Business

The student will be able to create a customer service relationship management strategy for a given retail situation.  Compare and contrast two different retailers of your choice. The two retailers may be direct competitors or in different retail segments. Your objective is to compare and contrast how both retailers implement, monitor, and control customer relationship management strategies. Research and provide a brief introduction for both retailers (3-4 paragraphs). Who are they, what do they sell, who do they sell to or provide services to? Customer needs: what is being satisfied? Customer groups: who is being satisfied? Identify and explain areas that each retailer is doing well in fostering customer service relationships and which areas are the retailers not doing well? (3-6 paragraphs). Develop effective customer relationship management strategies. Create some strategies for both retailers that can be made operational, monitored, and controlled. Support your strategies with detailed processes and research. Your strategies and recommendations should be supported with the assigned textbook, a minimum of three internet sources, and two FSW library database peer-reviewed articles. This section should be a minimum of two pages.

A. Industry Analysis Begin the industry analysis by providing a brief history of the industry, employment figures, growth forecast, major industry suppliers, competitors, and customers.  Following this introduction, address the following items:     1. Management – Identify industry leaders that set industry standards.   2. Economics – Explain the impact of key economic indicators (unemployment, interest rates, consumer spending, etc.) on the industry.   3. Finance – Provide performance related information about the industry (average market capitalization, revenue, gross profit, income/loss, etc.) Discuss the degree to which firms are leveraged; evaluate the normal ratios of the firms in the industry; identify salient changes taking place in the financial environment.   4. Model – Apply Porter’s five forces model to the industry.   B. Competitor Analysis A competitor analysis yields crucial information that helps a firm to develop or modify its strategy.  The analysis should contain the following critical information.   1. Identification – Identify who the main competitors are and their market position.   2. Assessment- Discuss the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of two main competitors. Next, conduct a competitive strength assessment of the selected firm and the competitors. 3. Analysis – Discuss the financial, physical, human, technical, and reputational, resources of main competitors.  Elaborate on the impact of these resources.   C. Firm Analysis The firm analysis provides an opportunity to critically evaluate the current strategy and operations of the firm.  Discuss the following salient information.   1. Assessment – Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the firm and identify opportunities and threats the firm should be aware of; conduct a value chain analysis for primary components and discuss how the value chain relates to rivals.     2. Analysis – Discuss the financial, physical, human, technical, and            reputational, resources of the firm.  Elaborate on the impact of       these resources.  How are they similar/different to those of primary              competitors?     3. Synthesis -In this section of the paper provide the “big reveal”.  Use the information garnered in the previous sections to identify salient issues facing the firm.  Next, given the results of the analyses, describe how the firm can create and sustain competitive advantage.  Also, discuss how the firm will create and dominate emerging opportunities.  Last, provide recommendations that articulate the agenda for strategic action.  Be sure to provide solid recommendations for the future and explain them thoroughly.

