Look Before You Leap Essay

Write a 3-4 page paper in APA format (not including the cover page and reference page).  Read the case, Look before you Leap, and answer all parts of the questions below.

Prepare your composition to cover the following topics or questions with in the Body section of the paper described for this assignment.

A.    Grameen Danone is a joint venture (JV) among two companies—the nonprofit Grameen Group and the for-profit Groupe Danone SA. What are the benefits of this JV to each of these companies? Why did each choose to participate in the JV?

b.   What other forms of advance preparation might the managers need to undertake before negotiating with someone from another country?

c.     From the perspective of each of the partners, are there any potential pitfalls to joining this JV?

d.     Now consider Danone’s JV in China. What were the benefits of this JV to each of these companies? Why did each choose to participate in the JV?

e.     What could Danone have done to avoid the problems it encountered in China and India?

Below is a recommended outline.

Cover page

Introduction

A thesis statement

Purpose of paper

Overview of paper

Body (Cite sources using in-text citations.)

Main issue 1.

Main issue 2.

Main issue 3.

(there may be additional sections of your paper)

Conclusion – Summary of main points

Lessons Learned and Recommendations

References – List the references you cited in the text of your paper according to APA format.

 

STUDY GUIDE

STUDY GUIDE 1. What is the beta of a firm whose equity has an expected return of 21.30%, the risk-free rate is 7%, and the expected return on the stock market is 18%? 2. Two reasons for the agency problem in modern corporations is: A. Dispersion of ownership, B. Managers know how to manage the firm better than stockholders, C. Separation of ownership and control of the firm, D. [A] and [C]. 3. Capital budgeting includes the evaluation of which of the following? A. Size of future cash flows only B. Size and timing of future cash flows C. Timing and risk of future cash flows D. Risk and size of future cash flows only E. Size, timing, and risk of future cash flows 4. According to corporate finance, the financial manager is responsible for: A. Capital budgeting, B. The Financing decision, C. Dividend policy, D. All of the above. 5. The primary goal of a corporate finance manager is to maximize: A. Current profits B. Market share C. Number of shares outstanding D. Value of the firm E. Revenue growth 6. Which of the following direct incentives may align management goals with shareholder interests? I. Employee stock options II. Threat of a takeover III. Management bonuses tied to performance goals IV. Threat of a proxy fight A. I and III only B. II and IV only C. I, II, and III only D. I, III, and IV only E. I, II, III, and IV 7. The group of stakeholders of a firm includes: A. Anyone with a direct or indirect interest in the firm as an ongoing business concern. B. Anyone with control of the firm. 8. The net present value of any investment represents the difference between the investments: A. cash inflows and outflows. B. cost and its net profit. C. cost and its market value. D. cash flows and its profits. E. assets and liabilities. 9. The payback period is the length of time it takes an investment to generate sufficient cash flows to enable the project to: A. produce a positive annual cash flow. B. produce a positive cash flow from assets. C. offset its fixed expenses. D. offset its total expenses. E. recoup its initial cost. 10. Which one of the following defines the internal rate of return for a project? A. Discount rate that creates a zero cash flow from assets B. Discount rate that results in a zero net present value for the project C. Discount rate that results in a net present value equal to the project’s initial cost D. Rate of return required by the project’s investors E. The project’s current market rate of return 11. Both Projects A and B are acceptable as independent projects. However, the selection of either one of these projects eliminates the option of selecting the other project. Which one of the following terms best describes the relationship between Project A and Project B? A. Mutually exclusive B. Conventional C. Multiple choice D. Dual return E. Crosswise 12. Which one of the following indicates that a project is expected to create value for its owners? A. Profitability index less than 1.0 B. Payback period greater than the required period of time C. Positive net present value D. Positive average accounting rate of return E. Internal rate of return that is less than the project’s opportunity cost 13. The net present value: A. decreases as the required or hurdle rate of return increases. B. is equal to the initial investment when the internal rate of return is equal to the required return. C. method of analysis cannot be applied to mutually exclusive projects. D. is directly related to the discount rate. E. is unaffected by the timing of an investment’s cash flows. 14. If an investment is producing a return that is equal to the required cost of capital, the project’s net present value will be: A. positive. B. greater than the project’s initial investment. C. zero. D. equal to the project’s net profit. E. less than, or equal to, zero. 15. If the initial investment of project X is -$400 million dollar, the cash flow at the end of year 1 is +$ 960 million and at the end of year 2 is $-572 million. Is the IRR the right tool to make the investment decision? (No need for calculations, just answer yes, no, or maybe). 16. One implicit managerial incentive is: A. The firm’s probability of bankruptcy, B. Stock-options, C. A bonus, D. [B] and [C]. 17. Which one of the following methods of analysis is most appropriate to use when two investments are mutually exclusive? A. Internal rate of return B. Profitability index C. Net present value D. Equivalent annuities E. B and D 18. The net present value of project A is $442 with a maturity of 5 years. The net present value of project B is $478 with a maturity of 10 years. If the WACC is 12% and both projects are mutually exclusive which one you will pick? 19. Any changes to a firm’s projected future cash flows that are caused by adding a new project are referred to as which one of the following? A. Eroded cash flows B. Deviated projections C. Incremental cash flows D. Directly impacted flows E. Assumed flows 20. Jamie is analyzing the estimated net present value of a project under various what if scenarios. The type of analysis that Jamie is doing is best described as: A. sensitivity analysis. B. erosion planning. C. scenario analysis. D. benefit planning. E. opportunity evaluation 21. If financial markets are not efficient, then: A. Expected returns are not needed, B. The need for a discount rate to analyze project cash flows is not needed, C. Estimates of expected returns based on security prices are not reliable, D. None of the above. 22. Scenario analysis: A. determines the impact a $1 change in sales has on the internal rate of return. B. determines which variable has the greatest impact on a project’s net present value. C. helps determine the reasonable range of expectations for a project’s anticipated outcome. D. evaluates a project’s net present value while sensitivity analysis evaluates a project’s internal rate of return. E. determines the absolute worst and absolute best outcome that could ever occur. 23. Turner Industries started a new project three months ago. Sales arising from this project are exceeding all expectations. Given this, which one of the following is management most apt to implement? A. Option to wait B. Soft rationing C. Strategic option D. Option to abandon E. Option to expand 24. Ignoring the option to wait: A. may overestimate the internal rate of return on a project. B. may underestimate the net present value of a project. C. ignores the ability of a manager to increase output after a project has been implemented. D. is the same as ignoring all strategic options. E. ignores the value of discontinuing a project early. 25. The ability to delay an investment: A. is commonly referred to as the best-case scenario. B. is valuable provided there are conditions under which the investment will have a positive net present value in the future. C. ensures that the investment will have an expected net present value that is positive. D. offsets the need to conduct sensitivity analysis. E. is referred to as the option to abandon. 26. Explain the concept of incremental cash flow analysis and its purpose. 27. Identify three managerial options that relate to project analysis and explain how those options affect the net present value of a project. 28. Which one of the following describes systemic risk? A. Economic-driven risk that affects a large number of assets B. An individual security’s total risk C. Diversifiable risk D. Asset specific risk E. Risk unique to a firm’s management 29. Which of the following terms can be used to describe unsystematic risk? I. Asset-specific risk II. Diversifiable risk III. Market risk IV. Unique risk A. I and IV only B. II and III only C. I, II, and IV only D. II, III, and IV only E. I, II, III, and IV 30. Which one of the following statistics measures the amount of systematic risk present in a particular risky asset relative to that in an average risky asset? A. Squared deviation B. Beta coefficient C. Standard deviation D. Mean E. Variance 31. From the financial point of view the asset side of the balance sheet of a corporation includes: A. Fixed assets, B. Growth assets, C. Assets in place, D. [B] and [C]. 