ASSIGNMENT 6

ASSIGNMENT FOR UNIT 6.

PLEASE ALL SOLUTIONS MUST FOLLOW THE APA 7 FORMAT WITH IN-TEXT CITATIONS AND REFERENCES AT LEAST 3-4. ALSO MUST HAVE AN INTRODUCTION STATING THE ISSUES AND THE BODY THE SOLUTIONS AND A CONCLUSION AND WHERE APPLICABLE A RECOMMENDATION ATTACHED ARE THE RUBICS FOR THE SOLUTIONS

BUS 5211 MANAGING IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY

1. Discussion Assignment (AT LEAST 500 WORDS)

In the discussion forum, you are expected to participate often and engage in deep levels of discourse.  Please post your initial response as early as possible and continue to participate throughout the unit. You are required to post an initial response to the question/issue presented in the Forum and then respond to at least 3 of your classmates’ initial posts.  You should also respond to anyone who has responded to you. 

As we learned this week in our reading, cognitive dissonance is the discomfort that arises when something that we believe is challenged.

· Is cognitive dissonance ever good for an organization?  For an individual?

· Based on this information, what are three specific things that a leader can do to minimize the impact/leverage the effect of cultural dissonance within an organization?   Include how leaders can assist both themselves and their employees in changing their behaviors.  How can the three questions related to changing behaviors impact the employees in a positive way? What approach can a leader take if he/she receives opposition related to changing behaviors?

BUS 5211 MANAGING IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY

2. Written Assignment (AT LEAST 750 WORDS)

Jack is a 36-year-old leader within a major hospital.  As a leader, he prides himself as a professional who supports his team and helps each of them to meet their chosen goals.   From a personal standpoint, he focuses on eating healthy, exercising regularly, and playing on his church's basketball team but for the past year, his focus on healthy living has declined because of professional responsibilities.  During a follow-up visit to his physician for laboratory test results, he is told by his primary care doctor that his cholesterol is 286, HDL 30, LDL 85, and triglycerides 500. The primary care doctor explains the meaning of the test results. The primary care doctor explains that Jack will need medication to control his cholesterol and lipids, writes prescriptions, and explains that his condition is one of a chronic nature and will likely require lifelong treatment. The risks and benefits of treatment are explained while Jack sits quietly in disbelief. Jack takes the prescriptions and leaves the office convinced that this is a joke. He tears the prescriptions in pieces and throws them in the trash. Jack knows that his recent lack of focus related to his health have taken its toll, along with his family history.  He vows to exercise more and eat a better diet but also wonders how he can turn his bad habits into good ones without neglecting his team.  (Self-Concept Case Study, 2010)  Please address the follow questions.

1. What actions by Jack suggest his self-esteem may be negatively impacted by his diagnosis?

2. What positive direction might Jack explore to help with the acceptance of his diagnosis? How can he motivate his team to get involved in the process?

3. Identify the potential causes in Jack disturbance of self-concept. 

4. How can the behaviors related to self-disclosure and time play a role in helping Jack to accept and live with his diagnosis? What role does communication play in Jack’s overall acceptance? As a leader, how can Jack engage his team in this new healthy lifestyle while respecting his privacy?

Submit a 2-3 page paper. The paper should cite at least 2 sources, using APA format, independent of the textbook and other reasons.

Before beginning this assignment, read the General Guidelines for Case Studies  and review the Case Analysis Rubric . SEE ATTACHMENTS

BUS 5115 BUSINESS LAW, ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

3. Discussion Assignment

For this assignment write at least 450 words answering the following.

· Celebrities often contract to endorse a product. Should they use the product regularly, or even like the product before they are allowed to claim that they “endorse” the product?

· If you were assigned to sell a product called “Sweet Treats” with the slogan, “so sweet, it will make you tweet,” but you thought the product tasted sour, and not at all sweet, what would you do?

· Explore where the line is between harmlessly implying that someone is promoting a product, and someone dishonestly claiming that they genuinely believe the product is the best.

· Consider the impact information on a product’s supply chain might have in this context? Should, for example, a celebrity endorses a product if the product’s manufacturing depends upon a supply chain with negative impact on the environment, for example? Suppose the product itself relies upon ethical suppliers, but other products in the organization’s supply chain might not? Any change?

BUS 5115 BUSINESS LAW, ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

4. Written Assignment (AT LEAST 850 WORDS)

Use the  Instructions for Case Analyses  to craft a response to this case, articulating the main issues and ethical dilemma.   Review the assessment criteria below before you begin writing. 

