In Unit VII of this course, you will submit a final paper on a publicly traded company of your choice. You will complete this paper over several units in this course. For this assignment, you will be completing the first part of this project. It would be a good idea to read all of the milestones of this assignment in the units that follow to ensure that the company you choose has sufficient information to complete the project. For this first assignment, follow the instructions below.

Select the company you will be researching for your paper. Compose a brief paper that gives an overview of your company. Your summary should include the following: the type of firm, the banking structure of the firm in terms of current and past investments, what industry it is in, and any relevant history or background information. Make sure to also incorporate how the firm currently structures its capital by identifying banking relationships.

Your paper must be at least two pages in length, and you must use at least two academic sources. Adhere to APA Style when creating citations and references for this assignment.

The following library resources may be helpful to you while completing all parts of this research project throughout the course.

• Finding Articles: A Quick Start Guide
• Business Research Essentials webinar
• How to Find Journal Articlestutorial

If needed, closed captioning is available in the bottom right corner of the webinar and tutorial.

As a UMGC student, you will acquire competencies (knowledge & skills) that will help you succeed in a variety of fields and work environments. In this Unified Assignment, you will you will acquire 5 Core Competencies over the course of this semester.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

1. Locate Articles for College Level Research
2. Vet Sources
3. Cite a Source Correctly in Chicago Style
4. Identify and Summarize Arguments
5. Identify Bias

You will acquire these competencies by completing 7 steps culminating in a polished Annotated Bibliography.:

• Step 1: Learn to Find Scholarly Articles for Research
• Step 2: Learn to Vet Sources
• Step 3: Learn to Cite in Chicago Style
• Step 4: Learn to Identify and Summarize Arguments
• Step 5: Learn to Identify Bias
• Step 6: Compose the First Half of Your Annotated Bibliography
• Step 7: Revise the First Half Based on Faculty Feedback from Step 6. Complete and Polish Your Annotated Bibliography

At the end of Step 7, you will have a complete, polished Annotated Bibliography.

Here we will bring together all the skills you have learned in Steps 1-5. Much of the work is already done. In Step 1, you located your sources, and in Step 5, you created Chicago Style citations in bibliographic form for them.

In this step (Step 6), we will produce half of the Annotated Bibliography. The second half will be done in Step 7. The first half of your Annotated Bibliography will contain 2 sources:

• 1 scholarly journal article from the UMGC Library
  and
• 1 source from the wider internet

Each source will be cited in Chicago Style bibliographic form, and each source will have its own annotation.

Each annotation will be at least 150-200 words and will include:

• Author Background
• Publishing Organization Background
• Thesis
• Evidence
• Degree of Bias
• Accuracy
• Comparison to Other Sources
• Assessment of Quality for Academic Research
  See instructions for details on these items.

These skills will serve you well in future courses and as you encounter articles in the news and on social media.

In Step 7, we will:

1. use the professor’s feedback to revise the citations and annotations for your first 2 Annotated Bibliography entries.
2. add citations and annotations for 2 more sources
   • 1 scholarly journal article from the UMGC Library
     and
   • 1 source from the wider internet.

In total, your complete Annotated Bibliography in Step 7 will contain 4 sources.

Throughout this course, you have been working on your research paper on a company you have chosen. For this assignment, you will consolidate the parts of the assignment you wrote in Units II, V, and VI. In addition, you will add a new section that comprises content you have learned in this unit.

First, combine Parts I-III of your paper. Be sure to make any changes necessary based on feedback you have received. Make sure that you include an introduction and transitions so that these three parts read as one cohesive document.

Then, you will need to examine your firm’s working capital management. Look at the firm’s annual report and answer the following questions:

• What is the firm’s cash position? Does the firm reflect positive cash balances for the last three years?
• What methods does the firm use to ensure and maintain positive cash flows?
• What methods of short-term financing does the firm use?

Conclude your paper with a final recommendation about whether or not this company would be a good investment for potential investors. Your finished paper must be a minimum of seven pages long, and you must use at least five sources (most of which were likely used in other units). At least one source must come from the CSU Online Library. Adhere to APA Style when creating citations and references for this assignment.

