Report on Course: the Business Simulation Essay

This report provides the Chairman of the board an analysis of the decisions and the results of the Company 1 in Period 2. The focus is given on how our company organized the process of planning in the Period 2 and I tried to critically analyze the results compared to our plans. In period 2 our company was seemed to do better than the previous period (period 1), but in my opinion period 2 was the beginning of our company’s crisis. We didn’t adhere to our differentiation strategy and we ignored our objectives. I strongly believe that if we have acted much differently and have the chance to redo the planning of the decision making of period 2 we would perform much better in all next periods. Introduction This report is an attempt of informing the chairman of the board of the Company’s 1 plans, actions and mistakes during the period 2. It starts with the analysis of the process of planning and continues with the analysis of the results compared to our company’s plans. 2) Body 2.1) Planning of the Period 2. To begin with the Price, we planned to have the same price as Period 1 ( 3,090 eur), because we knew that customers dislike changes in the price and we didn’t want to have dissatisfied customers especially when we hadn’t yet persuaded them that our product was the best in quality so we couldn’t risk losing many of them. As for our investment in Advertisement we thought that if we kept investing the same amount (7.0mEur ) as Period 1 we would own the same or bigger market share. Then about Sales force we were thinking of having 110 in that period because as the â€Å"Topsim† mentions a sales force of 110 could increase sales up to 45000 units. We decided to set the price of 2,640 for the bid that was higher than our CGM in the period 1 (; 2,270eur). We were thinking of purchasing 46,000 units of input materials and producing 50,000 units of Copy I as we were thinking that we have to be able to respond to the increase of market 1 demand (8%-10%) and to serve the bids in case we won that. After that we started thinking of cutting down the cost of the rest investments we had to do. So we thought that investing few or no money to the rest of our potential investments would be enough. So here are our thoughts of investments: 1,0mEur in CI, putting 10 people at the Copy I-old technology, 0,50mEur in Ecology of Copy I-old and 0,1mEur in Value Analysis of Copy I-old, 0 people in technology and 0,0 mEur in ecology and 0,0 in value analysis of Copy I-new, 1,0mEur in Maintenance of our Type A production lines and 0,0mEur in Rationalization of them, no new investment or disinvestment of the production lines and no new types of lines, 0,0 mEur process optimization, 0,0 mEur in training production workers, 0,0 mEur in investment in environmental plants, 0 number of recruiting or dismissal of production workers, non-salary staff costs 37%, short-term loan 15,0 mEur, long-term loans 0,0 mEur, dividends 40%, purchase of securities 0,0 mEur. 2) Body 2.2) Critically analyze the results compared to our plans. I have to mention that generally, in the most periods, as we were planning our steps we were trying to focus on the company’s objectives (; increase our employees productivity; decrease the negative ecological footprint; retain the market share>17% ) and how we would achieve those through our actions. However, in period 2 we didn’t act like our decisions and results would have a long term effect on the potential achievement of our goals, we tried a different tactic, which was cutting all investments costs extremely and maybe as we see from the results of that period and the next that was a fatal mistake for our company. Even if it seemed from the improved Net Income (compared to period 1) that we chose a good tactic it wasn’t because that move got us behind in comparison to the other companies that had chosen the differentiation strategy as well. They built a quality product unlike us that we thought only the temporary survivor of our company. Of course as we were at the beginning we were afraid not to get out of the market so we didn’t think thoroughly of our long term results. In that point of time our only concern should have been to create a product with a strong quality that would appeal most of the consumers and the price wouldn’t be for them an obstacle. Our results weren’t those we wanted in all periods, and I am quite sure that this started from the results of period 2. We pretty much failed creating a quality based (eco-friendly and flexible/tend to respond immediately at technological changes) production, our customers weren’t satisfied generally, our staff was neither and our market share was declining. I can now find many corrections to our decisions that maybe could ensure us in a long term view. First of all, I agree with the price, I think that first we had to gain some loyal customers who would appreciate our product’s quality and after that increase the price. So our results wouldn’t have changed with another price in a good way. I don’t agree now with the amount we invested in the Advertisement. I now believe that we should have put at least 1,o more mEur so that our market share would be wider. The number of sales staff was a good move and I think was enough. As i see it right now I’m not sure that we needed to sell to bids because if we had focused on our differentiation strategy then probably we wouldn’t need them and maybe we could sell all of our production to the market 1 so that our revenue would be bigger. As for CI we for sure made a severe mistake by reducing the amount of investment because CI expenditures affect Corporate Image which has an important double effect, on Customer Satisfaction (which is one of our companies objectives) and on Production Staff Motivation (which increase our employees productivity). As the business report on the industry shows our company had in Period 2 the smallest index of Corporate Image of all companies, I for sure believe that we should have put 2,0 or even 3,0mEur. Of course 10 people in technology is a really small number when thinking that a quality product don’t invest that much in R&D. They should be at least 30-34 so that we could be flexible to technological changes. By investing in technology we could reduce the overall amount of the environmental damage indicator caused by company which beside avoiding the penalty (we had to pay unless it turned 100 or more) it has a direct influence on Sales, Absenteeism of product employees, Corporate Image, Share price and Motivation of staff in production. Also, 0,5mEur in ecology isn’t enough for a quality centered Copy machine. Consumers care about the environment and ecology generally. Eco-friendliness affect their satisfaction so if we were more eco-friendly we would gain consumers appreciation and loyalty. So the more eco-friendly would be our product the merrier market share we would gain. Moreover, I believe we had had to invest in new production lines (Type C for example) because we could improve ecology index of the production lines themselves easily by replacing certain lines. And for sure 0,0mEur investment in ecological plants is totally unacceptable for the same reasons. I don’t have many objections for not investing yet in the technology, ecology and value analysis of the Copy I-new in period 2. At first we should have gained a loyal market share and then when having some kind of certainty for our product’s continuation/progress and of course enough capital to step to the next level to invest in the Copy I-new. I don’t agree with the amount of production because we weren’t well prepaered for selling that. On the other hand I would quite agree with the amount of production we had in period 2 in case we had planned more thoroughly our decisions bearing on mind our differentiation strategy maybe we could sell it. As I see our decisions now I can’t understand how we didn’t invest in training the production workers. Of course that resulted to the staff generally, shown with the attrition. Training has a positive influence on Production Staff Motivation and that would facilitate our 1st objective which is the increase of employees’ productivity. So for sure I believe we had to invest in training at least 1,5mEur. For the same reason I believe that non-salary costs should be a little higher (e.g 40%). Finally, I don’t think that the number of production workers was in that period enough (especially if we had done everything I have mentioned above), so bearing in mind all of the above neither the number of production stuff would be enough nor of course the Short-term loan. Conclusion For the Company 1 the organizing of the planning process and the decision making process in each period was a unique experience. Almost all of us were inexperienced in such an activity, even in a group work, so we were trying for the best result every time.. Even if that never came! Most of us found the whole procedure and the business game a great opportunity to realize how to use some of our already acquired knowledge and a great chance to learn many more from our colleagues and our professor. Thank you for that opportunity!

