Analyze the role of executive management in the life of a project

Read the Chapter 10 Case titled: Selling Executives on Project Management.

Write a one to two (1 -2) page paper in which you:

  1. Analyze the fundamental reasons why the executives in the case refused to listen to their own employees, but were willing to listen to a consultant.  Discuss the main reasons why the executives still seemed apprehensive even after the consultant’s presentation.
  2. Imagine that you are the consultant for the case study.  Speculate on three strategies that you could employ to get the executives to understand your point of view and thus support your project management recommendations.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

  • Utilize at least (3) quality academic references.  Note: Wikis and some other websites do not qualify as academic resources.  The textbook is a good place to start, but your sources need to extend beyond the textbook.
  • Typed, double spaced, Times New Roman 12 pt. font, with 1″ margins all around, citations and references must follow APA format.
  • Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, your name, Dr. Ortloff, BUS 2010-NO21B Project Management, and the date.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

  • Analyze the role of executive management in the life of a project
  • Apply the project manager’s critical skills, in terms of project leadership, team building, time management, conflict management, and effective communication with executive sponsors, peers, team members, and project clients.
  • Use technology and information resources to research issues in project management

Explain the purpose of PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) or a CPA (Critical Path Analysis) diagram

Assignment 1)Manley’s is a family-owned home improvement specialist similar to Homebase. It has 4 stores around London and is planning an expansion. Like its competitors, it offered DIY solutions as well as a range of furniture, and kitchen and bathroom design. Its unique selling point is the fact it employs designers and, through subcontractors, offers guaranteed installation and workmanship such as plumbing, electrical, etc. Due to these unique services which helps the customers to achieve designer houses at an affordable price, Manley’s enjoyed a financial success and a rapid growth. The first store opened 7 years ago, the 2nd store 3 years ago, the 3rd store 1 years ago and the 4th store opened last week. Several other stores are in the plans. However, Manley’s only online presence is a static web page showing the location of its 3 stores (the page has not been updated for the 4th store yet), there is no possibility to either order online or book appointments with designers. Also, now that there are 4 stores and several more in the pipelines, the owner’s son feel that it is time to have a Management Information System to improve customer service and operations through help manage stocks, personnel, subcontractors, marketing, customers data, etc. Finally, the owner is planning on either creating a loyalty programme or joining an existing one to encourage repeat customers through benefits and promotions. During the last board meeting, an experienced manager identified the need to handle these tasks as projects and recommended getting a project consultant to help out. The board decided to hire you as the project consultant, as they want everything to be done within 3 months. Task 1 of 2 Project selection (ACs 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 & 1.4) Instructions Your first task is to 1. Develop an overall Gantt chart of the various projects, including subdivision and a time-scale 2. Write a report, recommending a project management methodology for each project (and your reasons for your recommendation) 3. In the same report, assess the feasibility of all the projects and decide on one to carry out first. Delivery and Submission ▪ 1x Gantt chart ▪ 1x short report ▪ Indicative word count 500 words

(Assignment 2)Task 2 of 2 Project details (As C2.1, 2.2 and 2.3) Currently Manley’s employ 4 store managers, 4 store assistant managers, several store attendants, several designers, 1 HR officer, 1 Accountant, 1 procurement manager, 3 account executives in charge of maintaining relationship with suppliers, 1 executive assistant and 1 administrator. In addition, the owner and his son are involved in the management of the organisation. There is no IT department looking after the information and IT infrastructure of the company. Instructions Select one of the projects and: 1. Create a detailed Gantt chart, including the roles and responsibilities of the participants (this could be integrated in your Gantt chart if using http://www.ganttproject.biz/)  2. Create an organisational structure to carry out the project, and add a commentary regarding your team structure Delivery and Submission ▪ 1x Gantt chart ▪ 1x Organisational chart with commentary ▪ Indicative word count 1500 words

