BUS660 Week
1 Assignment Latest 2018 June
Details:
Throughout this course, you will participate in a variety of
critical thinking exercises designed to engage you in evaluating and selecting
appropriate quantitative models and methods. A key aspect of this process
involves ethical considerations. In an essay of 750-1,000 words, explore
ethical decision making and arrive at conclusions relevant to your industry and
perspectives of Christian worldview.
How do ethical business practices influence the evaluation,
selection, and application of an analytical, quantitative business model? How
does the selection of an appropriate business model reflect ethical practice?
Frame your ethical considerations from both a Christian worldview and business
practice perspective.
What role do individuals and management play in ensuring the
appropriate business model is chosen, used, and evaluated for effectiveness?
Support your assertions with evidence from the readings, external
research, and the textbook.
Prepare the assignment according to the guidelines found in the
APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not
required.
BUS660 Week
2 Assignment Latest 2018 June
Details:
For many of the remaining topics in BUS-660, assignments will be
in the form of case studies. These case studies are designed to provide an
opportunity to engage in that topic’s quantitative analysis method, as well as
demonstrate critical thinking and appropriate professional communication.
Review “Decision Analysis Case Study: Valley of the Sun
Reviews” for this topic’s case study, a proposal to change the faculty
performance review process at Valley of the Sun Academy (VSA).
Based on the information presented in the case study, create a
decision tree or Excel-based analysis to determine the most appropriate
recommendation.
In a 500-750-word report to VSA’s Human Resources department and
the chief financial officer, explain your approach and the rationale for this
method. Evaluate both outcomes and how they would be applied to this decision.
Conclude your report with your recommendation for the review process VSA should
adopt.
Submit your Excel-based analysis or decision tree with your
report.
Prepare the assignment according to the guidelines found in the
APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not
required.
Decision Analysis Case Study:
Valley of the Sun Reviews
Valley of the Sun Academy (VSA) is an online school specializing
in GED programs for the Phoenix area. Valley of the Sun Academy enrolls 813
students and has a part-time faculty pool of 65 online instructors.
Online faculty are reviewed annually and provided with feedback
about their facilitation techniques, content expertise, engagement, and
classroom management. If necessary, remediation and additional support are
provided by the Faculty Advisory Board (FAB). The online faculty reviews are
one factor used to determine overall performance, teaching status, and potential
performance appraisals.
Recently, the FAB submitted a proposal for a new approach for the
next fiscal year, the Peer Faculty Performance Review (PFPR). Human Resources
(HR) and the school’s chief financial officer are evaluating the suggestion
against the current design, described by VSA’s director. Both review processes
are outlined below.
Current Design
Valley of the Sun Academy uses an external firm, TeachBest
Consulting, to conduct annual reviews for online faculty. The review team is
composed of faculty members at other online institutions, including
universities and high schools. Valley of the Sun Academy faculty are not part
of the review process, and TeachBest Consulting handles hiring and training
internally. Valley of the Sun Academy’s HR department assigns completed courses
to review, and VSA’s Technical Support team is responsible for providing access.
Once completed, the TeachBest consultant submits the review form
toVSA’s HR department, and HR submits a payment for each review. In addition,
VSA has an annual contract with TeachBest Consulting.
The overall contract is $2,500/year. If VSA’s enrollment reaches
1,000 or more students or their faculty pool expands to 75 or more instructors,
the contract amount will increase to $5,000/year. There is a 75% chance the
student enrollment will reach 1,000 students within the next 18months and a 25%
chance enrollment will not increase. During the next nine months,Human
Resourcesanticipates hiring at least six math instructors.
Individual reviewers are paid $75 for each review. Reviews are
conducted in March, July, and November, with all faculty reviewed by December
1.
Valley of the Sun Academy is responsible for disseminating the
results of the review to faculty members. If questions arise about review
results, the FAB is responsible for verifying the review and responding to the
instructor. Periodically, the Faculty Advisory Board finds fault with the
initial review and follow-up must be scheduled. Each year, about 5% of the
initial reviews are found to be inaccurate and new reviews must be scheduled.
Valley of the Sun Academy pays a discounted price of $50 for each follow-up
review.
Peer Faculty Performance Review (PFPR) Proposal
The FAB proposes to conduct faculty reviews in-house and no longer
contract TeachBest Consulting. Human Resourceswill review faculty files and
invite the top three performing instructors in four disciplines (Literacy and
Communication, Social Sciences, Math, and Science and Technology) to join the
PFPR committee.
Initial responsibilities will involve creating a new review form
and conducting a norming session for consistency. There will be ongoing
technology fees of $20/month for each reviewer, to ensure access to create and
complete the review forms. There will also be an initial cost to set up the
norming session. The Faculty Advisory Board recommends one of three options:
1. A $500 session that can be scheduled at any time with TeachBest
Consulting.
2. A $750 session offered monthly by an external employee
development firm.
