week 6 tlmt 442

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 Hazel had worked for the same Fortune 500 company for almost fifteen years.  

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Hazel had worked for the same Fortune 500 company for almost fifteen years. Although the company had gone through some tough times, things were starting to turn around. Customer orders were up, and quality and productivity had improved dramatically from what they had been only a few years earlier due to a companywide quality improvement program. So it came as a real shock to Hazel and about 400 of her co-workers when they were suddenly terminated following the new CEO's decision to downsize the company. After recovering from the initial shock, Hazel tried to find employment elsewhere. Despite her efforts, after eight months of searching, she was no closer to finding a job than the day she started. Her funds were being depleted and she was getting more discouraged. There was one bright spot, though: She was able to bring in a little money by mowing lawns for her neighbors. She got involved quite by chance when she heard one neighbor remark that now that his children were on their own, nobody was around to cut the grass. Almost jokingly, Hazel asked him how much he would be willing to pay. Soon Hazel was mowing the lawns of five neighbors. Other neighbors wanted her to work on their lawns, but she did not feel that she could spare any more time from her job search. However, as the rejection letters began to pile up, Hazel knew she had to make an important decision in her life. On a rainy Tuesday morning, she decided to go into business for herself—taking care of neighborhood lawns. She was relieved to give up the job of stress hunting, and she was excited about the prospects of being her own boss. But she was also fearful of being completely on her own. Nevertheless, Hazel was determined to make a good fit. At first, business was a bit slow, but once people realized Hazel was available, many asked her to take care of their lawns. Some people were simply glad to turn the work over to her; others switched from professional lawn care services. By the end of her first year in business, Hazel knew she could earn a living this way. She also performed other services such as fertilizing lawns, weeding gardens, and trimming shrubbery. Business became so good that Hazel hired two part-time workers to assist her and, even then, she believed she could expand further if she wanted to. Fact 1: Hazel is the operations manager of her business.

Fact 2: Among her responsibilities are forecasting and project management.

Question 1: What kind of things would need to be predicted? Question 2: What type of activities would need project management? Question 3: In what ways are Hazel's customers most likely to judge the quality of her lawn care services? Question 4: What are some of the trade-offs that Hazel would need to consider with regard to working for a company instead of for herself and to expanding her new business?

Read and study the case and complete the questions at the end of the study. Use the case study outline below to assist you with your analysis. Questions should be answered using case study format. Ensure that you adequately explain the problem, describe alternative solutions and justify your recommendation. This exercise should be able to be completed in approximately 3-6 doubled space pages (not counting cover and references).

Case Study Outline (see below)

OUTLINE FOR CASE ANALYSIS Title Page (APA formatted) Case Name: I. Major Facts (State here the major facts as you see them. Make statements clear and concise for your own understanding as well as for the understanding of the other students and the instructor.) II. Major Problem (State here the major problem as you see it. Emphasize the present major problem. You may wish to phrase your statement in the form of a question. In a few cases, there may be more than one major problem. A good problem statement will be concise, usually only one sentence.) III. Possible Solutions A. (List here the possible solutions to the major problem. Let your imagination come up with alternative ways to solve the problem. B. Do not limit yourself to only one or two possible solutions. These solutions should be distinct from each other. C. However, you may wish to include portions of one solution in another solution, as long as each solution stands alone. Only in this manner will your subsequent choice be definitive. D. Briefly note advantages and disadvantages of each possible solution.) etc. IV. Choice and Rationale (State here your choice, A or B or ___ and the detailed reasons for your choice. You may also state your reasons for not choosing the other alterative solutions.) V. Implementation (Prepare a plan to implement your choice) Appendix (Answer case study questions) Reference Page (APA formatted)