For this assignment, you will continue researching your chosen company. Compose a paper on the financials of your chosen firm; you will choose two ratios from each category (liquidity, profitability, and solvency) and conduct an analysis as well as highlight key areas/trends of the income statement and balance sheet. Be sure to answer the following questions in your response:

• What do the ratios reflect?
• Does the company appear healthy and headed in the right direction? Explain.
• How does the company compare to another firm in the same industry in regards to financial metrics (for instance, a comparison of Target versus Walmart based on the basic ratio categories mentioned above)?

Your paper must be at least two pages in length, and you must use at least two sources. Adhere to APA Style when creating citations and references for this assignment.

You work as a financial analyst at a large automobile corporation that occasionally makes acquisitions of smaller companies that specialize in the production and assembly of small component parts. In order to achieve vertical integration of its newest sports sedan model, the company is evaluating a few manufacturing companies that have experienced strong financial performance in the past few years. These companies would make excellent acquisitions due to the nature and quality of the product and the anticipated ease of transition. You have been tasked to evaluate these companies from a financial perspective and choose one. To do this, you need to brush up on a few concepts by addressing the following topics:

1. Describe what a crediting rate/score is. Should this be a factor in evaluating companies?
2. The firm will need to raise funds immediately for the acquisition, and debt will be used. Should the firm borrow on a long-term or short-term basis? Why?
3. Explain the effect, if any, inflation rates will have on the purchase? How significant is this factor?
4. Define the relationship between yield curves and the term structure of interest rates.
5. Explain what would happen to interest rates if a new process was developed that allowed automobiles to run off oil that was formulated based on lemonade? The technology used to convert this liquid to gas would be pricey but well worth it. What impact would this technology have on interest rates?
6. Discuss what ratios should be used to assess the financial health of the potential acquisition?

Your completed case study must be at least two pages in length, and you must use at least your textbook as a reference. Other references may be used as needed. Adhere to APA Style when creating citations and references for this assignment.

In Unit II, you began working on your research paper that will be due in Unit VII of this course. In this unit, you will continue researching the company that you selected for your paper. For this assignment, evaluate the following items in relation to your chosen company:

• Which stock market exchange is the company listed on?
• Look at the past three years’ worth of stock activity for your company.
  • What is the average stock price during that period?
  • What was the high/low price?
• Has the company ever initiated a stock split?
• How many shares of stock are outstanding? Authorized? Issued?
• Would you invest in this company based on what you have evaluated? Why, or why not?
• Compare this company’s stock to another company within the same industry. How does the stock compare in terms of price and activity? Explain.

Your paper must be at least two pages in length, and you must use at least two sources. Adhere to APA Style when creating citations and references for this assignment.

1. Provide a brief history of the company.
2. List the top management of the firm and note what experience and leadership skills the executives bring to the firm. If it is a larger conglomerate, list both the corporate and business managers.
3. What is the principal business model of the firm? (How does the firm make most of its profits?
4. Search for a vision, mission statement, and statement of values for your chosen firm. Note that not all organizations publish these statements, so you may need to make inferences from the available information. Relevant information is often available at the firm’s website (though it may take some searching) or is contained in its annual reports. You may also interview a manager of the firm or contact investor relations. You may also be able to compare the official statement with the business press coverage of the firm.
5. Identify the major goals of the company. What are its short-term versus long-term goals? What resources must the firm acquire to achieve its long-term goals?
6. What is the organizational structure of your focal firm? Would you describe it as following a traditional organizational structure or a holacracy? What key characteristics can you point to as evidence? In what way has this structure had an impact on the firm’s competitive advantage?
7. Consider your firm’s competitive position and how it has responded to shifts in the external or internal environments. What major strategic change should the firm seriously consider implementing to avoid inertia? Or if the firm is already facing inertia, what can it do to break it?
8. Trace any changes in strategy that you can identify over time. Try to determine whether the strategic changes of your selected firm are a result of intended strategies, emergent strategies, or some combination of both.
9. Identify the core competencies that are at the heart of the firm’s competitive advantage. (Remember, a firm will have only one, or at most a few, core competencies, by definition.)
10. Perform a SWOT analysis for your firm. Remember that strengths and weaknesses (S, W) are internal to the firm, and opportunities and threats (O, T) are external. Prioritize the strategic actions that you would recommend to your firm. Refer to the Implications for Strategic Leaders section on how to conduct a SWOT analysis and provide recommendations building from strategic alternatives.
11. Where does your firm position itself on the industry life cycle? What are the strategic implications?
12. What is the firm’s innovation strategy? Does it rely on incremental or radical innovations? Disruptive or architectural? What are the competitive implications of the firm’s innovation strategies?
13. Are intellectual property rights important for your firm? Can you find what strategies the firm is implementing to protect its proprietary position?
14. Identify a recent innovation by your firm. What is your firm’s strategy to cross the chasm(s) to achieve mass market adoption of its innovation?
15. What attributes describe the current major customer segment for your firm? Are these changing? If so, is your firm prepared to meet these new customer demands?
16. How does your firm organize for innovation? Does it use a closed or an open innovation approach? Is its current approach working, or does it need changing? If it does need changing, in what way?

A job analysis is the process by which information is gathered in an attempt to describe tasks performed for a given job, as well as the environment in which these behaviors are performed. The end product of a job analysis is often called a “job description.” Keeping job analysis data up to date is actually required by law.

For this project you are to conduct a simplified job analysis on the job of your choice. It may be a current or previous job that you have held for at least 6 months, or it may be another position altogether, in which case you will need to interview a job incumbent. Based on the collected information, you will create a job description that identifies the position’s
(1) tasks/responsibilities, (2) KSAOs, (3) required education, licensure, or certifications,
(4) required tools and equipment, (5) working conditions, and (6) reporting structure. Additionally, several critical incidents should be highlighted as well as relevant potential predictors and measures of performance.

Instructions:

1. Choose a job to analyze. A simpler, less complex, position is preferable.

2. Gather information about the position, either by writing down details from your own experience or by interviewing one person who holds this job title. Each incumbent should have held the job for at least six months (this avoids problems with someone who is too new to be able to provide detailed information about his/her position).

3. Complete the noted information below.

Steps in the Job Analysis

1. Gather task information.

2. Obtain background information on the job from the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, the O*NET and any other information sources you may have (including your own knowledge). Remember – do not just copy and paste this info – it is a starting point, must be modified for accuracy, and cited when used. Your final job analysis needs to reflect your original work.

3. Develop a list of tasks performed by the people who hold the job. You can do this a number of ways. You can start with information from the DOT and then interview your incumbents. You could ask them to describe a typical day/week in their job in terms of tasks performed, or if they are willing, you could have them keep a diary of tasks they perform for a few days (this can be very time consuming).

4. Ask additional questions to learn about things like (1) working conditions, (2) general environment, (3) education requirements, (3) machines and equipment used, and (4) supervision received, supervisory tasks/responsibilities, and minimum qualifications.

Basic information that you should include:

• NAME
• COMPANY NAME
• JOB TITLE
• DATE
• TASKS/RESPONSIBILITIES (List tasks/responsibilities in order of importance; action verb – object – modifier statements work best.)
• TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT REQUIRED
• KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES REQUIRED
• EDUCATION, LICENSURE, OR CERTIFICATION REQUIRED
• WORKING CONDITIONS
• JOB DESCRIPTION

Prior to answering the following questions read these three chapters in your “Physical Geology, 2^nd ed.” online textbook:  Chapter 16 (Glaciation), Chapter 17 (Shorelines), and Chapter 19 (Climate Change).  You are also expected to use outside sources from my course Webliography (Content tab), and Internet research.  Answer the following questions in APA-style paragraph form and use proper APA citations.  NOTE: Graphics (e.g., graphs, photos, images, etc.) should be used to support your answers, and make sure you cite the source below the graphic. 

1) Visit the website for the National Snow and Ice Data Center and then answer the following questions: a) What is the “cryosphere”?  What is the origin of “cryos”? Where is most of the “cryosphere” concentrated?  Define and differentiate the following cryosphere components and give a geologic location example of each.

• snow
• glacial ice
• alpine glaciers (valley or mountain glaciers)
• continental ice sheets (ice caps)
• icebergs 
• polar sea ice
• permafrost

2) How do glaciers form and move?  At present, what is the status of most of the world’s glaciers (advancing, retreating, or stable)?  Explain why?  Name and describe a specific glacier as an example.

3) Why are glaciers the best source for evidence of climate change?  What are the two most important research tools that scientists use to monitor and measure glacial ice changes, for both the past and present climate change?

4) Define and describe the following glacial geological features.  Give a geologic location example of each.

• arête
• horn
• cirque
• U-shaped valley (glacial trough)
• fjord
• moraine

5) Discuss the topic of “shoreline and coastal geology”.  What are the major geologic forces that form coastlines?  Name and describe two (2) coastal geological features; one erosional and one depositional, and how they formed.