32. Which one of the following is the slope of the security market line? A. Risk-free rate B. Market risk premium C. Beta coefficient D. Risk premium on an individual asset E. Market rate of return 33. Which one of the following is the minimum required rate of return on a new investment that makes that investment attractive to any potential investor? A. Risk-free rate B. Market risk premium C. Expected return minus the risk-free rate D. Market rate of return E. Cost of capital 34. Which one of the following is the computation of the risk premium for an individual security? E(R) is the expected return on the security, Rf is the risk-free rate, β is the security’s beta, and E(RM) is the expected rate of return on the market. A. E(RM) – Rf B. E(R) – E(RM) C. E(R) – [E(RM) + Rf] D. β[E(RM) – Rf] E. β[E(R) – Rf] 35. Which one of the following is the best example of unsystematic risk? A. Inflation exceeding market expectations B. A warehouse fire C. Decrease in corporate tax rates D. Decrease in the value of the dollar E. Increase in private personal consumer spending 36. Which one of the following is the best example of systematic risk? A. Discovery of a major gas field B. Decrease in textile imports C. Increase in agricultural exports D. Decrease in gross domestic product E. Decrease in management bonuses for banking executives 37. Standard deviation measures _____ risk while beta measures _____ risk. A. systematic; unsystematic B. unsystematic; systematic C. total; unsystematic D. total; systematic E. asset-specific; market 38. Which one of the following portfolios will have a beta of zero? A. A portfolio that is equally as risky as the overall market B. A portfolio that consists of a single stock C. A portfolio comprised solely of U. S. Treasury bills D. A portfolio with a zero variance of returns E. No portfolio can have a beta of zero. 39. A risky security has less risk than the overall market. What must the beta of this security be? A. 0 B. > 0 but < 1 C. 1 D. > 1 E. The beta cannot be determined based on the information provided. 40. The addition of a risky security to a fully diversified portfolio: A. must decrease the portfolio’s expected return. B. must increase the portfolio beta. C. may or may not affect the portfolio beta. D. will increase the unsystematic risk of the portfolio. E. will have no effect on the portfolio beta or its expected return. 41. Which one of the following is the vertical intercept of the security market line? A. Market rate of return B. Individual security rate of return C. Market risk premium D. Individual security beta multiplied by the market risk premium E. Risk-free rate 42. Based on the capital asset pricing model, investors are compensated based on which of the following? I. Market risk premium II. Portfolio standard deviation III. Portfolio beta IV. Risk-free rate A. I and III only B. II and IV only C. I, II, and III only D. I, III, and IV only E. I, II, III, and IV 43. Ben & Terry’s has an expected return of 12.9 percent and a beta of 1.25. The expected return on the market is 11.7 percent. What is the risk-free rate? A. 3.87 percent B. 4.24 percent C. 4.61 percent D. 6.29 percent E. 6.92 percent 44. Under the narrow definition of corporate governance, the financial manager is responsible for making decisions that are in the best interest of the firm’s owners. A. True, B. False 45. The weighted average cost of capital is defined as the weighted average of a firm’s: A. return on its investments. B. cost of equity and its after-tax cost of debt. C. pretax cost of debt and equity securities. D. bond coupon rates. E. dividend and capital gains yields. 46. Which of the following will increase the cost of equity for a firm with a beta of 1.1? I. Decrease in the security’s beta II. Decrease in the market risk premium III. Decrease in the risk-free rate IV. Increase in the risk-free rate A. II only B. III only C. I and II only D. II and III only E. I and IV only 47. All else constant, which of the following will increase the after-tax cost of debt for a firm? I. Increase in the yield to maturity of the firm’s outstanding debt II. Decrease in the yield to maturity of the firm’s outstanding debt III. Increase in the firm’s tax rate IV. Decrease in the firm’s tax rate A. I only B. I and III only C. I and IV only D. II and III only E. II and IV only 48. Which one of the following will affect the capital structure weights used to compute a firm’s weighted average cost of capital? A. Decrease in the book value of a firm’s equity B. Decrease in a firm’s tax rate C. Increase in the market value of the firm’s common stock D. Increase in the market risk premium E. Increase in the firm’s beta 49. A firm has a cost of equity of 13 percent, a cost of preferred of 11 percent, and an after-tax cost of debt of 6 percent. Given this, which one of the following will increase the firm’s weighted average cost of capital? A. Increasing the firm’s tax rate B. Issuing new bonds at par C. Redeeming shares of common stock D. Increasing the firm’s beta E. Increasing the debt-equity ratio 50. Bermuda Cruises issues only common stock and coupon bonds. The firm has a debt-equity ratio of 0.65. The cost of equity is 18.3 percent and the pretax cost of debt is 9.9 percent. What is the capital structure weight of the firm’s equity if the firm’s tax rate is 34 percent? A. 46.75 percent B. 49.97 percent C. 52.93 percent D. 59.08 percent E. 60.61 percent 51. M & M proposition I states that the capital structure problem is irrelevant A. True, B. False. 52. The WACC of the firm is 13%. You know that the firm’s cost of debt is 10% and the cost of equity 20%. What proportion of the firm is financed with debt? 53. Paying interest reduces the taxes owed by a firm. Which one of the following terms applies to this relationship? A. Static theory of interest rates B. M&M Proposition I C. Financial risk D. Interest tax shield E. Homemade leverage 54. No separation in the capital markets: A. Provides support to the pecking order theory of Myers and Majluf, B. Means that there is only one big global market, C. Builds from Akerlof’s lemons problem, D. [A] and [C]. 55. Which one of the following is a direct bankruptcy cost? A. Loss of customer goodwill resulting from a bankruptcy filing B. Legal and accounting fees related to a bankruptcy proceeding C. Management time spent on a bankruptcy proceeding D. Any financial distress cost E. Costs a firm spends trying to avoid bankruptcy 56. Given the lemons problem: A. One can observe a market breakdown, B. Information asymmetries are crucial to explain the efficiency of the markets, C. Cross-subsidization may happen, D. All of the above. 57. Two determinants of the optimal debt ratio are: A. Depreciation, B. Operating risk, C. Marginal tax rate, D. [B] and [C]. 58. Which one of the following statements is the core principle of M&M Proposition I (without taxes)? A. A firm’s cost of equity is directly related to the firm’s debt-equity ratio. B. A firm’s WACC is directly related to the firm’s debt-equity ratio. C. The interest tax shield increases the value of a firm. D. The capital structure of a firm is totally irrelevant. E. Levered firms have greater value than unlevered firms. 59. Which one of the following is an implication of M&M Proposition II (with taxes)? A. A firm’s optimal capital structure is 100 percent debt. B. WACC is unaffected by the capital structure of a firm. C. WACC decreases as the debt-equity ratio increases. D. A firm’s capital structure is irrelevant. E. The risk of equity depends on financial leverage and the riskiness of the firm’s operations. 60. Which one of the following represents the present value of the interest tax shield? A. D × (1 – Tc) B. D/(1 – Tc) C. D/Tc D. D – D(Tc) E. Tc × D 61. Which one of the following factors favors a high-dividend payout? A. Low transaction costs on stock trades B. Lower taxes on capital gains than on dividends C. Tax deferment on capital gains, but not on dividend income D. Flotation costs E. Corporate shareholders 62. Cash dividends send which two of the following signals to the market? I. Agency costs will be lowered since less cash will be held by the firm. II. The firm is planning on downsizing. III. The firm is currently, and expects to continue to be, profitable. IV. The firm will no longer conduct stock repurchases. A. I and II only B. II and III only C. III and IV only D. II and IV only E. I and III only 63. The winners’ curse in IPOs refers to: A. The negative price reaction after going public because of overvaluation. B. The negative price reaction after going public because of colluding between the syndicate of underwriters and the issuer. 64. The beta of the stock is 1.25, the marginal tax rate of the firm is 36%, and the debt equity ratio is 0.30. What is the value of the unlevered beta? 65. Explain briefly the pecking order theory of funds developed by Myers and Majluf (1984)? What is Ross (1977) argument for separation in the capital markets?