3. A session designed by VSA’s HR and instructional design
specialists, which would be free to attend but would require internal time and
labor costs; HR anticipates a start of two months from implementation would
prevent interrupting normal business practices.
Because the responsibilities are not included in current faculty
contracts, FAB recommends stipends of $50 for each review completed. With the
new internal PFPR process, FAB anticipates faculty reviews would no longer be
overturned and there would not be a need to conduct secondary reviews.
Additionally, FAB expects reviews to move to a 9-month rolling cycle rather
than once every academic year.
BUS660 Week
3 Assignment Latest 2018 June
Details:
Review “Simple Regression Models Case Study: Mystery
Shoppers” for this topic’s case study, a request to evaluate consignment
stores from mystery shopper data.
Based on the information presented in the case study, create a
regression model to determine the most appropriate recommendation.
Prepare a 250-500-word response to Mrs. Turner’s questions about
predicting final scores, statistical significance, and whether a store location
should be closed based on the data provided. Explain your approach and the
rationale for this method. Evaluate the outcomes of your regression model and the
responses to Mrs. Turner’s questions.
Submit a copy of the Excel spreadsheet file you used to design
your regression model and to determine statistical significance.
Note: Students should use Excel’s regression option to perform the
regression.
Use an Excel spreadsheet file for the calculations and
explanations. Cells should contain the formulas (i.e., if a formula was used to
calculate the entry in that cell).
Mac users can use StatPlus:mac LE, free of charge, from
AnalystSoft.
StatPlus:mac LE can be used with Excel 2011 to perform statistical
functions.
Go to the AnalystSoft website and follow the installation
instructions:
http://www.analystsoft.com/en/products/statplusmacle/.
Once installed, Apple users can use StatPlus:mac LE to complete
homework problems that require the use of Excel’s data analysis statistical
functions.
Prepare the written portion of this assignment according to the
guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
An abstract is not required.
Simple Regression Models Case Study: Mystery Shoppers
Chic Sales is a high-end consignment store with several locations
in the metro area. The company noticed a decrease in sales over the last fiscal
year. Research indicated customer satisfaction had decreased and the owner, Pat
Turner, decided to create a mystery shopper program.
The mystery shopper program lasted over a 6-month period,
employing several loyal and new customers assigned to each location. Surveys
were on a 100-point scale and involved categories such as “Staff Attitude,”
“Store Cleanliness,” “Product Availability,” and “Display(s) Appeal.”
After the mystery shopper period concludes, Mrs. Turner sends you
the following e-mail:
Subject: Mystery Data Shopper
Stats and Store Performance?
Good morning! Welcome back from vacationJ I hope you had a
wonderful Fourth of July.
The last mystery shopper surveys came in and I have the final
numbers. I am interested in whether there is a way to predict the final average
based on the initial survey score.Also, is there astatisticallysignificant relationship between how stores
initially performed and what the overall average is?
The initial survey score and the final average data for all seven
store locations is in the table below:
|
Store |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
|
Initial |
83 |
97 |
84 |
72 |
85 |
64 |
93 |
|
Final |
78 |
98 |
92 |
75 |
88 |
70 |
93 |
Also, how good is the relationship between Initial Survey Score
and the Final Average? Could I use an Initial Survey Score to predict a Final
Average? In fact, could I predict a Final Average if I have an Initial Survey
Score of 90?
If you could have this to me before the weekend, that would be
great.
BUS660 Week
4 Assignment Latest 2018 June
Details:
Review “Multiple Regression Models Case Study: Web
Video on Demand” for this topic’s case study, predicting advertising sales
for an Internet video-on-demand streaming service.
After developing Regression Model A and Regression Model B,
prepare a 250-500-word executive summary of your findings. Explain your
approach and evaluate the outcomes of your regression models.
Submit a copy of the Excel spreadsheet file you used to
design your regression model and to determine statistical significance.
Note: Students should use Excel’s regression option to
perform the regression.
Use an Excel spreadsheet file for the calculations and
explanations. Cells should contain the formulas (i.e., if a formula was used to
calculate the entry in that cell). Students are highly encouraged to use the
“Multiple Regression Dataset” Excel resource to complete this
assignment.
Mac users can use StatPlus:mac LE, free of charge, from
AnalystSoft.
Prepare the written portion of this assignment according to
the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success
Center. An abstract is not required.
Multiple Regression Models Case Study: Web Video on Demand
Web Video on Demand (WVOD) is an Internet video-on-demand
streaming service. The company offers a subscription service for $5.99/month,
which includes access to all programming and 30-second commercial intervals.
In the last year, the company has recently begun producing its own
programming, including 30-, 60-, and 120-minute television shows, specials, and
films. Programming has been developed for teen audiences as well as adults.
The following data represent the amount of money brought in
through advertising sales, the average number of viewers, length of the
program, and the average viewer age per program.