HOSPITALITY 101 HOTEL REPORT Hotel Choices: The Roosevelt Hotel or The Bourbon Orleans Your assignment is to write a paper addressing the following questions (numbers 2 – 6 below) on this historical New Orleans hotel. Your paper must be at least two full pages (which means that it spills onto another page). Below are the areas that you should focus on, include the suggested length of each area. If you follow my advice and do the suggested paragraphs, and paragraph lengths, you should definitely surpass the two page MINIMUM for the paper. 1. Introduction of paper – (one paragraph to introduce topic, describe the location of property, and to set the tone of the paper) 2. The hotel has a long history in New Orleans, what is something from its history that you would use as a selling point for this hotel? Be thorough. (suggested 1 – 2 complete paragraphs for the hotel’s history) 3. Identify the features of the hotel and describe how they benefit the guests. Be specific and thorough. (Suggested 2 – 3 complete paragraphs for the features of the hotel. Set the tone of the hotel by using descriptive words). 4. What is unique about this hotel that other hotels in the city don’t have? (Suggested 1 – 2 paragraphs about a unique feature that no other hotel in the city has). 5. Identify 3 negative aspects of this hotel when trying to sell it and explain why. Be thorough. (Suggested 3 complete paragraphs identifying and describing the negative aspects of the hotel) 6. What is the largest sized group that can hold a meeting and eat in the hotel and why? What types of meeting space is available? (suggested 2 – 3 complete paragraphs identifying the types of groups that can be held, the special event spaces, and even perhaps the types of food and beverage that may be used in the hotel space). 7. Closing paragraph to recap what has been discussed in the paper (Suggested 1 full paragraph). 8. On another page, your sources (suggested use of 5 – 8 sources) should be present on the immediate page after the closing paragraph. This paper should represent students’ original work, in business third person writing, with no first person in the paper at all. It is never appropriate to copy written work for another source, whether a web site, student paper or book. Plagiarism is never acceptable. Your paper must be free and clear of plagiarism via Turnitin. The format for this assignment will use is MLA style, and students must use in-text citations throughout your paper. Each piece of information gathered from outside sources and used must be cited within the paper in the appropriate format. The Works Cited page must also follow MLA style formatting, regardless of what sources were secured for information. Students must watch the MLA videos, which cover a good majority of questions, concerns, and formatting for the paper. Because the videos are available as well as Purdue’s OWL for MLA formatting, there is no excuse for inappropriate formatting, inappropriate citations, lack of intext citations, and inappropriate formatting for your paper. This paper is to be at minimum two pages in length typed, MLA-formatted, double spaced, with the works cited after the paper on another sheet of paper and photos in the same document behind the works cited. Any paper turned in without an appropriate heading (include name, date, semester, year and title) will be subject to a reduction in points. Just because the minimum is set at two pages, most works should extend to a third or even a fourth page. Very few students are able to present all of the content in a creative and insightful manner in just two pages, although some have been able to do so. If you know that writing is not your strong suit, I encourage you to begin the writing process early and have your work submitted to me for review. I will not only review it, but I will make notes as to my feedback, and then encourage you to visit the Writing Lab on campus to further strengthen your paper. Many students that I have sent to the writing lab have had exceptional experiences; however, you have to build in time to visit them and for revisions. Note: the Writing Lab is there to help you and is a valuable resource. Use it. Visit the website to get information http://www.dcc.edu/academics/communication/writing_center.aspx. HINT: You don’t have to come onto campus to have your paper reviewed! Works are graded on content as well as spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Graded criteria also includes the thoroughness of answering the questions set forth in the essay, length of paper (or lackthereof), and photos.

(1) Here are your directions for this week’s discussion activity: Make a concept map of the technology object/service/system from Self-Challenge 2, including all the affordances (motivational and regular flavor), signifiers, feedback, and constraints you experience as a user of that object/service/system. Mapping and a conceptual model if applicable. Post a picture of your concept map, and pick two items (one affordance and one constraint) and describe, in text, below the picture, how you would connect each item to at least 1 motivational theory (100 words max). In one concluding sentence, how discoverable and understandable is the technology, based on your mapping? (2) Talking about the presentation (just a paragraph): Hi everyone! Emma and I are proud to present you with our presentation on Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory. It can be found on the following link to our Google Slides Presentation: – (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1A6pArg9gz2wTQwdFZhHJMwg-7mT-pfGB6w77EneJMMM/edit?usp=sharing). Please make sure to click on the speaker icon to hear our beautiful narration! For our discussion, please create a new plan to help to make your students or employees feel empowered in the work environment.   Please also use the following questions from our presentation to guide your thinking: Think of a time when you felt especially good about your job – why? Think of a time when you felt especially bad about your job – why?   Then, to reflect, discuss a time either in education or professional setting (or both) where you felt empowered, or disenfranchised, by the environment around you. Please make sure to write this way that my professor asked me “”””””In terms of the discussion, I am really looking for YOUR feelings about the readings. What you are writing is excellent, but I want to know what you think about the course materials, not just the facts. To continue to earn all of your discussion points, please makes sure you give your opinion on the course materials.””””””

Last year Pepsi introduced 60 new products to the market, what challenges to you expect to face when designing your product and how would you make adjustments in its design to accommodate consumers in your market?

Have you witnessed any changes in international business activity in your hometown over the past five years? Which of the discussed theories can you attribute to that business development?

The topic of the term paper is to discuss the following points: ?  Why can China no longer continue to grow along the past track of relying on exports? ?  What should be the right new growth engine for China? ?  Assess critically how China performed in 2012-present in that light? Your paper is expected to reflect what is covered in my lectures. You also need to expand the substance of your paper with your own research and readings. You need to consult three additional academic references at least, preferably academic journal articles or their equivalents. You may use sources in Chinese, but you should provide both Chinese titles and their English translation. A significant positive factor for demonstrating your knowledge and scholarship would be to annotate your bibliography, summarizing the contents and arguments of the sources you have used for your paper. Other requirements are: ?  Follow strictly ?the APA citation style?.