Fin Week 4 Assignment Do 5-1, 5-2, 5-3, 5-4, 5-5, 5-6, 5-7, 5-8, 5-9, 5-10 Due Date: On Saturday At 10:00a.M.

Fin week 4 assignment

Do  5-1, 5-2, 5-3, 5-4, 5-5, 5-6, 5-7, 5-8, 5-9, 5-10

Due date: On Saturday at 10:00a.m.

Easy Problem 1-8

5-1 PROBLEMS FUTURE VALUE if you deposit $10,000 in a bank account that pays 10% interest annually, how much will be in your account after 5 years?

 

5-2 PRESENTS VALUE what is the present value of a security that will pay $5,000 in 20 years if securities of equal risk pay 7% annually?

5-3 FINDING THE REQUIRED INTEREST RATE Yourparents will retire in 18 years. They currently have $250,000, and they think they will need $1,000,000 at retirement. What annual interest rate must they earn to reach their goal, assuming they don’t save any additional funds?

 

5-4 TIME FOR A LUMP SUM TO DOUBLE If you deposit money today in an account that pays 6.5% annual interest, how long will it take to double your money?

 

5-5 TIME TO REACH A FINANCIAL GOAL You have $42,180.53 in a brokerage account, and you plan to deposit an additional $5,000 at the end of every future year until your account totals $250,000. You expect to earn 12% annually on the account. How many years will it take to reach your goal?

 

 

5-6 FUTURE VALUE: ANNUITY VERSUS ANNUITY DUE what’s the future value of a 7%, 5-year ordinary annuity that pays $300 each year? If this was an annuity due, what would its future value be?

 

 5-7 PRESENT AND FUTURE VALUES OF A CASH FLOW STREAM An investment will pay $100 at the end of each of the next 3 years, $200 at the end of Year 4, $300 at the end of Year 5, and $500 at the end of Year 6. If other investments of equal risk earn 8% annually, what is its present value? Its future value?

 5-8 LOAN AMORTIZATION AND EAR you want to buy a car, and a local bank will lend you $20,000. The loan will be fully amortized over 5 years (60 months), and the nominal interest rate will be 12% with interest paid monthly. What will be the monthly loan payment? What will be the loan’s EAR?

 

 

Intermediate

 

5-9 Problems PRESENT AND FUTURE VALUES FOR DIFFERENT PERIODS Find the following values using 9-26 the equations and then a financial calculator. Compounding/discounting occurs annually. a. An initial $500 compounded for 1 year at 6% b. An initial $500 compounded for 2 years at 6% c. The present value of $500 due in 1 year at a discount rate of 6%. d. The present value of $500 due in 2 years at a discount rate of 6%

 

5-10 PRESENT AND FUTURE VALUES FOR DIFFERENT INTEREST RATES I Ind the following values. Compounding/discounting occurs annually. a. An initial $500 compounded for 10 years at 6% b. An initial $500 compounded for 10 years at 12% c. The present value of $500 due in 10 years at 6% d. The present value of $1,552.90 due in 10 years at 12% and at 6% e. Define present value and illustrate it using a time line with data from Part d. How are present values affected by interest rates?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FIN 350 Quiz

1.Jones Hardware had common stock of $9,500 and retained earnings of $3,800 at the beginning of the year. At the end of the year, the common stock balance is $9,600 and the retained earnings account balance is $4,200. The net income for the year is $840. What is the retention ratio?

 

40.48 percent 47.62 percent 59.52 percent 52.38percent

 

Question 2 A firm has a debt-equity ratio of 0.60. What is the equity multiplier if total equity is $5,700?

 

0.40 0.48 1.40 1.60 .1 points

 

Question 3 Which one of the following relationships is correct?

 

Equity multiplier = 1 – Debt-equity ratio Total asset turnover = 1 + Capital intensity ratio Inventory turnover = Sales / Average inventory Return on equity = Return on assets × Equity multiplier .

 

1 points Question 4 The Lighting Store has sales of $364,000, depreciation of $28,000, and taxable income of $58,000. The capital intensity ratio is 1.2, the debt-equity ratio is 0.45, and the tax rate is 34 percent. What is the return on assets?

 

6.53 percent 7.21 percent 7.79 percent 8.76 percent .

 

1 points Question 5 Puzzles Galore has net income of $400, total assets of $2,600, total equity of $1,600, and dividends paid of $35. What is the sustainable rate of growth?

 

29.55 percent 18.63 percent 11.98 percent 24.06 percent .

 

1 points Question 6 A firm has sales of $211,000, depreciation of $24,600, interest expense of $560, cost of goods sold of $148,900, other costs of $6,500, and a tax rate of 35 percent. What is the firm’s profit margin?

 

9.38 percent 11.01 percent 6.48 percent 4.93 percent .

 

1 points Question 7 A firm has sales of $131,000 and inventory of $12,200. The common-size income statement lists cost of goods sold at 67 percent and depreciation at 5 percent. How long on average does it take the firm to sell its inventory? 7.19 days 8.24 days 50.73 days 44.30 days .

 

1 points Question 8 The Green Buffet has sales of $428,000, depreciation of $26,500, interest of $1,800, net income of $21,400, and a tax rate of 32 percent. What is the times interest earned ratio?

 

17.90 18.48 8.78 9.08 .

 

1 points Question 9 Which one of the following represents the maximum growth rate that can be achieved assuming a firm acquires no new external financing?

 

return on equity return on assets internal growth rate sustainable growth rate .

 

1 points Question 10 A firm has sales of $428,000, costs of $289,000, and net income of $36,000. The total asset turnover is 1.2 and the debt-equity ratio is 0.4. What is the return on equity? (Hint: Use the Du Pont Identity)

 

 

10.50 percent 14.13 percent 9.81 percent 12.74 percent

MBA570 Homework 3

Instructions: Either type or write your answers directly on this document and submit the completed assignment to your ESO. Show your work for the calculations. If you use additional documents for the calculations, label them with your name and course number (MBA 570) and submit them as well. Each question is worth 10 points.

 

 

1.      You have been offered a very long-term investment opportunity. You can invest $1,100 today and expect to receive $128,000 in 40 years. Your cost of capital for this (very risky) opportunity is 16%.

 

a.       The IRR of this investment opportunity is __________ %. (Round to one decimal place.)

The IRR rule says that you __________. (Select the best answer.)

 

A.    should not invest

B.     should be indifferent

C.     should invest

 

b.      The NPV of this investment opportunity is __________ %. (Round to the nearest cent.)

The NPV rule says that you __________. (Select the best answer.)

 

A.    should not invest

B.     should be indifferent

C.     should invest

 

 

2.      You are a real estate agent thinking of placing a sign advertising your services at a local bus stop. The sign will cost $10,000 and will be posted for one year. You expect that it will generate additional revenue of $1,900 a month. The payback period is __________ months. (Round to two decimal places.)

 

3.      You are considering making a movie. The movie is expected to cost $10.5 million upfront and take a year to make $4.9 million in the year it is released (end of year 2) and $1.7 million for the following four years (end of years 3 through 6).

 

a.       The payback period of this investment is __________ years. (Round up to nearest integer.)

b.      If you require a payback period of two years, would you make this movie?(Enter yes or no.)

 

c.       If the cost of capital is 10.3%, the NPV is $__________ million.(Round to two decimal places.)

 

 

4.      AOL is considering two proposals to overhaul its network infrastructure. They have two bids. The first bid from Huawei will require a $15 million upfront investment and will generate $20 million in savings for AOL each year for the next three years. The second bid from Cisco requires an $81 million upfront investment and will generate $60 million in savings each year for the next three years.

a.       What is the IRR for AOL associated with each bid?

 

The IRR associated with the bid from Huawei is __________ %. (Round to one decimal place.)

The IRR associated with the bid from Cisco is __________ %. (Round to one decimal place.)

b.      If the cost of capital for this investment is 14%, what is the NPV for each bid?

 

The NPVfor Huawei’s bid is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

The NPVforCisco’s bid is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

c.       Suppose Cisco modifies its bid by offering a lease contract instead. Under the terms of the lease, AOL will pay $26 million upfront, and $35 million per year for the next three years. AOL’s savings will be the same as with Cisco’s original bid.

The IRR of the Cisco bid is now __________%. (Round to one decimal place.)

 

The new NPV is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

 

d.      AOL should:

A.  choose Huawei.

B.  choose Cisco without lease.

C.  choose Cisco with lease.

D.  take none of the bids.

 

 

 

5.      Natasha’s Flowers, a local florist, purchases fresh flowers each day at the local flower market. The buyer has a budget of $1,000 per day to spend. Different flowers have different profit margins, and also a maximum amount the shop can sell. Based on past experience the shop has estimated the following NPV for purchasing each type:

 

  NPV per bunch Cost per bunch Max. bunches
Roses $2 $20 25
Lilies $10 $29 10
Pansies $6 $30 10
Orchids $21 $80 5

 

(Select based on descending order of their profitability-index values. Round the investment amounts to the nearest integer.)

 

The combination of flowers Natasha’s Flowers should purchase each day is(select one of the three for each):

 

$__________ of (roses, pansies, lilies) Select one of the three.

 

$__________ of (orchids, pansies, lilies) Select one of the three.

 

$__________ of (lilies, orchids, pansies) Select one of the three.

 

 

6.      Pisa Pizza, a seller of frozen pizza, is considering introducing a healthier version of its pizza that will be low in cholesterol and contain no trans fats. The firm expects that sales of the new pizza will be $21 million per year. While many of these sales will be to new customers, Pisa Pizza estimates that 46% will come from customers who switch to the new, healthier pizza instead of buying the original version.

 

a.       Assuming customers will spend the same amount on either version, the incremental sales associated with introducing the new pizza are $__________ million. (Round to the nearest integer.)

b.      Suppose that 59% of the customers who will switch from Pisa Pizza’s original to its healthier pizza will switch to another brand if Pisa Pizza does not introduce a healthier pizza. In this case, the incremental sales associated with introducing the new pizza are $__________ million. (Round to the nearest integer.)

 

 

7.      Cellular Access Inc. is a cellular telephone service provider that reported net operating profit after tax (NOPAT) of $259 million for the most recent fiscal year. The firm had depreciation expenses of $128 million, capital expenditures of $152 million, and no interest expenses. Working capital increased by $12 million. The free cash flow for Cellular Access for the most recent fiscal year is $__________ million.(Round to the nearest million.)

 

8.      Castle View Games would like to invest in a division to develop software for video games. To evaluate this decision, the firm first attempts to project the working capital needs for its operation. Its chief financial officer has developed the following estimates (in millions of dollars):

 

  Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Cash 7 12 14 15 16
Accounts receivable 18 22 23 22 25
Inventory 4 9 10 12 16
Accounts payable 16 19 25 28 32

Assuming that Castle View currently does not have any working capital invested in this division, calculate the cash flows associated with the changes in working capital for the first five years of this investment. (Note: Enter decreases as negative numbers.)

 

a.       The change in working capital for year 1 is $__________ million.(Round to the nearest million.)

b.      The change in working capital for year 2 is $__________ million. (Round to the nearest million.)

c.       The change in working capital for year 3 is $__________ million. (Round to the nearest million.)

d.      The change in working capital for year 4 is $__________ million. (Round to the nearest million.)

e.       The change in working capital for year 5 is $__________ million. (Round to the nearest million

 

9.      Markov Manufacturing recently spent $12 million to purchase some equipment used in the manufacturing of disk drives. The firm expects that this equipment will have a useful life of five years, and its marginal corporate tax rate is 39%. The company plans to use straight-line depreciation.

a.       The annual depreciation expense associated with this equipment is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

 

b.      The annual depreciation tax shield is $__________ million.(Round to two decimal places.)

c.       Rather than straight-line depreciation, suppose Markov will use the MACRS depreciation for five-year property. Calculate the depreciation tax shield each year for this equipment under the following accelerated depreciation schedule:

  MACRS Depreciation Table
Year 5 Years
1 20.00%
2 32.00%
3 19.20%
4 11.52%
5 11.52%
6 5.76%

 

The depreciation tax shield for year 0 is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

 

The depreciation tax shield for year 1 is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

 

The depreciation tax shield for year 2 is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

 

The depreciation tax shield for year 3 is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

 

The depreciation tax shield for year 4 is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

 

The depreciation tax shield for year 5 is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

 

d.      If Markov has a choice between straight-line and MACRS depreciation schedules, and its marginal corporate tax rate is expected to remain constant, which should it choose? Why?

