ECO 415 All Assignments

Week 1

Individual Basic Concepts Paper

Resource: Supply and Demand simulation located on your student website

Write a 1,050- to 1,400 word paper that discusses basic concepts in applied economics in the context of the simulation. Answer the following questions in the paper:

How do changes in the business environment cause changes in supply and demand? Cite and explain at least two examples from the simulation.

Why is marginal analysis used when making business decisions? How is marginal analysis used to respond to shifts in supply and demand? Cite and explain at least one example from the simulation.

How did your team determine appropriate output levels in the simulation? Cite at least two examples. Were your teams output decisions successful? If so, explain specifically how your decision making process led to financial success. If not, identify any mistakes and explain what your team could have done differently.

What fixed and variable costs does the operating company in the simulation have? Cite at least two examples for each.

Describe a market situation in which the operating company faces economic difficulties and the need to cut costs. What cost cutting strategies might the operating company use to remain profitable? What would be the benefits and drawbacks of each?

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Week 2

Learning Team Maximizing Profits Within Markets Paper

Select one of the following companies:

Pepsi-Cola Company

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Lowes

Starbucks Coffee Company

Barnes & Noble

Amazon.com, Inc.

Hewlett Packard Development Company, L.P.

Dell, Inc.

The Walt Disney Company

Microsoft

Write a 1,750- to 2,450-word paper:

Summarize the differences between the four market types.

Provide a general explanation of how business may maximize profit within each market type.

Identify the market type in which the selected business exists.

Explain how this market type affects the selected businesss ability to maximize profits.

Determine the optimal profit maximizing strategy for the selected business within its given market type.

Explain specifically how this strategy may be used to maximize profits within the given market type.

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Week 3

Individual Lets Talk Money Interview Transcript

Create a 1,050- to 1,400-word fictitious dialogue that takes place during a segment of Lets Talk Money, a fictitious TV talk show that interviews prominent individuals in the business community. During the segment, the shows host, a government official, and a business savvy CEO discuss the relationship between the government, the economy, and the company selected from the following list:

Pepsi-Cola Company

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Lowes

Starbucks Coffee Company

Barnes & Noble

Amazon.com, Inc.

Hewlett Packard Development Company, L.P.

Dell, Inc.

The Walt Disney Company

Microsoft

Note: You may use a company with which you are familiar as a substitute.

Use your creativity with this dialogue and develop the points of view of the characters involved. The following questions must be addressed and serve as a basis for grading this assignment:

In what type of situations might the selected company run a high risk of violating antitrust laws? How might the government react to assure fair competition within the companys given market?

In what ways might the selected company create a benefit externality? In what ways might it create a cost externality? How might the government respond to the externalities created by the selected company?

What is the importance of the government as a buyer in a market economy? Explain from both a governmental and a business perspective.

In what ways might the selected company do business with the government? From the companys perspective, what might be the benefits and drawbacks of selling to the government? From the governments perspective, what might be the benefits and drawbacks of buying from the company?

In what situation would the selected company likely consider a merger with one of the other companies on the list? What risks and benefits would a possible merger present? How might the government respond to the merger? Would the two companies merge? Explain why or why not.

Learning Team Reflection on Weeks 1 and 2

Discuss with your team the topics from weeks one and two readings and class discussions that you are comfortable with, the topics that you struggled with, and how the weekly topics relate to your professional or personal lives.

Write a 500 - 700 word paper detailing the findings of your discussion

Week 4

Individual Hello, Im Your Motivational Speaker

You are renowned business guru and motivational speaker Mai Biz. You have been contracted by a prestigious national business organization to deliver a two part seminar on a couple of todays hottest business topics: competitive advantage and international business.

Create a full 1,750- to 2,100-word transcript of your planned speech to meet the organizations request.

Address the following questions for each topic:

Topic 1: Achieving Competitive Advantage

How does the creation of value lead to competitive advantage?

How may a firm achieve competitive advantage? Consider strategies of cost leadership, benefit leadership, and degrees of focus.

How does the price elasticity of demand affect a firms strategic positioning for competitive advantage?

What factors and strategies allow a firm to sustain competitive advantage? Cite at least one real life example of success and one real life example of failure in your explanation.

Topic 2: International Business

What additional risks do multinational corporations face, and what additional opportunities do they enjoy when compared with domestic firms?

What strategies may a multinational corporation use to best take advantage of the opportunities discussed above?

What strategies may a multinational corporation use to best mitigate the risks discussed above?

How does achieving competitive advantage at an international level differ from achieving competitive advantage at a domestic level? How may a firm strategically position itself for international competitive advantage? Cite at least one example or strategy specific to international business.

Learning Team Reflection on Weeks 3 and 4

Discuss with your team the topics from weeks three and four readings and class discussions that you are comfortable with, the topics that you struggled with, and how the weekly topics relate to your professional or personal lives.

Write a 500 - 700 word paper detailing the findings of your discussion

Week 5

Individual Final Examination

Learning Team Sustainability PowerPoint Presentation and Paper

Select one of the companies from the following list and investigate its commitment to and performance in sustainable business:

Pepsi-Cola Company

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Lowes

Starbucks Coffee Company

Barnes & Noble

Amazon.com, Inc.

Hewlett Packard Development Company, L.P.

Dell Inc.

The Walt Disney Company

Microsoft

Write a 1,400- to 2,100-word paper in which you:

Define sustainability.

Explain why sustainability is important for financial success.

Evaluate the selected business in terms of sustainability, addressing the following:

Identify its financial and non-financial stakeholders.

Describe how economic and non-economic business decisions may negatively or positively affect stakeholders.

Explain how those decisions may affect profits when stakeholder reactions are taken into account.

Identify ways in which the selected business is succeeding and ways in which it is falling short in terms of sustainability.

Compare the selected business to other businesses within the same industry in terms of sustainability. Consider at least one of the following:

Commitment to environmental issues

Company and employee relations

Commitment to the communities in which the company operates

Product design

Create a sustainability strategy for the selected business:

Identify ways in which it may expand upon current or past sustainability successes.

Identify opportunities for turning sustainability shortcomings into areas of sustainability growth.

Identify ways to improve stakeholder relationships.

Explain how specific actions and policies must be implemented.

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Create a 10- to 15-slide Microsoft PowerPoint presentation highlighting your paper.