(Assignment3)Task 3 of 3 Project monitoring (ACs 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3) Instructions In relation to your selected project, prepare a document, 500 words, t with the following details 1. Explain the purpose of PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) or a CPA (Critical Path Analysis) diagram 2. Create a PERT or a CPA diagram to identify likely challenges, issues and risks during the life of the project. 3. Create a general quality management process to be used for the project, 4. Explain the change control procedure 5. Design a method to use to measure project performances Indicative word count 1000 words Delivery and Submission • Project monitoring report Summative delivery and Submission ▪ 1x Word file containing tasks 1-3 ▪ Indicative word count 3000 words (for all 3 assignments together)

Signature Assignment: Case: Establishing Credibility

COM/295 v7

Signature Assignment: Case: Establishing Credibility

COM/295 v7

Page 2 of 2

 

C:\Users\djshirey\OneDrive - University of Phoenix\F_Drive\Style Guides\UPX Logos\Horizontal format\UOPX_Sig_Hor_Black_Medium.png

Signature Assignment: Case: Establishing Credibility

Read the case below and complete the instructions that follow.

Case

You are a marketing specialist at a media company. Over the past few years, you have been researching how TV viewers use mobile phones and other devices while watching TV. You have found that viewers increasingly expect to engage via mobile devices with TV shows and their audiences while watching TV.

About one month ago, you and your colleagues gave a presentation to executives at your company regarding some of your survey results. The executive team members were generally impressed with the information, but they also seemed skeptical that your company needed to make any major changes. These executives made various statements referring to using mobile devices while watching TV as “largely a fad” or simply “no monetizing.” They also expressed concern about making major changes to cater to the youngest viewers (under 25 years old), who they feel are not their most important demographic. However, they were impressed with your presentation enough that they wanted you to dig deeper into the data and come up with some recommendations.

After a month of deeper analysis of your data, you have found even stronger evidence that viewers under 40 use their mobile devices frequently while watching TV. You thought these data helped bolster your argument that younger TV viewers expect an interactive experience while watching TV programs—using mobile devices to interact with TV hosts, actors, and other viewers; to participate in contests and games; and to interact in other creative ways with the programming. With more and more TV viewers recording shows and watching commercial-free later, you thought that adopting an interactive approach to many programs could counteract this trend and get viewers excited about watching programs live. In fact, you think there is currently a great opportunity to develop a new business model that embraces interactive programming.

Now, you will plan the initial steps in creating a follow-up communication to the senior vice presidents in which your objectives are to recommend the company aggressively pursue programming with an interactive component and to suggest pilot-testing interactive features for three shows that are most popular with your 31-40 year old demographic. You know most of these executives are skeptical of major changes to the current business model, but you also expect them to listen objectively to your views.

Note: Scenario reprinted with permission from McGraw-Hill.

Instructions

Write a memo of no more than 525 words to your supervisor about how you will design a communication for the executive team suggesting the company pursue programming with an interactive component and engage in pilot-testing interactive features for three shows that are most popular with the 31- to 40-year-old demographic.

Note: You will not actually create the communication in this assignment, but will begin the planning process and share with your supervisor how you will approach the communication.

Address the following in your memo:

· Determine what main form of communication you will use to communicate your suggestion. Communication forms could include: face to face, email, letter, teleconference, presentation, or any other method you determine is appropriate.

· Explain why the form of communication you selected is appropriate based on context, message, and purpose.

· Explain how you will establish and build credibility as a communicator.

Copyright 2020 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.

Copyright 2020 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.

What are some of the critical ethical challenges to firms competing in the global economy?

 **must write in own words – most answers provided – no plagiarism, please

Answer the following quest

Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases: Competitiveness and Globalization , 13th Edition

 

Answer the following questions after studying the Week 1’s content:

1. Business success is often tied to effectively managed strategies. Using the Internet, study Starbuck’s current performance. Based on analysis, do you judge Starbucks to be a success? Why or why not?.