 

A.    With MACRS, the firm receives the depreciation tax shields sooner; thus, MACRS leads to a higher NPV of Markov’s FCF.

B.     With straight-line depreciation, the firm’s depreciation expenses are lower initially, leading to higher earnings; thus, straight-line depreciation leads to a higher NPV of Markov’s FCF.

C.     With either method, the total depreciation tax shield is the same; therefore, it does not matter which method is used.

D.    None of the above.

e.       How might your answer to part (d) changeif Markov anticipates that its marginal corporate tax will change substantially over the next five years?

 

A.    Markov may be better off using the straight-line method if it expects its tax rate to decrease substantially in later years.

B.     Markov may be better off using the straight-line method if it expects its tax rate to increase substantially in later years.

C.     Even if its tax rate is expected to change, Markov is better off using MACRS depreciation rather than straight-line depreciation.

D.    None of the above

 

10.  Bauer Industries is an automobile manufacturer. Management is currently evaluating a proposal to build a plant that will manufacture lightweight trucks. Bauer plans to use a cost of capital of 12% to evaluate this project. Based on extensive research, it has prepared the following free cash flow projections (in millions of dollars):

Free Cash Flow Year 0 Years 1-9 Year 10
Revenues   100.00 100.00
–Manufacturing expenses (other than depreciation)   – 32.00 – 32.00
– Marketing expenses   – 8.00 – 8.00
– Depreciation   – 14.00 – 14.00
= EBIT   45.60 45.60
– Taxes (35%)   – 15.96 – 15.96
= Unlevered net income   29.64 29.64
+ Depreciation      
– Increases in net working capital   – 5.00 – 5.00
– Capital expenditures – 144.00    
+ Continuation value     12.00
= Free cash flow – 144.00 39.04 51.04

 

a.       For this base case scenario, the NPV of the plant to manufacture lightweight trucks is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

b.      Based on input from the marketing department, Bauer is uncertain about its revenue forecast. In particular, management would like to examine the sensitivity of the NPV to the revenue assumptions.

The NPV of this project if revenues are 10% higher than forecast is $__________. (Round to two decimal places.)

The NPV of this project if revenues are 10% lower than forecast is $__________.  (Round to two decimal places.)

 

Instructions: Either type or write your answers directly on this document and submit the completed assignment to your ESO. Show your work for the calculations. If you use additional documents for the calculations, label them with your name and course number (MBA 570) and submit them as well. Each question is worth 10 points.

 

 

1.      You have been offered a very long-term investment opportunity. You can invest $1,100 today and expect to receive $128,000 in 40 years. Your cost of capital for this (very risky) opportunity is 16%.

 

a.       The IRR of this investment opportunity is __________ %. (Round to one decimal place.)

The IRR rule says that you __________. (Select the best answer.)

 

A.    should not invest

B.     should be indifferent

C.     should invest

 

b.      The NPV of this investment opportunity is __________ %. (Round to the nearest cent.)

The NPV rule says that you __________. (Select the best answer.)

 

A.    should not invest

B.     should be indifferent

C.     should invest

 

 

2.      You are a real estate agent thinking of placing a sign advertising your services at a local bus stop. The sign will cost $10,000 and will be posted for one year. You expect that it will generate additional revenue of $1,900 a month. The payback period is __________ months. (Round to two decimal places.)

 

3.      You are considering making a movie. The movie is expected to cost $10.5 million upfront and take a year to make $4.9 million in the year it is released (end of year 2) and $1.7 million for the following four years (end of years 3 through 6).

 

a.       The payback period of this investment is __________ years. (Round up to nearest integer.)

b.      If you require a payback period of two years, would you make this movie?(Enter yes or no.)

 

c.       If the cost of capital is 10.3%, the NPV is $__________ million.(Round to two decimal places.)

 

 

4.      AOL is considering two proposals to overhaul its network infrastructure. They have two bids. The first bid from Huawei will require a $15 million upfront investment and will generate $20 million in savings for AOL each year for the next three years. The second bid from Cisco requires an $81 million upfront investment and will generate $60 million in savings each year for the next three years.

a.       What is the IRR for AOL associated with each bid?

 

The IRR associated with the bid from Huawei is __________ %. (Round to one decimal place.)

The IRR associated with the bid from Cisco is __________ %. (Round to one decimal place.)

b.      If the cost of capital for this investment is 14%, what is the NPV for each bid?

 

The NPVfor Huawei’s bid is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

The NPVforCisco’s bid is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

c.       Suppose Cisco modifies its bid by offering a lease contract instead. Under the terms of the lease, AOL will pay $26 million upfront, and $35 million per year for the next three years. AOL’s savings will be the same as with Cisco’s original bid.

The IRR of the Cisco bid is now __________%. (Round to one decimal place.)

 

The new NPV is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

 

d.      AOL should:

A.  choose Huawei.

B.  choose Cisco without lease.

C.  choose Cisco with lease.

D.  take none of the bids.

 

 

 

5.      Natasha’s Flowers, a local florist, purchases fresh flowers each day at the local flower market. The buyer has a budget of $1,000 per day to spend. Different flowers have different profit margins, and also a maximum amount the shop can sell. Based on past experience the shop has estimated the following NPV for purchasing each type:

 

  NPV per bunch Cost per bunch Max. bunches
Roses $2 $20 25
Lilies $10 $29 10
Pansies $6 $30 10
Orchids $21 $80 5

 

(Select based on descending order of their profitability-index values. Round the investment amounts to the nearest integer.)

 

The combination of flowers Natasha’s Flowers should purchase each day is(select one of the three for each):

 

$__________ of (roses, pansies, lilies) Select one of the three.

 

$__________ of (orchids, pansies, lilies) Select one of the three.

 

$__________ of (lilies, orchids, pansies) Select one of the thre

6.      Pisa Pizza, a seller of frozen pizza, is considering introducing a healthier version of its pizza that will be low in cholesterol and contain no trans fats. The firm expects that sales of the new pizza will be $21 million per year. While many of these sales will be to new customers, Pisa Pizza estimates that 46% will come from customers who switch to the new, healthier pizza instead of buying the original version.

 

a.       Assuming customers will spend the same amount on either version, the incremental sales associated with introducing the new pizza are $__________ million. (Round to the nearest integer.)

b.      Suppose that 59% of the customers who will switch from Pisa Pizza’s original to its healthier pizza will switch to another brand if Pisa Pizza does not introduce a healthier pizza. In this case, the incremental sales associated with introducing the new pizza are $__________ million. (Round to the nearest integer.)

