BUSINESS RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT

Background Information - Learn as much as you can about the background and current situation of your company. Gather information from your company’s web site and Yahoo Financial.

See Company Profile on http://finance.yahoo.com , www.google.com or your company’s web site. List 4-5 key points about your company’s history and/or current situation.

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Planning: Mission, Values, Corporate Social Responsibility - Successful companies use a mission statement and values to guide their decision-making and foster public trust. In addition to these “touchstones for decision-making,” most companies today are involved in socially responsible activities.

What is your company’s mission statement? Write it here.

Does your company have a Code of Ethics or Value Statement? Briefly describe.

Indicate which overall business strategies the company seems to be following and explain why you think so: mass merchant, luxury marketer, or analytic approach. Be sure to define the term and give an example.

Identify two ways the company contributes to society through monetary donations, hosted events, or other corporate socially responsible activities.

Organization -

Identify the type of organizational structure the company appears to use (see text).

Define the type of structure, explain why you think this structure fits your organization and give an example.

Leadership -

Current CEO or Founder’s Name: _____________________.

Read one article about the current CEO or Founder of your company and outline at least four things you learned about him/her.

What essential management skills do you think your CEO demonstrates? Identify the skill, define, and give an example of at least two skills. (View textbook).

What leadership style do you think your CEO embodies. Identify, define and give an example (View textbook).

Motivation -

Go to http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2011/full_list/ (year can be adjusted online)

Is your company listed as one of the top 100 companies? __________________

Investigate three companies that are in the top 100.

List the company’s name and briefly describe, “what makes it so great.” You will find this info by clicking on the company link.

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What can you learn about employee motivation from this site and why companies are considered “good to work for”?

A good place to work?

Based on your management research, do you think your company would be a good place to work? State your position and then give three reasons and evidence that defend your position.

Position:

Reason and evidence that defends your position:

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List References using APA Reference Page format -

Include all resources you used to develop this worksheet here – use APA Reference Page Formatting.

Professionalism and format –

Table looks neat and professional. Spacing is accurate and in appropriate relationship to text. No excessive white space and headings and text are on same page.

Total Points