Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 400–600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.

Briefly discuss the economic, political, educational, family, and marital systems of a country of your choice. Include a response to the following questions in your discussion:

• If your company was to do business in your chosen country, what kind of social hierarchies and social interactions should you be aware of?
• What kind of management style would you use to be most effective given the cultural attributes of the country?
• How would you overcome the barriers to communication?
• Do you agree with the saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” when it comes to doing business with another country?

Responses to Other Students: Respond to at least 2 of your fellow classmates with at least a 100-word reply about their Primary Task Response regarding items you found to be compelling and enlightening. To help you with your discussion, please consider the following questions:

• What did you learn from your classmate’s posting?
• What additional questions do you have after reading the posting?
• What clarification do you need regarding the posting?
• What differences or similarities do you see between your posting and other classmates’ postings?

ANSWER BOTH QUESTION MINIMUM OF 100 WORDS EACH AND APA FORMAT

1. Do a search for accounting jobs and see how often Excel  and communication skills are required. List the job titles and some details on what level of Excel knowledge is required (some knowledge, expert knowledge, etc). Why do you think Excel and communication skills are important for accounting majors?

2. Review the video under Week 1, Vertical Analysis Video that covers vertical analysis and pie charts; then answer the following question for your post. What part of the video did you find the most helpful and why?

http://www.cengage.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&flag=student&product_isbn_issn=9780324594393&discipline_number=400

DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO SEE VIDEO ON THE ATTACHMENT

Write a 1,200- to 1,500-word paper incorporating your analysis with evidence to substantiate your conclusion.

Describe your setting by answering the following:

1. How were the people arranged in the physical environment layout of room and seating arrangement)?

A.  What is the composition of the group, in terms of

number of people, ages, sex, ethnicity, etc.?

B.  What is purpose, mission, or goals of the group? What is the duration of the group (short, long-term)?

C.  Did the group structure its discussion around an agenda, program, rules of order, etc.?  Explain items 1, A-C employing sources to support your ideas. (worth .5 point).

1. Who are the primary facilitators of the group? What were the group’s norms, roles, or status hierarchy?  Employ Myers and sources, concepts, and theory to support your ideas. (Worth 1 points)
2. What communication patterns illustrated if the group was unified or fragmented? Explain using Myers and one additional source to support your idea as well as the concepts (1 pt)
3. Did the members share a sense of identity with one another (characteristics of the group-similarities, interests, philosophy, etc.)? Explain; how did the collective group behaviors influence individual attitudes and the group’s effectiveness or behaviors? Provide an overall analysis as it relates to Myer’s and additional sources. (Worth 1 point)
4. Was there any indication that members might be vulnerable to Groupthink? Why or why not?  Explain how your observations relate to research studies on norm formation, group norms, conformity, and/or social influence. Integrate your findings with literature from the textbook (Myers), peer-reviewed journal articles, and additional scholarly sources. (Worth 1 point)
5. Provide in-text citations of 2 peers reviewed references in addition to Myers, to support your key points. (Worth 1 pt.)
6. Post the completed assignment as a Word document in the appropriate assignment section along with a copy of the Plagiarism Checker (turitin) report. Report can not be > than 20% match (Worth .5 point)
7. Submit the Certificate of Originality in addition to your assignment and turnitin report.

Assignment 2: Utility, Elasticity, and Demand

For this assignment, suppose that you are in charge of designing a product campaign for a new shampoo.

Assignment Guidelines, Part 1

Prepare a 2-3 page paper in Microsoft Word to address the following:

• Describe the ultimate goal of the product campaign for the new shampoo.
• Discuss your methods for achieving this goal.
• Identify the components of marketing, pricing, and distribution for the campaign.
• Include in your response a discussion and analysis of the concepts of utility, price elasticity, and demand.

Assignment Guidelines, Part 2

Using Microsoft Excel:

• Prepare a graph which illustrates the desired effect of the marketing campaign as a shift in market equilibrium with reference to price and quantity adjustments.
• Prepare another graph to illustrate how a change in consumer utility affects the price elasticity of demand.
• Copy and paste or import these graphs into the MS Word document you prepared in Part 1 of this assignment.

Remember, quotations, paraphrases, and ideas you get from articles, or other sources of information should be cited using APA style.

You will apply important microeconomics concepts toward the competitive strategies of an organization that operates in an industry of your choice. You will evaluate the differences between market structures and identify a group of competitive strategies consistent with the market structure that best aligns with the market in which the organization competes. You will assess how the market structure positively and negatively affects the organization’s ability to earn an economic profit over time and evaluate the effectiveness of the organization’s competitive strategies.

Select an industry. Identify an organization in that industry. Your selected organization must be submitted for instructor approval.

Identify the market structure in which this organization competes. Clearly indicate why the market structure was decided upon and how this market structure differentiates from the other alternatives.

Describe the level of competition the organization will face if under each of the following market structures:

• Oligopoly
• Perfect competition
• Monopoly
• Monopolistic competition

Identify three or more competitive strategies of your choice that may be used by the organization to maximize its profits over the long run. Evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies in the market structure you identified. Consider the following:

• Expected changes in supply and demand
• Price elasticity of demand
• Market structure
• Government regulations

Make recommendations related to the strategies the organization might consider to maximize its profits and consider the following:

• What are the ethical implications of these strategies?
• Does this strategy align with the organization’s current values?
• Does this strategy align with your own values?

Cite a minimum of 3 peer reviewed sources.

There are two Learning Activities in the unit.

Career Competency: Personal Branding

In Unit 2, you have already started the process of branding yourself through the Personal SWOT analysis and Outcome List. Take another look at your Strengths and Opportunities. Pull out the two to three words that resonate with you most that describe you. Remember, when you are out there in business, you are the product and how you position this product, depends upon you.

For example, you might be an Artistic Engineer or an Articulate Organizer.

By using your two to three word statements that are your tagline and brand, create a 30-second elevator speech (pitch) where you will sell your most valuable product, you. As a result of your pitch, why would people want to engage and conduct business with you? Why would people want to hire you? Always be ready with your branding statement and elevator pitch as one never knows when opportunity will knock. Oh yes, do not forget to close the deal too i.e., follow up with a scheduled meeting to talk further.

Learning Activity Checklist:

Complete this Learning Activity by submitting your 30 second branding statement (elevator pitch) to the Unit Three Learning Activity DropBox so the Professor can learn more about you too.

In this Assignment on creating a 30 second elevator speech (pitch) you will engage in developing the following professional competencies:

MUST BE NEW AND ORIGINAL WORK. ALL POINTS MUST BE COVERED AND IN APA FORMAT

Consider the following:

Is the experience of being an adolescent the same for males and females? Is it the same across different historical times or eras? What about across different cultures or sub populations within a culture? This assignment involves exploring similarities and differences in one of these areas. Using the University Library, search for articles that address gender, historical, cultural, or sub-cultural differences in adolescence.

Write a 1,050 -word paper summarizing your findings. Your paper should include a brief introduction to the topic, a review of research findings, and a conclusion.

Include at least four references from professional peer-reviewed journals.

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines