Two Business Assignments Needed

ASSIGNMENT # 1

Learning Activity #1:

Search the Internet for a current article that profiles an organization that was confronted with its own internal operational challenge, the steps that the organization took to address this challenge, and the resulting outcome of the actions taken. In a four paragraph Summarize the article with the following information:

1. Who the organization is (and what they do).

2. Explain what the operational inefficiency was that the organization was confronted with and why it needed to be addressed.

3. The solution the organization implemented to confront the challenge

4. The outcome of the solutions implementation.

5. Do you think this was the optimal solution for the problem? Why or why not?

6. What are the key takeaways that could be valuable to other organizations (generally speaking) when confronted with a challenge similar to the one faced by the subject organization.

7. Be sure to support your writing with references from class readings http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-bmw-deals-with-an-aging-workforce/ , and at least one outside source in APA format (in-text citation and an accompanying reference list at the end of your post)

Learning Activity #2:

Search the Internet for a current article that profiles a data breach of personal customer and/or stakeholder information. Then provide at least a four paragraph for the following:

1. Who the organization is (and what they do).

2. Describe the background of the breach including:

3. When the breach occurred

4. What was compromised (stolen)

5. What is the impact of the breach on:

6. The organization

7. The customers/individuals that it serves

8. All other stakeholders (e.g. vendors, stockholders, financial institutions impacted, etc.)

9. What is the response the subject organization has taken in response of the breach

10. Finally, generally speaking, how do organizations work to maintain consumer confidence in the wake of these data breach's so they still feel confident in engaging in commerce of with the business?

11. Be sure to support your writing with at least one outside source in APA format (in-text citation and an accompanying reference list at the end of your post).

ASSIGNMENT #2

Outcomes Met With This Assignment: you should be able to:

• Identify the critical business functions and how they interact in order to position the organization to be effective in the current business environment

• Explain the importance of the integration of individuals and systems to organizational effectiveness

• Describe the ethical and social responsibilities that confront a business

Assignment Instructions:

In this paper, students will analyze and discuss small business growth in terms of; growth strategy, business forms, short and medium term goals, financing assistance, organizational structure and staffing needs, customers and promotion, and ethics and social responsibility. Students are expected to apply business and management concepts to this case study provided below.

Case Study

Phoebe's Sandwich Stop is one of the best-known and most loved sandwich concessions in town. In business for about five years, she sells sandwiches and other lunch items made from locally produced food from her mobile food trailer. Phoebe's passion and talent for creating reliably fresh, tasty lunch fare popular among a business clientele (largely employees and shoppers) has made her small enterprise a booming success.

In the last year, Phoebe added three bicycle-towed concessions that travel to different strategic locations in town, selling her popular sandwiches to customers who work beyond walking distance of Phoebe's Sandwich Stop. She now has a total of six employees, all part-time, working the concessions. Because she caters to urban customers, her concessions operate on week days from 10 am to 2 pm. To promote word-of-mouth advertising, Phoebe uses Facebook to publish her daily menus and the locations of the bicycle concession.

As a sole proprietor, Phoebe has been pleased with her lunch business success. Now it's time to get serious about the future of her business. In the short and medium term, she wants to see the business grow into a potentially more lucrative enterprise, implementing a greater variety of food products and services, and increasing her competitive edge in the region. Ever the ardent entrepreneur, Phoebe's long-term dream is to develop her creative, health-conscious culinary skills and services into a wider clientele outside the immediate region.

An opportunity has arisen to lease restaurant space about 20 miles away from her trailer concession location, close to a mall and the suburbs and nearer to her local food producers. Phoebe has jumped at the chance and plans to expand her current business. While she has hired professional business consultants to help her set up the space, design the menu, and implement the opening of the restaurant, she must also consider the short- and long-term financing, human resource, and management needs of such an expansion. Phoebe is particularly sensitive to her relationship with her customers, employees, and the community.

Take your time in completing the assignment following the steps below:

Step 1: In writing this paper, students are expected to use the facts from the case study focusing on using this information to determine opportunities and solve problems.

Step 2: Create a Word document that is double-spaced, 12-point font. The final product will be between 6-8 pages in length excluding the title page and reference page.

Step 3: Follow this format:

Title page, Introduction, Body should be in paragraph form. Use the following section headings:

Growth Strategy

Business Form

Financing Assistance

Organizational Structure and Staffing Needs

Customers and Promotion

Ethical Issues and Social Responsibility

Summary paragraph

Step 4: Students asked to write in third person.

What this means is that there are no words such as "I, me, my, we, or us" (first person writing), nor is there use of "you or your" (second person writing). If uncertain how to write in the third person, view this link: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person

Step 5: Students are asked to support the reasoning using in-text citations and an APA reference list.

Step 6: In writing this assignment, students are expected to paraphrase and not use direct quotes.

Step 7: No more than two external resources can be used in completing the paper

Step 8: Critically and analyze; of the scenario should be provided.

Step 9: Highlight key as a foot note to capture key facts and points from the scenario.

Step 10: Make sure your paper, answer the following questions:

1. Discuss the steps Phoebe should take to organize and prioritize her business growth strategy? [Note: a growth strategy is different than a marketing strategy]

2. If Phoebe enjoys all facets of owning a business, what business form best fits her expansion plans, and why? Students should look from a legal perspective as well as a practical business perspective.

3. Discuss what kind of financing assistance might be available to Phoebe? Discuss options explaining why these were chosen. Then make a recommendation for the best financing option.

4. How Phoebe staffing might need to be change? Discuss the best way for Phoebe to organize, orient, and train her restaurant staff. What kind of organizational structure would work best for Phoebe's expanded business? [e.g., vertical hierarchy, functional, teams, flat (horizontal), matrix] to meet the needs of her new business;

5. How should Phoebe deal with her current customers in regard to the change? What kind of promotion should she consider in attracting customers to her new location? Be thorough with the responses.

6. What are the ethical issues and potential social responsibilities highlighted by this change in business? (Consider customers, employees, the current and new communities, and other stakeholders.) How might these issues be dealt with most appropriately?

Step 11: The introductory paragraph is the first paragraph of the paper but is typically written after writing the body of the paper (Questions students responded to above).

Step 12: A summary paragraph restates the main idea(s) of the essay. Make sure to leave a reader with a sense that the essay is complete. The summary paragraph is the last paragraph of a paper.

Step 13: Read through the paper to ensure all required elements are presented.