6) What are the major natural causes of global climate change?  What are the major human causes of global climate change?  Show the latter relationship with a graph (sketch or upload from research sources).

7) What are two (2) major causes of global sea level change?  What are the hazards and consequences of rising global sea level? 

8)  Why are scientists concerned about the loss of polar sea ice?  What is the connection between polar sea ice loss and “albedo”?  Explain.  Is polar sea ice loss related to global sea level change?  Explain. 

Prior to answering the following questions read these three chapters in your “Physical Geology, 2^nd ed.” online textbook:  Chapter 16 (Glaciation), Chapter 17 (Shorelines), and Chapter 19 (Climate Change).  You are also expected to use outside sources from my course Webliography (Content tab), and Internet research.  Answer the following questions in APA-style paragraph form and use proper APA citations.  NOTE: Graphics (e.g., graphs, photos, images, etc.) should be used to support your answers, and make sure you cite the source below the graphic. 

1) Visit the website for the National Snow and Ice Data Center and then answer the following questions: a) What is the “cryosphere”?  What is the origin of “cryos”? Where is most of the “cryosphere” concentrated?  Define and differentiate the following cryosphere components and give a geologic location example of each.

• snow
• glacial ice
• alpine glaciers (valley or mountain glaciers)
• continental ice sheets (ice caps)
• icebergs 
• polar sea ice
• permafrost

2) How do glaciers form and move?  At present, what is the status of most of the world’s glaciers (advancing, retreating, or stable)?  Explain why?  Name and describe a specific glacier as an example.

3) Why are glaciers the best source for evidence of climate change?  What are the two most important research tools that scientists use to monitor and measure glacial ice changes, for both the past and present climate change?

4) Define and describe the following glacial geological features.  Give a geologic location example of each.

• arête
• horn
• cirque
• U-shaped valley (glacial trough)
• fjord
• moraine

5) Discuss the topic of “shoreline and coastal geology”.  What are the major geologic forces that form coastlines?  Name and describe two (2) coastal geological features; one erosional and one depositional, and how they formed.

6) What are the major natural causes of global climate change?  What are the major human causes of global climate change?  Show the latter relationship with a graph (sketch or upload from research sources).

7) What are two (2) major causes of global sea level change?  What are the hazards and consequences of rising global sea level? 

8)  Why are scientists concerned about the loss of polar sea ice?  What is the connection between polar sea ice loss and “albedo”?  Explain.  Is polar sea ice loss related to global sea level change?  Explain. 

Prior to answering the following questions read these three chapters in your “Physical Geology, 2^nd ed.” online textbook:  Chapter 16 (Glaciation), Chapter 17 (Shorelines), and Chapter 19 (Climate Change).  You are also expected to use outside sources from my course Webliography (Content tab), and Internet research.  Answer the following questions in APA-style paragraph form and use proper APA citations.  NOTE: Graphics (e.g., graphs, photos, images, etc.) should be used to support your answers, and make sure you cite the source below the graphic. 

1) Visit the website for the National Snow and Ice Data Center and then answer the following questions: a) What is the “cryosphere”?  What is the origin of “cryos”? Where is most of the “cryosphere” concentrated?  Define and differentiate the following cryosphere components and give a geologic location example of each.

• snow
• glacial ice
• alpine glaciers (valley or mountain glaciers)
• continental ice sheets (ice caps)
• icebergs 
• polar sea ice
• permafrost

2) How do glaciers form and move?  At present, what is the status of most of the world’s glaciers (advancing, retreating, or stable)?  Explain why?  Name and describe a specific glacier as an example.

3) Why are glaciers the best source for evidence of climate change?  What are the two most important research tools that scientists use to monitor and measure glacial ice changes, for both the past and present climate change?

4) Define and describe the following glacial geological features.  Give a geologic location example of each.

• arête
• horn
• cirque
• U-shaped valley (glacial trough)
• fjord
• moraine

5) Discuss the topic of “shoreline and coastal geology”.  What are the major geologic forces that form coastlines?  Name and describe two (2) coastal geological features; one erosional and one depositional, and how they formed.

6) What are the major natural causes of global climate change?  What are the major human causes of global climate change?  Show the latter relationship with a graph (sketch or upload from research sources).

