Assignment 1: Not All Companies Are Viewed as Equal
Due Week 2 and worth 175 points

In the land of free trade, the public does not view all industries as equal. Do you believe that is ethical? Do you believe that some industries are unfairly targeted? Should it be consumers’ choice to partake in products that are not healthy for them, or do those companies have an ethical obligation to protect people? In this assignment, you will choose one (1) industry to write about. Possible industries to research could be tobacco, soda, alcohol, casinos, or candy companies, just to name a few.

Write a one and a half to two (1½ – 2) page paper in which you:

1.      Become an advocate for either the consumer or the industry. Prepare an argument explaining the major reasons why you support either the consumer or the industry. 

2.      Explain the role capitalism plays in corporate decision making.

3.      Discuss if you believe it is possible for a company to cater to both its best interest and that of the consumer conjointly or if one always has to prevail. Justify your response.

4.      Use at least two (2) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

5.      Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:

a.       Typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.

b.      Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, your name, your professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.

c.       Include a reference page. Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.

“Battling Over Bottled Water”  Please respond to the following:

·         Read Case 3.2: Battling Over Bottled Water, located here or on page 109 in your textbook. Nestlé holds a 99-year lease for the land that the Sanctuary Spring sits on. While lease-holders are generally understood to be able to make full use of their land, when public resources are involved, they are limited to “reasonable uses.” Review the case study and formulate an argument either supporting or challenging this distinction. Support your reasoning by addressing key ways in which benefits and burdens are being distributed between Nestlé and the community in this case.

“One Nation Under Walmart”  Please respond to the following:

·         Read Case 4.3: One Nation under Walmart, located here or on page 144 in your textbook. Next, choose two (2) of the five (5) discussion questions located at the end of the case. Formulate your response and post to the Week 4 discussion. Respond to a peer who answered at least one (1) different question than you did. 

Assignment 1: “What Makes ______ the Best Place to Work and Why?”
Due Week 2 and worth 100 points

Choose one (1) company that you believe would be an ideal company to work for based on working conditions, salary, opportunity for advancement and work involved. Use the Internet to research.

Write a four to six (4-6) page paper in which you:

1.       Evaluate the fundamental driving forces that shape the organizational environment of the selected company. Be sure to address the following: competing in a global marketplace, workforce diversity, ethics and morality, and technological innovation.

2.       Examine the selected company’s specific practices or policies. Speculate on the major influences that these practices or policies have on individual and organizational outcomes.

3.       Determine which practices related to work attitudes in U.S. organizations are most strongly affected by diversity and suggest a strategy to address the effects.

4.       Use at least three (3) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

·         Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

·         Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

“What Is Motivation?” Please respond to the following:

·         Watch the video titled, “Puzzle of Motivation” (18 min 36 s).  You can also view the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrkrvAUbU9Y.  Next, explain what approaches organizations can take to motivate their employees other than pay incentives. Explain the main reasons that these other incentives may motivate employees and justify your response.

“The Importance of Goal Setting”  Please respond to the following:

·         Provide one (1) specific scenario of an employee using goal setting to increase work motivation and task performance, reduce stress, and improve the accuracy of performance evaluation. 

 Developing Your Project Scope

·         You have been hired to lead a project (the project of your choice). As the project manager, you know it is important to get the project off to a good start. Using the tools provided in the required readings, provide a quick summary of your project, including the scope and objectives of your project. Be sure to include a high-level WBS for your project. 

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·         After posting your response, respond to at least one (1) of your classmates on any recommendations to their project.

“Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Global Citizenship”  Please respond to the following:

·         You are the author of a popular CSR article. For this week’s discussion post, discuss the main reasons why Apple is or is not a socially responsible organization. List at least two examples of Apple’s actions that support your position. Be sure to use terms from Chapter 3 to demonstrate your understanding of corporate social responsibility.

·         Additionally, rate the quality of your peers’ posts. You can rate posts by clicking on the stars in the upper right hand corner of each post. A rating of one star is the lowest and five stars is the highest. The post with the highest rating will be acknowledged by the instructor in next week’s announcements.