Case Study: The Pizza Puzzle

Topic: Deceptive Advertising

Involved Parties:

· George Hansen, General Manager of Augusta Marigold Inn, a Subsidiary of Hospitality Enterprises

· Sharon Coombs, Food Services Manager, Augusta Marigold Inn

George Hansen is General Manager for the Marigold Inn in Augusta, Georgia. Sharon Coombs is Restaurant and Food Services Manager for the Inn. She reports to George. Two years ago, Sharon noticed a decline in room service business, the highest margin portion of her operation. This decline coincided with an increase in the national sales of pizza delivery and carryout firms as well as an increase in the number of empty pizza boxes from these firms being left in guest rooms in the Inn. Her immediate response was to install a pizza oven in the kitchen and offer room service pizza to guests. The effort met with modest success, though it was well below her expectations. Questionnaires completed by departing guests revealed a problem of product quality.

Focusing on this problem, Sharon improved the Inn’s pizza until blind taste tests judged it at least equal in quality to the products of the two major pizza delivery competitors in Augusta. Sales did not improve, convincing Sharon that the problem was a perceived mismatch between the hotel’s image and guests’ expectations of pizza makers. Guests simply did not seem to believe that the traditional steak and seafood restaurant at the Inn could make a high-quality, authentic pizza. Based on this conclusion, Sharon presented the following proposal to George:

Sales of room service pizza are stagnant due to guests’ misperception that our product is lower in quality than that of competitors. This misperception is based on the belief that until we disassociate our pizza from the Marigold Inn name. Therefore, to capture more room service pizza business, we should create a ‘Napoli Pizza’ image for our guest room delivery service by:

· Preparing ‘Napoli Pizza’ brochures for each guest room, complete with a phone number with a prefix different from that of Marigold Inn. 

· The number will reach a special phone in room service, which will be answered, "Napoli Pizza, authentic Italian pizza from old, family recipes.”

· Using special ‘Napoli Pizza’ boxes for delivering room service pizza to guests.

· Issuing ‘Napoli Pizza’ hats and jackets to room service personnel for use in pizza delivery. Room service waiters and waitresses will wear these garments to deliver pizza. They will change to their regular uniforms for other deliveries.

How should George respond to this proposal?

BUS 5115 Written Assignment Requirements

Submit a written paper which is 2-3 pages in length exclusive of reference page and that is double-spaced. The paper should cite sources to support your ideas. Be sure to review the assessment criteria below before beginning your paper. Cite any reference(s) you use in the preparation of your essay using proper APA format.

Written Assignment Peer Assessment Rubric

For this assignment, your peers will be evaluating your work with the following criteria.

· Identifies all the relevant facts of the case.

· articulates overarching ethical issues including the extent of George's responsibility to take action.

· Identifies the various stakeholders, and what is at stake for each one.

· poses possible alternatives and ethics of each alternative. Paper should explore the possible alternatives and ethics from the Utilitarian Perspective, the Rights Perspective,or the Justice Perspective.

· Identifies all practical constraints.

· Recommends a specific George should take, directly answers the question "how should George respond?

· Is of high quality, writing is clear and professional, paper is organized and flows in a logical way.

· Conforms to the structural requirements including APA style guidelines for references.

NB: WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT FOR BUS 5115 UNIT 6 ABOVE SHOULD FOLLOW THE FORMAT ATTARCHED THANK YOU.

BUS 5116 OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

5. Discussion Assignment (AT LEAST 600 WORDS)

Toyota started in the late 1940's creating the pillars of what later would be the Toyota Production System (TPS) or has become known globally as Lean Manufacturing System. This approach has been widely implemented in many industries driving profound changes within the operations context. Recently, Toyota has announced some details about the TPS development that is intended to revolutionize manufacturing systems – Toyota New Global Architecture (TGNA).

Read the article “ TNGA explained: engineering for the future”  and answer the following questions:

· Do you think this system is indeed revolutionary?  Why or Why not?

· Do you think this new approach for manufacturing is driving a change of the quality strategy of the company?

· If that is the case, what do you think are the key changes?

In the discussion forum, you are expected to participate often and engage in deep levels of discourse.  Please post your initial response as early as possible and continue to participate throughout the unit. You are required to post an initial response to the question/issue presented in the Forum and then respond to at least 3 of your classmates’ initial posts.  You should also respond to anyone who has responded to you.

N.A. (2015). TNGA explained: engineering for the future. Official Blog of Toyota GB.  Retrieved from:  http://blog.toyota.co.uk/tnga-explained-engineering-for-the-future

BUS 5116 OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

6. Written Assignment (AT LEAST 850 WORDS)

Case Study: In 1999, NASA lost the Mars Climate Orbiter, a 338 kg robotic space probe (with a cost of $327.6 million dollars) due to a failed translation of British units into metric units in the mission software. This mistake triggered an unintentional de-orbit of the probe and its subsequent disintegration in Mars’ upper atmosphere.