 

 

7.      Cellular Access Inc. is a cellular telephone service provider that reported net operating profit after tax (NOPAT) of $259 million for the most recent fiscal year. The firm had depreciation expenses of $128 million, capital expenditures of $152 million, and no interest expenses. Working capital increased by $12 million. The free cash flow for Cellular Access for the most recent fiscal year is $__________ million.(Round to the nearest million.

8.      Castle View Games would like to invest in a division to develop software for video games. To evaluate this decision, the firm first attempts to project the working capital needs for its operation. Its chief financial officer has developed the following estimates (in millions of dollars):

 

  Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Cash 7 12 14 15 16
Accounts receivable 18 22 23 22 25
Inventory 4 9 10 12 16
Accounts payable 16 19 25 28 32

Assuming that Castle View currently does not have any working capital invested in this division, calculate the cash flows associated with the changes in working capital for the first five years of this investment. (Note: Enter decreases as negative numbers.)

 

a.       The change in working capital for year 1 is $__________ million.(Round to the nearest million.)

b.      The change in working capital for year 2 is $__________ million. (Round to the nearest million.)

c.       The change in working capital for year 3 is $__________ million. (Round to the nearest million.)

d.      The change in working capital for year 4 is $__________ million. (Round to the nearest million.)

e.       The change in working capital for year 5 is $__________ million. (Round to the nearest million.)

 

 

9.      Markov Manufacturing recently spent $12 million to purchase some equipment used in the manufacturing of disk drives. The firm expects that this equipment will have a useful life of five years, and its marginal corporate tax rate is 39%. The company plans to use straight-line depreciation.

a.       The annual depreciation expense associated with this equipment is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

 

b.      The annual depreciation tax shield is $__________ million.(Round to two decimal places.)

c.       Rather than straight-line depreciation, suppose Markov will use the MACRS depreciation for five-year property. Calculate the depreciation tax shield each year for this equipment under the following accelerated depreciation schedule:

  MACRS Depreciation Table
Year 5 Years
1 20.00%
2 32.00%
3 19.20%
4 11.52%
5 11.52%
6 5.76%

 

The depreciation tax shield for year 0 is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

 

The depreciation tax shield for year 1 is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

 

The depreciation tax shield for year 2 is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

 

The depreciation tax shield for year 3 is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

 

The depreciation tax shield for year 4 is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

 

The depreciation tax shield for year 5 is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

 

d.      If Markov has a choice between straight-line and MACRS depreciation schedules, and its marginal corporate tax rate is expected to remain constant, which should it choose? Why?

 

A.    With MACRS, the firm receives the depreciation tax shields sooner; thus, MACRS leads to a higher NPV of Markov’s FCF.

B.     With straight-line depreciation, the firm’s depreciation expenses are lower initially, leading to higher earnings; thus, straight-line depreciation leads to a higher NPV of Markov’s FCF.

C.     With either method, the total depreciation tax shield is the same; therefore, it does not matter which method is used.

D.    None of the above.

e.       How might your answer to part (d) changeif Markov anticipates that its marginal corporate tax will change substantially over the next five years?

 

A.    Markov may be better off using the straight-line method if it expects its tax rate to decrease substantially in later years.

B.     Markov may be better off using the straight-line method if it expects its tax rate to increase substantially in later years.

C.     Even if its tax rate is expected to change, Markov is better off using MACRS depreciation rather than straight-line depreciation.

D.    None of the above.

 

 

10.  Bauer Industries is an automobile manufacturer. Management is currently evaluating a proposal to build a plant that will manufacture lightweight trucks. Bauer plans to use a cost of capital of 12% to evaluate this project. Based on extensive research, it has prepared the following free cash flow projections (in millions of dollars):

Free Cash Flow Year 0 Years 1-9 Year 10
Revenues   100.00 100.00
–Manufacturing expenses (other than depreciation)   – 32.00 – 32.00
– Marketing expenses   – 8.00 – 8.00
– Depreciation   – 14.00 – 14.00
= EBIT   45.60 45.60
– Taxes (35%)   – 15.96 – 15.96
= Unlevered net income   29.64 29.64
+ Depreciation      
– Increases in net working capital   – 5.00 – 5.00
– Capital expenditures – 144.00    
+ Continuation value     12.00
= Free cash flow – 144.00 39.04 51.04

 

a.       For this base case scenario, the NPV of the plant to manufacture lightweight trucks is $__________ million. (Round to two decimal places.)

b.      Based on input from the marketing department, Bauer is uncertain about its revenue forecast. In particular, management would like to examine the sensitivity of the NPV to the revenue assumptions.

The NPV of this project if revenues are 10% higher than forecast is $__________. (Round to two decimal places.)

The NPV of this project if revenues are 10% lower than forecast is $__________.  (Round to two decimal places.)

 

Although A Full Liquidity Analysis Requires The Use Of A Cash Budget Main

True-False

 

1. Although a full liquidity analysis requires the use of a cash budget, the current and quick

 

ratios provide fast and easy-to-use measures of a firm’s liquidity position.

 

a. True

 

b. False

 

2. High current and quick ratios always indicate that a firm is managing its liquidity position

 

well.

 

a. True

 

b. False

 

3. The inventory turnover ratio and days sales outstanding (DSO) are two ratios that are used

 

to assess how effectively a firm is managing its assets.

 

a. True

 

b. False

 

4. Companies HD and LD have the same sales, tax rate, interest rate on their debt, total assets,

 

and basic earning power. Both companies have positive net incomes. Company HD

 

has a higher debt ratio and, therefore, a higher interest expense. Which of the following

 

statements is CORRECT?

 

a. Company HD pays less in taxes.

 

b. Company HD has a lower equity multiplier.

 

c. Company HD has a higher ROA.

 

d. Company HD has a higher times interest earned (TIE) ratio.

 

e. Company HD has more net income.

 

 

 

5. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?

 

a. If a firm has the highest price/earnings ratio of any firm in its industry, then, other things

 

held constant, this suggests that the board of directors should fire the president.

 

b. If a firm has the highest market/book ratio of any firm in its industry, then, other things held

 

constant, this suggests that the board of directors should fire the president.

 

c. Other things held constant, the higher a firm’s expected future growth rate, the lower its P/E

 

ratio is likely to be.

 

d. The higher the market/book ratio, then, other things held constant, the higher one would

 

expect to find the Market Value Added (MVA).

 

e. If a firm has a history of high Economic Value Added (EVA) numbers each year, and if investors

 

expect this situation to continue, then its market/book ratio and MVA are both likely

 

to be below average.

 

6. Walter Industries’ current ratio is 0.5. Considered alone, which of the following actions

 

would increase the company’s current ratio?

 

a. Borrow using short-term notes payable and use the cash to increase inventories.

 

b. Use cash to reduce accruals.

 

c. Use cash to reduce accounts payable.

 

d. Use cash to reduce short-term notes payable.

 

e. Use cash to reduce long-term bonds outstanding.

 

 

 

7. Nikko Corp.’s total common equity at the end of last year was $305,000 and its net income

 

after taxes was $60,000. What was its ROE?