7) What are two (2) major causes of global sea level change?  What are the hazards and consequences of rising global sea level? 

8)  Why are scientists concerned about the loss of polar sea ice?  What is the connection between polar sea ice loss and “albedo”?  Explain.  Is polar sea ice loss related to global sea level change?  Explain. 

Prior to answering the following questions read these three chapters in your “Physical Geology, 2^nd ed.” online textbook:  Chapter 16 (Glaciation), Chapter 17 (Shorelines), and Chapter 19 (Climate Change).  You are also expected to use outside sources from my course Webliography (Content tab), and Internet research.  Answer the following questions in APA-style paragraph form and use proper APA citations.  NOTE: Graphics (e.g., graphs, photos, images, etc.) should be used to support your answers, and make sure you cite the source below the graphic. 

1) Visit the website for the National Snow and Ice Data Center and then answer the following questions: a) What is the “cryosphere”?  What is the origin of “cryos”? Where is most of the “cryosphere” concentrated?  Define and differentiate the following cryosphere components and give a geologic location example of each.

• snow
• glacial ice
• alpine glaciers (valley or mountain glaciers)
• continental ice sheets (ice caps)
• icebergs 
• polar sea ice
• permafrost

2) How do glaciers form and move?  At present, what is the status of most of the world’s glaciers (advancing, retreating, or stable)?  Explain why?  Name and describe a specific glacier as an example.

3) Why are glaciers the best source for evidence of climate change?  What are the two most important research tools that scientists use to monitor and measure glacial ice changes, for both the past and present climate change?

4) Define and describe the following glacial geological features.  Give a geologic location example of each.

• arête
• horn
• cirque
• U-shaped valley (glacial trough)
• fjord
• moraine

5) Discuss the topic of “shoreline and coastal geology”.  What are the major geologic forces that form coastlines?  Name and describe two (2) coastal geological features; one erosional and one depositional, and how they formed.

6) What are the major natural causes of global climate change?  What are the major human causes of global climate change?  Show the latter relationship with a graph (sketch or upload from research sources).

7) What are two (2) major causes of global sea level change?  What are the hazards and consequences of rising global sea level? 

8)  Why are scientists concerned about the loss of polar sea ice?  What is the connection between polar sea ice loss and “albedo”?  Explain.  Is polar sea ice loss related to global sea level change?  Explain. 

Prior to answering the following questions read these three chapters in your “Physical Geology, 2^nd ed.” online textbook:  Chapter 16 (Glaciation), Chapter 17 (Shorelines), and Chapter 19 (Climate Change).  You are also expected to use outside sources from my course Webliography (Content tab), and Internet research.  Answer the following questions in APA-style paragraph form and use proper APA citations.  NOTE: Graphics (e.g., graphs, photos, images, etc.) should be used to support your answers, and make sure you cite the source below the graphic. 

1) Visit the website for the National Snow and Ice Data Center and then answer the following questions: a) What is the “cryosphere”?  What is the origin of “cryos”? Where is most of the “cryosphere” concentrated?  Define and differentiate the following cryosphere components and give a geologic location example of each.

• snow
• glacial ice
• alpine glaciers (valley or mountain glaciers)
• continental ice sheets (ice caps)
• icebergs 
• polar sea ice
• permafrost

2) How do glaciers form and move?  At present, what is the status of most of the world’s glaciers (advancing, retreating, or stable)?  Explain why?  Name and describe a specific glacier as an example.

3) Why are glaciers the best source for evidence of climate change?  What are the two most important research tools that scientists use to monitor and measure glacial ice changes, for both the past and present climate change?

4) Define and describe the following glacial geological features.  Give a geologic location example of each.

• arête
• horn
• cirque
• U-shaped valley (glacial trough)
• fjord
• moraine

5) Discuss the topic of “shoreline and coastal geology”.  What are the major geologic forces that form coastlines?  Name and describe two (2) coastal geological features; one erosional and one depositional, and how they formed.

6) What are the major natural causes of global climate change?  What are the major human causes of global climate change?  Show the latter relationship with a graph (sketch or upload from research sources).

7) What are two (2) major causes of global sea level change?  What are the hazards and consequences of rising global sea level? 

8)  Why are scientists concerned about the loss of polar sea ice?  What is the connection between polar sea ice loss and “albedo”?  Explain.  Is polar sea ice loss related to global sea level change?  Explain.