Starbucks Corporation is an American organization that manages espresso, serving hot and cold beverages, miniature ground moment espresso, entire bean espresso, full and free leaf teas, drinks, and a few bites (Moore, 2012). The Chain was established in the year 1971 and it works 23, 450 areas across the reality where the larger part is in the United States. This makes it the most mainstream Coffee Company and café chain on the planet. The solid and notable brand name permits Starbucks to keep up its high edges concerning the general benefits and permits it to raise costs when important.

 

The examination of the organization’s deals and extension patterns shows enormous development. In the year 1984, the first proprietors of Starbucks, drove by Baldwin, bought Peet’s. During this period, the absolute deals of espresso in the US were diminishing, yet the deals of claim to fame espresso were expanding, coming about in a 10% of the market continuously 1989 (Herbold, 2013). The organization worked in just six stores in Seattle continuously in 1986 and had recently started to sell coffee espresso. At the hour of the organization’s first sale of stock on the securities exchange, which was in June 1992, it had 140 sources, with an approximated income of 73.5 million US dollars, up from 1.3 million US dollars in the year 1987. The development of Starbucks has been rising dramatically. By August 2015, the organization had opened stores in Williamsburg, Ho Chi Minh among numerous different urban areas and had made declarations that it would before long enter.

 

 

Combodia and Italy 99000 940cd 18000 16oca 14000 12cco Stores loooo 8000 boco 4000 2000 1977 1974 1977 1986 1983 1986 1989 19

 

Starbucks ‘ current execution shows that it has the stuff to pass on the strong turn of events. Through my eyes, Starbucks offers an unprecedented outline of how effectively administered systems achieve business accomplishment. The chain diners appear like it is any place in strip malls and on city streets, even though I think there is room left for extra improvements (Franta, Fluhrer, Keiter, Myers, and Feinberg, 2015).

 

Anybody feeling that Starbucks isn’t productive should look at the store improvement in different bits of the world, particularly China to see how the accompanying massive advancement stage is starting. India, which is straightforwardly on China’s doorsteps with more than 1 billion people, offers another huge opportunity to be created. Estimations show that there are 70 Starbucks stores in the entire Republic of India, and the Teavana chain can similarly acquire immense ground in a nation for its tea (Herbold, 2013).

 

There is adequately clear to legitimize my dispute that Starbucks is a victory. In any case, there are such incalculable overall possibilities, particularly in China and India, offering the extraordinary potential to pass on basically on Starbucks advancement. In China, for example, there are 750 stores opened simply inside the latest year. Also, the compelling flexible mentioning a portion application as of now speaks to 20% of the solicitation made, and this is driving the rollout of the coffee movement organizations (Franta, Fluhrer, Keiter, Myers, and Feinberg, 2015).

 

Looking at the most recent things in the show of Starbucks. New monetary experts have a for the most part fantastic chance of a solid profit for the remote possibility that they purchase the quality stock surmising that future accomplishment is throughout managed. Whatever endless people have gotten a basic stock tip in the wake of having been to the bistros and taken advantage of their tea. A bit of those customer has become long stretch speculators. In particular, the strong and striking brand name grants Starbucks to keep up its high edges concerning the overall advantages and allows it to raise costs when crucial.

 

Considering, this paper saw that Starbucks’ advancement to new business areas and things have been a victory. With the various diverse business areas that it is as of now starting by then, it is obvious that the Company will have the choice to keep up its high accomplishment even later on.

 

2. Think of an industry in which you want to work. In your opinion, which of the three primary stakeholder groups is the most powerful in that industry today? Why? Which do you expect to be the most powerful group in five years? Why?

3. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? “I think managers have little responsibility for the failure of business firms.” Justify your view.

I disagree with the statement, “I think managers have little responsibility for the failure of business firms.” Because, management is the biggest support system for the entire organisation for bringing success. Managers have more responsibility for the failure of the business organisation, as they are the authorised and powerful people, who manage, control and use the important resources that are important for a company to attain it’s goals.