BUS660 Week
5 Assignment Latest 2018 June
Details:
Access the “Entrepreneurship and the U.S. Economy” page
of the Bureau of Labor Statistics website
(https://www.bls.gov/bdm/entrepreneurship/entrepreneurship.htm) and complete
this forecasting assignment according to the directions provided in the
“Forecasting Case Study: New Business Planning” resource.
Use an Excel spreadsheet file for the calculations and
explanations. Cells should contain the formulas (if a formula was used to
calculate the entry in that cell). Students are highly encouraged to use the Excel
resource, “Forecasting Template,” to complete this assignment.
Mac users can use StatPlus:mac LE, free of charge, from
AnalystSoft.
Prepare the assignment according to the guidelines found in the
APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not
required.
BUS660 Week
6 Assignment Latest 2018 June
Details:
Manually complete the following problems in the textbook:
1.
Problem 7-14
2.
Problem 7-15
3.
Problem 7-18
Use an Excel spreadsheet file for the calculations and
explanations. Cells should contain the formulas (i.e., if a formula was used to
calculate the entry in that cell). Students are highly encouraged to use the
“Optimization Modeling Problem Set” Excel resource to complete this
assignment.
BUS660 Week
7 Benchmark – Data Analysis Case Study Assignment Latest 2018 June
Details:
Review “Benchmark Assignment – Data Analysis Case Study”
and “Benchmark Assignment – Data Analysis Case Study Data” for this
topic’s case study, evaluating operations for a local restaurant.
Although your friend and restauranteur Michael Tanaglia offered to
go over your findings in person, you believe it would be appropriate to also
prepare a report and document your findings in writing. In a 1,000-1,250-word
report, explain your approach for each evaluation and the rationale for the
methods you used. Include any recommendations based on customer satisfaction,
forecasting, and staff scheduling data.
Use an Excel spreadsheet file for the calculations and
explanations. Cells should contain the formulas (i.e., if a formula was used to
calculate the entry in that cell). Students are highly encouraged to use the
“Benchmark Assignment – Data Analysis Case Study Template” and
“Benchmark Assignment – Data Analysis Case Study Linear Programming
Template” to complete this assignment.
Mac users can use StatPlus:mac LE, free of charge, from
AnalystSoft.
Prepare the assignment according to the guidelines found in the
APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not
required.
Benchmark Assignment – Data Analysis Case Study
The Cicero Italian Restaurant was founded by Anthony Tanaglia in
1947 in Cicero, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. He built the business with his
family from a small pizza and pasta restaurant to 10locations in the Chicago
area. Michael Tanaglia, Anthony’s grandson, moved to Arizona to escape the cold
Chicago winters and opened a restaurant in the Chandler area. The Arizona
restaurant gained momentum thanks to the Chicago-style pizza and quality
Italian dishes. Anthony decided to expand operations in Arizona, adding a
second location in Glendale. The Glendale location was managed by Michael’s son
Tony.
After ayear of operations, Michael had some concerns with the
Glendale location. Michael does not want his family’s business to fail, and he
wants his grandfather’s legacy to last. Michael also understands how important
an operational evaluation can be to identifying the strengths and weaknesses of
a business. Michael confides his concerns to you andasks if you will do him a
favor and use your quantitative analytic expertise to help him evaluate the
Glendale location’s operations in three key areas: customer satisfaction,
customer forecasting, and staff scheduling. As his friend, you agree – though
his offer to treat you to the large pizza of your choice didnot hurt.
First Evaluation
The first evaluation required an understanding of the factors
thatcontribute to customer satisfaction and spending. Refer to the data Michael
provided in the Excel spreadsheet “Benchmark Assignment – Data Analysis Case
Study Data.” Identify which variables are significant to predicting overall
satisfaction. Develop and interpret the prediction equation and the coefficient
of determination. Based upon the data in this evaluation, what areas should
Michael and Tony Tanaglia focus on to improve customer satisfaction?
Second Evaluation
The second evaluation requires a forecast of customers based upon
demand. Michael reviewed data for the previous 11 months in an attempt to
better forecast restaurant customer volume.
BUS660 Week
8 Assignment Latest 2018 June
Details:
Review “Simulation Case Study: Phoenix Boutique Hotel
Group” for this topic’s case study, in which you provide guidance to
Phoenix Boutique Hotel Group (PBHG) founder Bree Bristowe.
In addition to creating a simulation model, prepare a
500-750-word recommendation for Bristowe’s best course of action. Explain your
model and the rationale for your recommendations.
Use an Excel spreadsheet file for the calculations and
explanations. Cells should contain the formulas (i.e., if a formula was used to
calculate the entry in that cell). Students are highly encouraged to use the
“Simulation Case Study: Phoenix Boutique Hotel Group Template” Excel
resource to complete this assignment.
Mac users can use StatPlus:mac LE, free of charge, from
AnalystSoft.
Prepare the assignment according to the guidelines found in
the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not
required.
