Management Principles and Practices

Term Paper

Purpose of the Term Paper Assignment

As an introductory course, Management Principles and Practices cover a broad array of management concepts, theories and practices. In addition to gaining a foundational understanding of these principles, students are expected to develop their skills and ability to apply management concepts to solve real-world business problems.

In completing this individual assignment, students will apply management concepts and increase their ability to:

• Analyze the internal and external environment of a company (cases will be provided) and identify the focal issue that is challenging the organization and identify the relevant management concepts and practices

• Locate, critically analyze and correctly reference material from at least five secondary sources of information i.e., business periodicals and publications related to the company and the management issues that are evident in the case

• Generate feasible solutions that could be used by the company's managers to address and resolve the focal issue that the company is facing and recommend the most suitable solution and the rationale for choosing the solution

• Write an evidence-informed referenced business paper
Completing the Term Paper Assignment
The following section provides a summary of the steps that students should take to complete the term paper assignment.

Step 1 - Choose a Case
The professor will post three company case descriptions on Blackboard. Each student must choose one of these three cases as the focus of their term paper. Students should read the three cases and choose the case that focuses on management topics that they find particularly interesting and/or that are relevant to their career goals.

Step 2 - Conduct Some Research about the Company
Once a case is selected, students should complete some preliminary research to learn more about the company and the industry in which it competes. Recommended sources of secondary information include business periodicals such as:

• Canadian Business

• Fast Company

• Harvard Business Review

• Report on Business

• Bloomberg Businessweek

• The Economist

• Forbes

• Other business or management publications, magazines and newspapers
Note: Students must use a minimum of 5 references (from business periodicals as noted above) in writing the paper and cite these sources when they are used in different parts of the paper. Students should also reference the textbook when information and concepts are discussed.

NOTE: Wikipedia and the company's website are not considered suitable sources of information.

Step 3 - Review the Guidelines for Completing Case Studies
Students should carefully review the guidelines and recommendations for completing a case study assignment. Several resources are posted on Blackboard. Students should make an appointment with the professor if they have questions.

Step 4 - Write the Term Paper
Students should write the term paper in keeping with the following guidelines.
Length of the Paper - The length of the paper must be 9-10 pages (double-spaced and not including the reference list).

APA Formatting Standards

Students should follow the rules of the 6th Edition of APA format for the paper (1 inch margins, double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, pagination and top of the page headers for the title page and pages in the paper).

An APA formatted Word template is available on Blackboard. The title page should include the name and section of the course, title of the paper, professor's name, student names, and the submission date. Support is also available from Student Services.
Referencing and Citing Secondary Sources of Information

Students must follow APA formatting standards when:

• Referencing the secondary sources of information i.e., the articles from the business periodicals and the textbook in the reference list

• Cite information drawn from the business periodicals and textbook in the different sections of the paper
Writing Style

The paper must be written in a professional business style. Students should use language and a writing style that are appropriate for a business audience (e.g., no contractions and correct grammar, punctuation and spelling). In general, students should not:

• Repeat information covered in earlier sections of the paper

• Include irrelevant information

Grading Rubric

A grading rubric for the term paper is posted on Blackboard. Students should use this to guide the development of their paper.

Additional Resources

A variety of additional resources about completing case study assignments are posted on Blackboard.

Organization of the Paper and Required Content

Headings help students ensure that all required components of a written assignment are included. Students should use the following headings, which specify the required content of the paper when completing this assignment.

Introduction (approximately .5 page)
Students must include:

• A brief description of the company

• The purpose of the paper (the specific topic that will be covered in the paper and what the reader will learn from reading it)
PESTI Analysis of (State the Name of the Company) General Environment (approximately 1.5 pages)
Students must include:

• A PESTI analysis to describe the specific forces (for example, political forces) in the external environment that are impacting the company
Students should focus on the three elements of the PESTI that are having the greatest impact on the company's situation as described in the case.
Students should use a heading for each element they describe.
Students should use information from at least one or two business periodicals in completing the PESTI analysis and cite these sources.
SWOT Analysis of (State the Name of the Company) Environment (approximately 1.5 pages)
Students must include:

• A SWOT analysis to describe the specific elements (for example, strengths) that are most relevant to the company's situation
Students should focus on the three elements of the SWOT that are most relevant to the company's situation as described in the case.
Students should use a heading for each element they describe.
Students should use information from at least one or two business periodicals in completing the SWOT analysis and cite these sources.
Focal Issue Confronting (Name of the Company) (approximately .5 page)
Students must include:

• A clear summary of the focal issue that the company is facing based on the findings of the PESTI and SWOT analyses and other information from the business periodicals as appropriate
Note - the three alternative solutions and the recommended solution in the paper must address this focal issue
Analysis of the Focal Issue (approximately 2.5-3 pages)
Students must include:

• Relevant management concepts from the textbook and other course materials and use these as a framework to demonstrate that they understand and can explain the focal issue

• An assessment of how these concepts apply to the company's situation as described in the case

• An analysis of other concepts and examples from the business periodicals to supplement and strengthen the analysis - for example, ways that other companies have handled and resolved similar challenges or situations
Students should use information from the textbook and a minimum of two business periodicals in completing the analysis of the focal issue and cite these sources.
Alternative Solutions to Address and Resolve the Focal Issue Facing (Name of Company) (approximately 1.5-2 pages)
Students must include:

• Three alternative solutions that the company could potentially use to address and resolve the focal issue facing the company. The three recommended solutions must be practical and feasible in the context of the company's situation and resources

Students should use the following four headings to describe the three alternative solutions.
First Potential Solution (and several words to describe the solution (i.e., Restructure)
Second Potential Solution (and several words to describe the solution (i.e., Relocate)
Third Potential Solution (and several words to describe the solution (i.e., Downsize)
Recommended Solution and Rationale (minimum of two reasons)

Note: These alternative solutions must clearly relate to the focal issue
Strategies for Implementing the Recommended Solution (approximately 1 page)
Students must include:

• Two strategies that the company's managers could use to implement the recommended solution

Students should use the following two headings to describe the potential solutions.

First Strategy (and several words to describe the strategy (i.e., Fire the CEO) and one way that managers could evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy
Second Strategy (and several words to describe the strategy (i.e., Improve Safety Training) and one way that managers could evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy

Conclusion (approximately .5 page)
Students must include:

• Two main points on a general level, that the student believes are important for all managers to know after having read their term paper

Self-Reflection (not included in the page total)
This section of the paper is not related to the paper. Rather, students should consider the material in the course and how this information has or could influence them in one or more of the following ways:

• Perceptions of management and whether these have changed

• Most interesting part of the course and why

• Least interesting part of the course and why

• Greatest challenge for today's managers

• Their intentions to become (or not become) a manager and why

References (APA formatted)

Appendix A

• First page of each reference used in the paper
Step 5 - Submit the Term Paper
By November 22, students must submit:

• A hard copy version of the paper (stapled or in a folder) to the professor

• A digital version of the paper via Blackboard where it will be assessed through SafeAssign, an anti-plagiarism software. Instructions are posted on Blackboard

Attachment:- apple.docx