Genetic Information Essay

The goal of this essay is to determine whether the information presented within it could be considered a violation or a non-violation of the GINA of 2008. A case study has been determined to be a method to learn about a complex instance. This information is based on understanding the detailed instance and analyzing the context as a whole. I will be briefly discussing this case study. The GINA legislation had unanimous support when it was signed into law by President Bush. This case study is broken down into many different stories that focus on GINA. The Act was voted into Congress in 2008 (Hudson, Holohan, & Collins, 2014). Case studies also describes an analyses of persons, events, decisions, periods, projects, policies, institutions, or other systems that are studied. GINA is being described as promoting genetic research and preventive screening, safeguard medical privacy, and prevent unfair treatment of individuals based on traits that are linked to diseases (Hudson, Holohan, Coll ins, 2014). There was talk about the threat that arises from the Supreme Court’s federalism revolution of 1995-2001. Chief Justice Rehnquist took greater strides in placing a limit on the power of Congress. These rules affected the Tenth, Eleventh, and Fourteenth Amendments along with the Commerce Clause that would balance the power of the state and federal (Tobin, 2008). It is stated in the fact sheet that â€Å"GINA expands the genetic information protections included in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). HIPAA prevents a plan or issuer from imposing a preexisting condition exclusion provision based solely on genetic information, and prohibits discrimination in individual eligibility, benefits, or premiums based on any health factor (including genetic information)† (United States Department of Labor, 2009). Surveys was taken from 50 states that relied on the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These surveys showed disparities in private sector leave and  gender differences. Arguments are made over the distinction based on the level of scrutiny (Tobin, 2008). GINA was first introduced in 1995 in response to concerns about the misuse of information regarding genetic predispositions to various diseases. The bill sought to help those that was applying for insurance to keep them from being denied. According to GINA the analysis went wrong in some aspect of employment. The Supreme Court’s Section 5 jurisprudence insofar as they provide remedies for state employees (Tobin, 2008). It is also unlawful for a covered entity to disclose genetic information about applicants, employees or members. Covered entities must keep genetic information confidential and in a separate medical file (Tobin, 2008). There are limited exceptions to this non-disclosure rule, such as exceptions that provide for the disclosure of relevant genetic information to government officials investigating compliance with Title II of GINA and for disclosures made pursuant to a court order (Tobin, 2008). When it comes down to any type of employment the law forbids discrimination on the basis of genetic information which include hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoffs, training, fringe benefits, or any other type of employment. An employer should never use genetic information to make an employment decision because genetic information is not relevant to an individual’s ability to work at any time (Tobin, 2008). A goal of the policy is to protect equality and privacy of an employer that lose their jobs as a result to genetic testing. According to Kimel and Garrett evidence that Congress collected is of no concern because it’s only in the private sector and not by state. Some states argued that being flexible to GINA is not consistent with the Court’s (Tobin, 2008). Instances in these cases shows the analysis of the areas that are considered too went wrong with GINA. For instance, courts need to apply heightened constitutional scrutiny to genetic discrimination. This will keep states from arguing against them and win stating its insufficient data. Another examples is there is a strong case for abrogating sovereign immunity in those cases where employers rely on the information that is took from genetic testing that has been linked to racial or ethnic backgrounds. The last reason is the provisions that uphold GINA’S privacy in 5 legislations has an uncertainty about it not being strong enough to work against state  employment. The Voting Rights Act Reauthorization Act was created in 2006 to place jurisdictions on the voting history of racial discrimination. The research from this act allowed congress to take action towards making decisions on these issues. Approval would have to come from the attorney General or a federal court. This pro vision help minority voters the ability to vote and make their voice heard through the election process (Tobin, 2008). Another concern was about racial profiling policies and procedures that needed to be changed to prohibit police from unjustly stereotyping individuals (Tobin, 2008). This bill called End Racial Profiling Act was entered into the legislations by Rep. John Conyers and Sen. Russ Feingold in 2001. The courts shouldn’t have invalidated the civil rights as it did because it didn’t put enough force on change for minorities. It has hesitantly enforced the rights of persecuted minorities and in many ways it has changed the face of the United States law and politics. I determined that GINA has been cited as a strong step forward, but I believe that the legislation does not go far enough in enabling personal control over genetic testing results. In conclusion, these cases have changed the livelihood of many people but more need to be done for better congressional. Some Courts have supported equal right while other decisions have hindered them. References Tobin, H. (2008). The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008: A Case Study of the Need For Better Congressional Responses to Federalism Jurisprudence. Retrieved from Ashford University. Hudson, K., Holohan, M. K., & Collins, F. (2014). Keeping Pace with the Times – The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008. Retrieved from http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp0803964 United States Department of Labor (2009). Fact Sheet. Retrieved from http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/newsroom/fsGINA.html

Binomial and Black and Scholes Pricing models Essay Example for Free

Binomial and Black and Scholes Pricing models Essay The binomial and the Black and Schole models are option valuing models, the Binomial model involves determining the value of options using a tree like format whereby the value of the option is determined by the expiration time period of the option and volatility, for the Black and Schole model the value of options is determined by simply getting a derivative that helps get the discount rates of options. Binomial pricing model: The binomial pricing model was introduced by Ross, Cox and Rubinstein in 1979; it provides a numerical method, in which valuation of options can be undertaken. Application: This model breaks down the option into many potential outcomes during the time period of the option, this steps form a tree like format where by the model assumes that the value of the option will rise or go down, this value is calculated and it is determined by the expiration time and volatility. Finally at the end of the tree of the option the final possible value is determined because the value is equal to the intrinsic value. Assumptions: †¢ The model also assumes that the market is efficient in that people cannot predict the direction of change in the stock prices. †¢ The interest rates are constant and known and therefore they do not change in the time we consider an option. †¢ The model assumes that there are no dividends paid during the period in which one considers the option. †¢ The model assumes that the returns on the stocks are normally distributed. †¢ It also assumes that no commission is paid when buying or selling stock. Binomial and Black and Scholes Pricing models. (2016, Aug 11).