Read NASA’s release “ Mars Climate Orbiter Failure Board Releases Report, numerous NASA actions underway in response ” ( http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/news/mco991110.html )

Write a 2-3 page response that details the issues of the case, particularly as they relate to quality, and addresses the following questions:

· Which quality approaches, methods and tools would you propose to mitigate each of the 8 contributing factors identified in the release?

· Which considerations would you take in order to implement your proposals within the organization?

Before you begin writing, please see the General Guidelines for Case Studies  and review the assessment criteria below.

Papers will be assessed on the following criteria:

· Description of the Case and Identification/Coverage of Major Issues

· Depth and Scope of Analysis

· Solutions and Strategies

· Writing Clarity and Quality

· APA formatting

TNGA explained engineering for the future - Toyota UK

https://blog.toyota.co.uk/tnga-explained-engineering-for-the-future

5-7 minutes. 15 April 2015

Toyota’s “lean” manufacturing system needs little introduction. The legendary Toyota Production System has helped shaped business practise since it was established in 1948.

Originally called “just-in-time production,” it builds on the approach created by the founder of Toyota, Sakichi Toyoda, his son Kiichiro Toyoda, and the engineer Taiichi Ohno. The principles underlying the TPS are studied and copied the world over.

But while the Toyota Production System pioneered modern manufacturing as we know it, Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) – announced as a development of the Toyota Production System – aims to revolutionise the development of Toyota vehicles by placing more emphasis on harmonising planning and design to increase efficiency.

In simple terms, a greater focus on standardised parts and components means Toyota’s future cars will be better to look at and more engaging to drive. They will also be easier to develop, and delivered more quickly and efficiently to customers. In this blog post, we explain why…

Back to basics

The introduction of the TNGA will also increase the efficiency of the development process while reducing costs, which will free up more resources to be used on developing technology, sales, procurement and production techniques.

But the origins of TNGA were rooted in recent history. According to Mitsuhisa Kato, one of Toyota’s Executive Vice Presidents, the inspiration for the revolutionary TNGA came just after the collapse of Lehman’s bank in 2008, an event that led to the global ‘credit crunch’ and a widespread economic slowdown.

‘It was’, Kato-san said, ‘a fresh reminder that Toyota needed to be able to achieve sustainable growth. The whole company had to change direction.’

What was done?

At the launch of the TNGA project at Toyota’s HQ, Kato-san added that Toyota’s system of appointing an effectively independent chief engineer to each new model project had led to a proliferation of models, platforms and engine derivatives.

Mitsuhisa Kato

Ironically, Toyota’s admirable intention of building cars to meet local demands around the world had resulted in as many as ‘100 platforms and sub-platforms’ in the automaker’s product line up. A platform is the sub-structure of a car, around which a vehicle is designed, engineered and constructed.

Also, the number of powertrains, including engines modified to fit all these different platforms, numbered as many as 800. Such a wide range of components and models also makes it ‘hard to improve on individual models [during their production life time]’.

But Toyota management didn’t just stop at having to completely re-think and re-engineer the platforms and powertrains that would underpin its future models (a process that took place between 2009 and 2011). According to Kato-san, it also decided that it needed to ‘improve the basic performance of its cars’ but also to ‘build attractive and eye-catching cars’ for the future.

Toyota’s engineers were also asked to ‘drive as much as possible, especially outside working hours: love cars.’

It was a brave admission, but Toyota has long been the master of production engineering. In an increasingly competitive future, the company would need to balance the rational engineering with passion for the end product. To this end, Toyota’s production engineers were encouraged to dream up ‘ever-better’ vehicles, being asked by the company to ‘experiment, think and feel…get our hands dirty’ according to the internal briefing.

As well as proposing projects on paper, Toyota’s engineers were also asked to ‘drive as much as possible, especially outside working hours: love cars.’ Toyota’s engineering chiefs also vowed to learn from the automotive opposition, benchmarking rival vehicles and ‘studying technologies from around the world’. One of the results, say company engineers, is that TNGA models will have much improved driving dynamics because this platform has one of the lowest centres of gravity amongst its competitors.

The promise is for cars that are better looking, better to drive and better specified.

The first result of all this work is the TNGA platform, which is designed to give the chief engineers of these upcoming Toyota models enough flexibility to build all kinds of these ‘new-era’ vehicles with the minimum number of different components.

To that end, for example, the TNGA kit of parts can have the front seats placed at as many as five different heights – perhaps the crucial engineering distinction between different types of vehicle – allowing cars from low-rise sporty coupes, to high-rise SUVs and crossovers to be built with the same component set.

What does it mean for you?

Perhaps the best news for future Toyota customers is that Kato-san promised that the majority of money saved by using TNGA would be ploughed back into the development of even better cars for the future.

The promise – to be tested from this year with the first TNGA-based production car – is for cars that are better looking, better to drive and better specified. But ‘sustainable growth’ demands no less.