment
• History of prison development
• Comparison of the Pennsylvania system and the Auburn system
• Impact and involvement of prison labor over time

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

• Chapter 9: E1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7, P16, P17, P19

E1-go to the Federal Reserve web site http://federalreserve.gov go to ‘’economic research and data’’ and access ‘’recent statistical releases’’ and the ‘’consumer credit. ’Find average interest rates charged by commercial banks on new automobile loans, personal loans, and credit card plans.

• Compare the average level of interest rates among the three types of loans.
• Access ‘’historical data’’ and then ‘’consumer credit’’ and compare trends in the cost of consumer credit provided by commercial banks over the past three years.

P2– find the future value of $10,000 invested now after five years if the annual interest rate is 7 percent.

• What would be the future value if the interest rate is a simple interest rate?
• What would be the future value if the interest rate is a compound interest rate?

P3- determine the future values if $5,000 is invested in each of the following situation:

A-5% for 10 years

B-7% for 7 years

C-9% for 4 years

P4- you are planning to invest $2,500 today for three years at a nominal interest rate of 9 % with annual compounding.

a-      What would be the future value of your investment?

b-      Now assume that inflation is expected to be 3 percent per year over the same three year period. What would be the investment’s future value in terms of purchasing power?

c-      What would be the investment’s future value in terms of purchasing power if inflation occurs at a 9 percent annual rate?

P5-find the present value of $7,000 to be received one year from now assuming a 3% annual discount interest rate. Also calculate the present value if the $7000 is received after two years.

 

P6– determine the present values if $5,000 is received in the future (i.e. at the end of each indicated time period) in each of the following situation:

    a-5 % for ten years

    b– 7% for seven years

    c-9 % for 4 year

 

P7 determine the present value if $15000 is to be received at the end of 8 years and the discount rate is 9%. How would your answer change if you had to wait six years to receive the $15,000?

 

P16 use a financial calculator or computer software program to answer the following question:

a-   What would be the future value of $15,555 invested now if the earns interest at 14.5%for seven years

b-   What would be the future value of $19,378 invested now if the money remains deposited for eight years and the annual interest rate is 18 percent?

P17use a financial calculator or computer software program to answer the following question:

a-   What is the present value of$359,000 that is to be received at the end of 23 years if the discount rate is 11%?

b-   How would your answer change in (a) if the $359,000 is to be received at the end of 23 years?

P19 use a financial calculator or computer software program to answer the following question:

a-   What would be the future value of $19,378 invested now if the money remains deposited for 8 years, the annual interest rate is 18 %, and interest on the investment is compounded semiannually?

b-   How would you answer for (a) change if quarterly compounding were used?

Conveying an angle of vision (or dominant impression) without directly stating the intended effect challenges the writer to choose his or her words carefully and to make every word pull its weight. This assignment requires you to use rhetorical strategies to achieve two different dominant impressions. It requires good observation of details, precise and often creative word choices, and strategic organizational decisions.

Two Descriptions Paper

For this assignment, pretend you are entering a contest sponsored by a travel magazine. The rules are that readers must read a description of a place and decide whether they would like to visit it or avoid it. The only prohibition for the writer is that he or she must not directly tell the reader whether the place is pleasant or unpleasant. Reads must be able to decide, based solely on the writer’s description.

You must visit the place of your choice (see #1 below) and then, based on your observations only, you must write two descriptions of the same place. Each description must convey a different dominant impression. One description must make the reader want to visit this place, and one description must make the reader want to avoid this place.

To get full credit for this assignment, you must do three things.

1. Go to a place of your choice and observe this place for 15-20 minutes, making notes of what you observe. Be sure to use all five senses. Please note: you may not use your home or your yard for this assignment. Some good places are the zoo, a park, a movie theater, a café, a shopping mall. Do not rely on memories of a place you have been to before; this will not fulfill the assignment properly.

2. Write two descriptions of this place, each conveying a different dominant impression and each consisting of 125-175 words. Describe only what you observed during your 15-20 minute period.

3. Write an analysis of 200-250 words. In your analysis, do the following:
   • Explain how you created the differing impressions (what strategies you used). See strategies #2-5 on pages 47-48 for help with this. (Remember, you may not use strategy #1.) Cite specific examples of each strategy you used.
   • Identify the most important thing you have learned as a writer from this exercise.