 

a. 16.87%

 

b. 17.75%

 

c. 18.69%

 

d. 19.67%

 

e. 20.66%

 

8. Last year Urbana Corp. had $197,500 of assets, $307,500 of sales, $19,575 of net income,

 

and a debt-to-total-assets ratio of 37.5%. The new CFO believes a new computer program

 

will enable it to reduce costs and thus raise net income to $33,000. Assets, sales, and the

 

debt ratio would not be affected. By how much would the cost reduction improve the

 

ROE?

 

a. 9.32%

 

b. 9.82%

 

c. 10.33%

 

d. 10.88%

 

e. 11.42%

 

 

 

9. Last year Mason Inc. had a total assets turnover of 1.33 and an equity multiplier of 1.75.

 

Its sales were $195,000 and its net income was $10,549. The CFO believes that the company

 

could have operated more efficiently, lowered its costs, and increased its net income by

 

$5,250 without changing its sales, assets, or capital structure. Had it cut costs and increased

 

its net income in this amount, by how much would the ROE have changed?

 

a. 5.66%

 

b. 5.95%

 

c. 6.27%

 

d. 6.58%

 

e. 6.91%

 

10. Bonner Corp.’s sales last year were $415,000, and its year-end total assets were $355,000.

 

The average firm in the industry has a total assets turnover ratio (TATO) of 2.4. Bonner’s

 

new CFO believes the firm has excess assets that can be sold so as to bring the TATO

 

down to the industry average without affecting sales. By how much must the assets be

 

reduced to bring the TATO to the industry average, holding sales constant?

 

a. $164,330

 

b. $172,979

 

c. $182,083

 

d. $191,188

 

e. $200,747

 

Students Create A Persuasive Communication For Internal And External Stakeholders

Purpose of Assignment

Students create a persuasive communication for internal and external stakeholders. Students present the company’s situation and proposed solution in a manner that is informative and persuasive. Using their knowledge of communication styles, noise, and audience needs, motivations, and perceptions, students create a persuasive memo and a press release that are appropriate to each audience. Students utilize concepts from the weekly readings to create effective communications for an internal stakeholder and an external stakeholder.

In this assignment, you must write a persuasive memo to internal stakeholders and a press release to external stakeholders. In these communications, describe the scenario at Best Game Productions and explain the solution that you think is best for the company based on all of the information provided.

Be sure to consider the perceptions and needs of each stakeholder, and determine the most appropriate style of communication when addressing the internal and external stakeholders.

Assignment Steps

Create a 1000-word recommendation, including the following:

  • Describe the scenario at Best      Game Productions and explain the solution that you think is best for the      company based on all of the information provided. Include the reasoning      for your selected solution.
  • Identify your stakeholders, and      describe the perceptions and needs of each stakeholder.
  • Recommend and defend the most      appropriate style of communication when addressing the internal and      external stakeholders.
  • Describe the noise that      will detract stakeholders from fully receiving your message and explain      how to address or avoid that noise.

Choose one internal stakeholder (or stakeholder group) and one external stakeholder (or stakeholder group) in Best Game Productions.

Create a 1,050-word persuasive memo describing Best Game Productions’ dilemma to an internal stakeholder.

Create a 525-word press release describing the same situation to an external stakeholder.

Cite at least two references in your paper.

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

  • attachment

QUESTIONS 2364

A university begins Year 1 with 80 faculty. They hire 4 faculty each year. During each year 10% (rounded to the nearest integer) of the faculty present at the beginning of the year leave the university. For example, in a year where there are 73 faculty at the beginning of the year, 7 would leave the university at the end of the year. The university wants to know how many faculty they will have at the end of year 10. The resulting spreadsheet can be found below. The formula copied down from E10 to E11:E18 was ___________.
Note: If the answer is a formula, there is no need to begin that answer with =. Please do not put any unnecessary spaces or () in your response.
 

You would like to show how the number of faculty at the end of year 10 depends on the quit rate and number of annual hires. We would like for example, to have cell L10 give the number of Year 10 faculty if we hire 1 faculty member a year and 10% quit each year. Using the information in the spreadsheets below, what would be the row input cell for a two-way data table?
Note: If the answer is a formula, there is no need to begin that answer with =. Please do not put any unnecessary spaces or () in your response.
 


You would like to show how the number of faculty at the end of year 10 depends on the quit rate and number of annual hires. We would like for example, to have cell L10 give the number of Year 10 faculty if we hire 1 faculty member a year and 10% quit each year. Using the information in the spreadsheets below, what would be the column input cell for the two-way data table?
Please do not put any unnecessary spaces or () in your response.
 
You would like to show how the number of faculty at the end of year 10 depends on the quit rate and number of annual hires. We would like for example, to have cell L10 give the number of ending Year 10 faculty if we hire 1 faculty member a year and 10% quit each year. Using the information in the spreadsheets below, what formula would be entered in cell J9?
Please do not put any unnecessary spaces or () in your response.
 


Consider the cash flows seen here. If we discount cash flows at 10% per year, the Net Present Value (rounded to the nearest dollar) of these cash flows as of 4/10/2011 is _____.

 

Consider the cash flows seen here. The Internal Rate of return on the cash flows of Problem 26 (rounded to the nearest 1%) is ____________.
Enter just the number; e.g., 18%

 

















Suppose in Problem 40 we want to highlight the year number for each year during which sales were at least 5% higher than the previous year. We would begin by selecting the cell range D6:D12 and choose Conditional Formatting from the Ribbon. Then you would select new rules followed by the Use a Formula option. Finally you would enter the following formula.
			?(E5/E4)>1.05 
			?($E$6/E5)>1.05 
			?(E6/E5)>1.05 
	(E6/E5)>.05

 


Suppose you have listed Le Napoleon's monthly sales of pear tortes in a twelve-sheet workbook. The first worksheet contains January sales, the second worksheet February sales, etc. The pear torte sales are always listed in cell F7.
What multi-sheet (three-dimensional) formula would give the total pear torte sales for the months March-July, inclusive? Assume that each worksheet is named with the month name only, spelled out in full.
Include the equal sign at the beginning—for example, =SUM(A1:A24)—but do not include any unnecessary spaces or parentheses in your response. Also do not anchor any cells—i.e., do not use any $ characters.

Risk And Return Problems And Questions

 

Risk and Return Problems and Questions

Complete the following problem sets from Chapter 7 in Microsoft® Excel®. Use one spreadsheet tab for each problem:

 

  • 7-21 Compute Bond Price Compute the price of a 3.8 percent coupon bond with 15 years left to maturity and a market interest rate of 6.8 percent. (Assume interest payments are semiannual.) Is this a discount or premium bond? (LG7-4)
  • 7-27 Yield to Maturity A 5.65 percent coupon bond with 18 years left to maturity is offered for sale at $1,035.25. What yield to maturity is the bond offering? (Assume interest payments are semiannual.) (LG7-6)

 

Answer the following questions in a separate tab of your spreadsheet document. Answers should be brief, concise, and to the point.

 

  • Explain the relationship between risk and return
  • Identify an example of risk and return.
  • Explain which is more risky bonds or common stocks.
  • Explain how understanding risk and return will help you in future business ventures.