Submit your presentation on Managerial Problem Solving & Decision Making (9–10 slides, including speaker notes). In your presentation, address the following:   Explain in what ways problem solving and decision making are interrelated. (2 slides)  Describe the role that creativity can play in problem solving. (1 slide)  Describe at least one decision-making style. (1 slide)  Explain what a decision-making model is and how managers can incorporate it into their decision-making processes. (3 slides)  Describe 3–5 techniques that managers can use to make better decisions. (2 slides)  Explain what factors must be considered when participating in group decisions. (1–2 slides). be sure to include a cover slide and References slide. In addition, provide detailed speaker notes for each slide that you could use as a script to present this training orally to a group of new managers.   Katopol, P. F. (2015). Groupthink: Group dynamics and the decision-making process. Library Leadership & Management, 30(1), 1–6. Time Estimate: 15 minutes Laureate Education (Producer). (2019a). Decision making [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.   Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 5 minutes.   Accessible player  –Downloads– Download Video w/CC Download Audio Download Transcript Lussier, R. N. (2017). Management fundamentals: Concepts, applications, & skill development (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. Lussier, R. N. (2017). Management fundamentals: Concepts, applications, & skill development. Copyright 2017 by Sage Publications, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications, Inc., via the Copyright Clearance Center. Chapter 4, “Creative Problem Solving and Decision Making” (pp. 97–119) Time Estimate: 45 minutes McNamara, C. (n.d.). Problem solving and decision making (solving problems and making decisions). Retrieved January 15, 2019, from https://managementhelp.org/personalproductivity/problem-solving.htm    Time Estimate: 10 minutes Yates, J. F. (2018). Decision management: A game plan to achieve organizational grand slams. Retrieved from https://www.bus.umich.edu/FacultyResearch/Research/DecisionManagement.html    Time Estimate: 9 minutes

Scenario: 1) You are responsible for the design of a new order entry and sales analysis system for a national chain of auto part stores. 2) Each store has a PC that supports office functions. 3) The company also has regional managers who travel from store to store working with the local managers to promote sales. 4) There are four national offices for the regional managers, who each spend about 1 day a week in their office and 4 on the road. 5) Stores place orders to replenish stock daily, based on sales history and inventory levels. 6) The company uses the Internet to connect store PCs into the company’s main computer. 7) Each regional manager has a laptop computer to also connect with stores and the head office. Task: To recommend a technology architecture for supporting the business activities of the company. Your paper should include the following: • Summary of the business and business requirements • Description of the major system’s components/document developments/tasks required during using the SDLC methodology • Identification of challenges and roadblocks that you would anticipate if implementing this project • Definition of how the systems’ analysts (you and your team) will interact with users, management, and other information systems professionals to develop this plan (i.e. questionnaires, interviews, etc.). • Summary of recommendation and justification as the best solution

Read, view, and apply the materials concerning consumer boycotts posted for Week 8: Nyiri, Pal. “From Starbucks to Carrefour: Consumer Boycotts, Nationalism and Taste in Contemporary China.” PORTAL: Journal of Multidisciplinary International Studies, 2009, [s.l.], 6(2), pp. 1–25. Read from “‘Why don’t they make some foreigners kneel?’: Consumer boycotts in Chinese media,” to “It’s hard to be high-brow” (pp.9–20). Kang, Jiyeon. “A volatile public: The 2009 Whole Foods boycott on Facebook.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 56 (4), 2012, pp. 562–577. -“Boycott South African Goods.” Forward to Freedom: the history of the British anti-apartheid movement 1959-1994: https://www.aamarchives.org/campaigns/boycott.html -“What Is Blackout Day 2020? Everything to Know About the July 7 Boycott Urging People to Not Spend Money.” Money: https://money.com/what-is-blackout-day-2020/ Instructions: Analyze a recent or current consumer boycott. Demonstrate you have read and understood the boycott readings by comparing and contrasting the boycott you are analyzing to the ones described in the articles. Format: The assignment should be written with an essay structure (introduction including clear thesis statement, supporting paragraphs using ideas from the course material, conclusion, works cited page). Some questions to consider (don’t limit yourself to these alone): Does the boycott exist purely online (ex. as a hashtag) or is it connected to a grassroots organization(s) or social movement(s)? How does digital technology help or hinder the boycott’s aims? Is the boycott aimed at advancing social justice or does it have a different motivation? If so, what is the motivation? Boycott selection: In light of this tumultuous year of protest movements, there are many fresh boycotts. Some recent possible boycotts to look at: Nestle, Amazon, Black Lives Matter-related boycotting, Middle Eastern boycott of French Products, boycotts of Chinese products, BDS Israel boycott, boycotts of companies partnering with the NRA, boycotts of anything Trump (Trump’s companies, Ivanka Trump’s clothing line, etc). Basically you can google around major companies, or recent controversies, and you’re likely to stumble upon a boycott.