Compare and contrast attitudes towards Native Americans Essay

Compare and contrast attitudes towards Native Americans - Essay Example Even though white American treated American Indians in hostile manner, the latter considered the former as brothers. The American Indian was always treated unfairly and was not rewarded for their efforts and they often survived liked invisible Americans. They were given small reservations and were cut off from the rest of the country. Many Americans who live out of the West have no idea that Native Americans did survive in America. Traditionally, Americans neglected Native Americans and did not give any rights or privilege to this community. Americans felt that even though Native Americans had noble qualities, in the end they are evil, treacherous and cruel. Native Americans were a minority and were treated with injustice by white Americans. Americans kept a distance from Native Americans as they were believed to be lazy, uncivilized and vengeful. Native Americans had been neglected throughout the history of America, until the media started focusing on them. It was in 1960 that two books on American Indians throw some light upon their importance and culture. In 1960s Native Americans received more attention among white Americans and this led to greater awareness of American Indians and the troubles they faced in their daily life. The American Indians utilized the publicity they had among white Indians and the Americans started caring more for their needs and desire. Americans started feeling sympathetic towards Native Americans and started realizing their rights and needs. So the media started to focus on their problems, history and explained the pain they suffered at the hands of white Americans. The plight of the Native Americans is poor because they are largely misunderstood by the White Americans. The problem is the both the parties does not attempt to understand each other. It was in late 20th century that the Americans started realizing that America is not

Debate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Debate - Essay Example In most cases, restitution can happen by restoring liberty, social status, employment, family life, and legal rights of the people (van Boven). Aside from offering rehabilitation programs, there are also cases wherein reparation can happen by extending monetary compesation to the affected people (van Boven; Goldberg). In the United States, a lot of Black farmers have suffered from the psychological, social, and economic consequences of racial discrimination. Today, the administration of Obama is using monetary compensation as a means of settlement for mistreatment that most of the American Indians and Black farmers living in Arizona, the New Mexico, and Montana who have encountered under the administration of the previous U.S. presidents (Baker). Personally, I am against the Native Americans’ reparations. First of all, the U.S. economy is still in the midst of economic uncertainty. By extending $4.5 billion in reparations to the American Indians and Black farmers, the U.S. government may have inadequate fund to boost the entire U.S. economy. As of October 2012, the unemployment rate in the U.S. is 7.9% (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). In the absence of sufficient monetary stimulus, the unemployement rate in the U.S. will remain high. van Boven, Theo. â€Å"Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law, adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution†. United Nations. 2008. Web. 16 November 2012

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Business - Essay Example The amount of problems with this agreement are staggering, but a few should suffice. First: Its not a â€Å"free trade† agreement. There is certainly an argument to be made for the idea of more liberal international markets that allow economies to start converging towards a global price and wage. But this is not what is happening. â€Å" Certainly, today, so-called "free trade" is in fact very much managed trade. I urge people to read, as I have, so-called "free trade" deals--they are densely-packed huge volumes of text that set out protections for capital and investment (particularly, intellectual property and patents). And no one I know opposing these disastrous, middle-class killing trade deals is against trade. They are not "protectionists"--they are people who want trade based not on corporate rights but on trade that creates a floor for wages around the world and boosts community standards, not tries to make a buck on the undercutting of standards† (Tasini, 2010). The enforcement of the agreement is also a joke in bad taste. Just like NAFTA ended up undermining OSHA standards in America and harming Mexican workers, the enforcement regime of the CLC failing entirely, so too will the South Korean FTA fail to protect the law. Bybee, Roger. â€Å"Obama’s India Trip Aimed at CEOs, Not U.S. Workers†. In These Times. November 9, 2010. Retrieved 2/15/2011 from http://dissentingdemocrat.wordpress.com/2010/11/09/obama’s- india-trip-aimed-at-ceos-not-u-s-workers/ Tasini, Jonathan. February 10, 2010. â€Å"Free Trade": The Capitulation Continues, Middle Class Weeps†. Working Life. Retrieved 2/15/2011 from

Currency Depreciation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Currency Depreciation - Essay Example Dollar would be worth less relative to other world currencies. Thus, demand for U.S. goods in the international market would increase, and demand for foreign goods in the U.S. would decrease. Thereby, benefiting the balance of payments and improving the U.S. trade imbalance. In wake of losing comparative advantage with the U.S. in terms of exchange rate, other countries can protect their local firms through protectionist policies, higher tariffs, and duties etc. This would make U.S. goods expensive for foreign consumers and equate the depreciating dollar advantage of the U.S. Furthermore, the U.S. economy can benefit a lot if depreciation in dollar helps to increase exports and decrease imports. An increase in exports could stimulate demands and push firms to hire more people. This would be a good sign for the U.S. economy which is facing an unemployment rate of around 10%. Furthermore, the U.S. companies would get more revenue from selling abroad, and thus, would be obliged to pay more taxes to the government. However, a depreciated dollar can have negative consequences both for itself and the world. Oil is traded in U.S. Dollars on the international market, and oil and dollar share an indirect relationship. That is; a rise in dollar value decreases the price of oil, whereas a fall in the U.S. Dollar increases the price of oil.