Click the Assignment Files tab to submit your Microsoft® Excel® document I need 2 pages.

One for 7-21 and other one for 7-27

For tomorrow no more late than 10 pm

Question Embellished Resume You Are The Ethics Officer At Friendly Digits

Question
Embellished Resume

You are the ethics officer at Friendly Digits, a respected and profitable social media company in Colossal Corporation’s technology group. Friday morning, you arrive at your office to find you’ve received a voicemail from Ernst Blofeld. Blofeld has been a vice president at Friendly Digits for several years, and was recently considered for promotion to a senior vice president position. Ultimately, the promotion was awarded to another long term employee, Tara King. You find it difficult to make out some of Blofeld’s message. The words are occasionally slurred, as though he may have had a little too much to drink. I’m in Palm Springs for a conference, he explains, and I ran into a nice couple here at the hotel bar. You’d never believe it, but they’re old friends of Tara’s from school. I told them about her promotion, and they said she never finished her degree. She dropped out of the MBA program they all attended, and they never saw her again. You have to get to HR to check this out for me.

You check Friendly Digits policy manual, which states that potential employees must submit transcripts for all degrees listed on their resumes. But this requirement was not in place 10 years ago when Tara King was hired. King has received excellent performance evaluations during her time at Friendly Digits, and her leadership has led to increased revenue and positive press for the company. Her record of success is what led to her promotion. After a brief consultation with Mindy Wu, the director of human resources, you telephone King. Based on current HR policy, we’re asking all employees who don’t have official transcripts on file, to submit them to the human resources department. There is a silence at King’s end, then in a shaky voice, she tells you that she does not in fact have an MBA. I was 12 credits away from completing my degree, she says, but then my dad got sick and I had to drop out. I really needed a job to support my family. I put the MBA on my resume because I hoped it would help me get hired. I always intended to go back to school, but I never did. It was a really stressful time.

You tell King that you need a little time to think about the situation. You promise to call her back as soon as possible. You know that an MBA was not a requirement for the assistant project specialist job King was hired for 10 years ago. But four years ago, it was made a requirement for the senior vice president position she holds now. Two of the current senior vice presidents do not have MBA degrees, because they were promoted before this requirement was in place. Mindy Wu has asked you to write a memo with your recommendations on how human resources should handle this issue. King has a record of excellence with Friendly Digits, and her superiors would be unhappy to lose her.

If your memo addresses the Badaracco Framework and the legal issues, remember the Badaracco framework is intended to be used to analyze a certain kind of problem, specifically a “right versus right” problem.

Identify the stakeholders and determine whether some are more important than others.

Determine whether all stakeholders have been consulted on the business decision at hand.

Describe the possible actions of the stakeholders following the business decision.

In addition you are applying the ethical tests below to evaluate possible business decisions in light of the following ethical tests to identify the best possible decision:

Rights, Justice and fairness, virtues, common good, and utilitarian

Identify the best possible decision and justify your choice with reference to the ethical approach on which you have based it. Sufficiently utilize some of these theories to analyze the situation and come to a conclusion.

Before beginning the memo you should review the four questions and three tests of the Badaracco’s right v. right framework in detail. You are required to analyze the scenario by specifically addressing both Badaracco’s four questions and his three tests.

The four questions are:

Which way of proceeding is going to achieve the best net-net consequences?

Whose rights must be respected?

What messages will this decision send about the ideals and principles I/we stand for?

What will work in the world as it is?

The 3 tests are:

The newspaper test:

Ask yourself what plan of action for dealing with the problem in front of you is going to work best if it’s going to appear of the front page of your local paper—let’s say, tomorrow. That’s a way of picking up on all the consequences of your act, and it’s a way of looking at things in this kind of pragmatic, Machiavellian, what’s-really-going-to-work sense.

The golden rule (or its variations) test:

To walk a mile in the other person’s shoes. That’s a way of picking up on other people’s rights that you may be overlooking, because you’re the decision-maker, you’re in a position of authority and you’re under pressure to get a decision done. And the final question has different versions.

The best friend test:

Ask yourself how you would like somebody who knows you well, whose respect matters to you, to look at you a few years down the road, and think about how you made the decision. That’s a way of really putting a spotlight on the character issues—your character, the character of the organization you’re trying to shape.

You must apply Badaracco’s framework to some or all of the following situations:

Terminating King from her position;

Allowing King to keep the promotion (likely with some stipulation of completing here MBA);

Demoting King, but allowing her to keep some employment

Make sure that your discussion uses all 4 questions and all 3 tests together. These questions balance each other and all have to be used together in order to arrive at a sound decision. As you work through the Badaracco questions and tests, articulate assumptions regarding potentially important points not explicitly defined in the scenario. After identifying the best possible decision you must justify your choice with reference to the ethical approach on which you have based it and come to a conclusion.

Your task is to communicate your findings to the vice president via memo. To be complete there must be a clearly stated, reasonably supported recommendation somewhere in the memo. As Badaracco notes, “the payoff question is, what do we do?”

Exhibit the capacity to identify the legal issues

Exhibit the capacity to research and evaluate legal issues, draw conclusions and provide recommendations

In addition to ensuring that the substance of your responses to the three questions is accurate.

To convey your message effectively your written memorandum should be concise, well organized, grammatically correct, effective and persuasive and demonstrate superior facility with the conventions of standard written English.

Step 1: Ethical Analysis

The ethical aspects of King’s situation seem complex, and you realize that you need a structured way to think through the various possibilities and their implications. You know that there are many different schools of ethical thought and a variety of frameworks or approaches for analyzing ethical problems, but you decide that the best approach to this particular situation is Badaracco’s Right vs. Right Framework.

Work through the Badaracco ethical analysis, considering the various options for action and the winners and losers for each option. What are your recommendations for the best ethical course of action?

When you’ve finished analyzing the ethical aspects of this case, continue to the next step, in which you’ll consider any legal issues that could affect your decisions.

Step 2: Legal Analysis

In addition to the ethical aspects of King’s situation, there may be legal implications that the human resources department needs to account for before moving forward with any plan of action. You realize that you need to review any relevant information about fraud that might affect what could or should be done about King, including employment at will.

Now that you’ve worked through possible legal implications and arrived at a recommended course of action for Friendly Digits’ HR department, it’s time to present your analysis, recommendations, and action plan in a memo to Mindy Wu, the director of HR.

Using the Badaracco framework and your legal analysis, prepare a memo for HR.

SAMPLE MEMORANDUM FORMAT

To: Mindy Wu, Director of HR

cc: Head of Departments

From: Ethics Officer, Friendly Digits

Date: 11/02/2017

Subject: Embellished Resume

You must also include APA-formatted in-text citations and an APA-formatted reference list (do not format the body of the memo using APA style, just the reference list). See references and citations for details.

Include a specific recommendation on what actions, if any, HR should take based on your analysis and conclusions.

The memo should be no more than 10 pages (double spaced, 12-point font; the reference list does not count towards page limit).