Homework Assignments

ALL WORK MUST BE ORIGINAL. NO PLAGIARISM OR PARAPHRASED WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED!!

This Assignment is an opportunity for you to relate what you learned about the Contemporary Value Chain
Model to your own knowledge and experience. The purpose of the Assignment is for you to demonstrate a
graduate level understanding of the direct correlation between the elements comprising the Contemporary
Value Chain and the customer’s purchase experience.
Directions

1. Use the already APA formatted template in Doc Sharing titled “Unit 1 Assignment Template Contemporary
Value Chain” as your starting point for this Assignment. Download the template and save it as your own
document, for example, YourNameUnit1GB570.docx.

2. Think about a horrible purchase experience— one you will never forget and perhaps because of it you will
never buy anything from that brand ever again. Perhaps you told other people how shockingly bad this
purchase experience was. In your paper you will describe the experience using the directions included within
the Unit 1 Assignment template.

3. Consider your Kaplan Library research from the Unit 1 Discussion and Chapter 1 of your textbook. Internet
references are not accepted for this Unit 1 Assignment, although you may use internet research for your own
learning. At least two different sources are required to be used as references for this Assignment, one from the
textbook and at least one from at least one Kaplan Library article.

4. Think about what the (brand name) company could/should have implemented within their value chain to
have ensured your experience was not bad, but instead left you with surpassed expectations (a delighted
customer).

5. Write a 4 pages paper, not including title and reference pages, applying at least four of the elements in
the Contemporary Value Chain Model and suggest how the company can improve the customer experience by
fixing value chain elements. This is your opportunity not only to see where the brand’s value chain was not
working properly, but to recommend what needs to be done so future customers have delightful experiences.

6. Write your paper using first person (“I”, “me”) perspective.

7. Include a conclusion summarizing the paper’s content without introducing any new information.

8. Support your response’s content with at least two separate sources, applied and cited references from a
Kaplan Library article and your textbook. Apply and cite no more than one referenced sentence per paragraph.
Internet references are not accepted for this Unit 1 Assignment. Use APA in-text citations within the response
and list the applied reference(s) at the end of the response using APA formatting. APA formatting resources
are available in Kaplan’s Writing Center in the “Research, Citation, and Plagiarism” area.
9. Proofread your paper, confirm correct APA formatting, run spell check and grammar check, and proofread
again. Submit your completed paper into the Unit 1 Assignment Dropbox.

Unit 2 Assignment:

Competitive Advantage and the Value Chain
The purpose of this Assignment is to confirm your understanding of the direct correlation between an effective
value chain and a firm’s competitive advantage by examining the relationship between customer delight,
profitability, competitive advantage, and effective value chain management.
Directions

1. Use the APA formatted Microsoft® Word® document template in Doc Sharing titled “Unit 2 Assignment
Template Competitive Advantage” as the starting point. Download the template and save it as your own
document, for example, YourNameUnit2GB570.docx.

2. Write a 4 pages paper, not including title and reference pages, making a compelling argument as to
why an effective value chain creates competitive advantage.

3. Write your paper using third person perspective (do not use first or second person pronouns; (e.g. “I”,
“me”, “you”, “we”).

4. In your paper, you will examine the concepts and interrelationships of customer delight, profitability,
competitive advantage, and effective value chain management by following the directions included within
the Unit 2 Assignment template. Included within this examination:

a. Discuss each of the four elements.

b. Examine the interrelationship between the four elements.

c. Provide two examples of companies that have been successful in this integration, two examples
of companies that have not been successful in this integration, and include explanations for your
choices.

5. Include a conclusion summarizing the paper’s content without introducing any new information.
6. Support your response’s content with at least three separate applied and cited references. Accepted
sources are: Kaplan Library article(s), your textbook and the chosen example companies websites. No other internet references are acceptable for the Unit 2 Assignment. Apply and cite no more than one
referenced sentence per paragraph. Not every paragraph requires use of a reference; originality is
appreciated. Use APA in-text citations within the response and list the applied reference(s) at the end of
the response using APA formatting. APA formatting resources are available in Kaplan’s Writing Center in
the “Research, Citation, and Plagiarism” area.
7. Proofread your paper, confirm correct APA formatting, run spell check and grammar check and proofread
again. Submit your completed paper into the Unit 2 Assignment Dropbox.

Unit 3 Assignment:

Corporate Social Responsibility and the Value Chain
The purpose of the Unit 3 Assignment is to demonstrate a graduate level understanding of the impact of corporate
social responsibility on the management of a firm’s value chain.
Directions

1. Use the APA formatted Microsoft Word document template in Doc Sharing titled “Unit 3 Assignment Corporate
Social Responsibility” as the starting point. Download the template and save it as your own document, for
example, YourNameUnit3GB570.docx.

2. Write an APA formatted 4 pages paper, exclusive of the Title and References pages.

3. In your paper, address the following requirements using the directions included within the Unit 3 Assignment
template.

A. Part One – use third person perspective.

1. Make a compelling argument as to why the inclusion of policies of corporate social responsibility enhance the
ability of a firm to effectively manage a value chain and the achievement of competitive advantage.

2. Choose and analyze two examples of companies that have been successful in this integration.

3. Choose and analyze two examples of companies that have not been successful in this integration and identify
what the companies should have done in their value chains proactively to protect their value chains.

4. Support your response’s content with at least three applied and cited references. Accepted resources are:
Kaplan Library article(s), your textbook and the chosen example companies’ websites. No other internet
references are acceptable for the Unit 3 Assignment. Apply and cite no more than one referenced sentence per
paragraph. Not every paragraph requires use of a reference; originality is appreciated. Use APA in-text citations
within the response and list the applied reference(s) at the end of the response using APA formatting. APA
formatting resources are available in Kaplan’s Writing Center in the “Research, Citation, and Plagiarism” area.

5. Include a conclusion summarizing the paper’s content without introducing any new information.

B. Part Two – use first person perspective,
• Write a paragraph explaining your own critical thinking process that you used to complete Part One of
the Assignment
C. Proofread your paper, confirm correct APA formatting, run spell check and grammar check, and proofread
again. Submit your completed paper into the Unit 3 Assignment Dropbox.
Unit 3 [GB570: Managing the Value Chain]
Unit 3 Assignment Rubric: Corporate Social Responsibility and the Value Chain