 

Managers play many roles in the firm, viz, facilitator, motivator, organiser, leader, director, guide, controller, and many more. They can really being greater profitability to the firm by optimising the use of resources and guiding the employees in a proper direction. Thus, they have a huge responsibility for the firm’s success as well as it’s failure.

Managers are primarily responsible for the failure of business firms. One should agree with this statement. Although some factors are beyond the controls of a manager, however he can save the company during such period.

 

Managers are responsible for the failure of firms as they fail to modify the company strategy as per the changes in external environment. A manager is responsible to lay down the policies and strategies of a firm. An effective manager needs to continuously review the company’s policies and practices to identify the required changes. It would help the company to maintain long-term competitiveness in the market. The main failure behind a company’s failure includes lack of character and vision of the manager. Some examples are given below:

Daniel Bouton, Chairman of Société Générale: His risk taking behavior along with lesser internal control led to $7 billion losses for his company.

Lack of vision and control of James Cayne the former CEO of Bears Stearns led to the collapse of the company.

Strategic control refers to the overall control in the policies and practices of a business firm. Contrary to this, the financial control only deals with the assets and liabilities of the business firm.

 

 

 

4. Do vision and mission have any meaning in your personal life? If so, describe it. Are your current actions being guided by a vision and mission? If not, why not?

 

5. Can a firm achieve a competitive advantage and, thereby, strategic competitiveness without acting ethically? Explain.

 

No, in my opinion, a firm cannot achieve a competitive advantage and, thereby, strategic competitiveness without acting ethically. Competitive advantage is a position that is being established by offering a better quality of goods and services to the consumers in comparison to that of competitors. This is the most important factor that allows companies to achieve increased sales volume and profit margins. Strategic competitiveness is a similar factor that describes that a firm wants to achieve its goal even in the presence of competition in the market.

Being ethical means conducting business operations in such a way that no individual is getting harm and treated fairly, there is a rational use of resources and there is no such practice that can hurt the goodwill of the company. A company that wants to establish a competitive advantage and strategic competitiveness should act ethically and if it does not, it will go down soon. When a company fulfills ethical responsibilities, its image appears superior in the market which helps in establishing a competitive advantage outside the firm and strategic competitiveness inside the firm.

 

6. What are some of the critical ethical challenges to firms competing in the global economy?

When a firm competes in a global economy, it faces several critical ethical challenges. A business should take into consideration the legal and ethical issues to gain success in the competitive environment. The common ethical challenges that the global firms face are:

– Workplace diversity- The international business gives rise to diversity in the workplace. There are lot of ethical issues in recruiting, selecting and hiring the diverse sector in a global economy.

– Equal opportunity and employment for all- This is one of the common ethical challenges by international business as it requires equal employment opportunities for all to avoid any biases.

– Trust and reputation – In order to maintain trust and reputation, the global company might face ethical challenges such as ethical dilemma in their business.

– Working conditions and standards- Sometimes the global companies maintain poor standards of working conditions to compete in the intense competitive market.

– Outsourcing its tasks and activities- Ethical challenges are involved in selecting the correct third party and outsourcing nominal tasks as per the company policies.

– Bribery and corruption – to get things done in the foreign country

ions after studying the Week 1’s content:

  1. Business success is often tied to effectively managed strategies. Using the Internet, study Starbuck’s current performance. Based on analysis, do you judge Starbucks to be a success? Why or why not?
  2. Think of an industry in which you want to work. In your opinion, which of the three primary stakeholder groups is the most powerful in that industry today? Why? Which do you expect to be the most powerful group in five years? Why?
  3. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? “I think managers have little responsibility for the failure of business firms.” Justify your view.
  4. Do vision and mission have any meaning in your personal life? If so, describe it. Are your current actions being guided by a vision and mission? If not, why not?
  5. Can a firm achieve a competitive advantage and, thereby, strategic competitiveness without acting ethically? Explain.
  6. What are some of the critical ethical challenges to firms competing in the global economy?