Five (5) Discussion and One (1) Assignment

Business Admin Capstone Course

Discussion Question 1

Use the Internet to research basic approaches to corporate governance outside of the U.S. (excluding Germany, Japan, and China). Be prepared to discuss.

“Corporate Governance” Please respond to the following:

• Analyze the three internal governance mechanisms (ownership concentration, boards of directors, and executive compensation) and recommend a possible fourth mechanism that would help align the interests of managerial agents with those of the firm’s owners. Provide specific examples to support your response.
• From the e-Activity, determine how U.S.-based corporations could incorporate elements of the corporate governance practices you researched to help top-level managers make better ethical decisions. Provide specific examples to support your response.

Discussion Question 2

“Finding the Best Buy” Please respond to the following:

• Corporate governance has become a hot issue in the U.S. over the past two decades. From your analysis of the case study, determine two possible corporate governance challenges that might be faced by Best Buy as a result of its rapid growth and why they could become corporate governance issues.
• Make recommendations for how Best Buy can overcome these challenges. Provide specific examples to support your response.

ASSIGNMENT

Assignment 4: Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies

Choose two (2) public corporations in an industry with which you are familiar – one (1) that has acquired another company and operates internationally and one (1) that does not have a history of mergers and acquisitions and operates solely within the U.S. Research each company on its own Website, the public filings on the Securities and Exchange Commission EDGAR database (http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml), in the University’s online databases, and any other sources you can find. The annual report will often provide insights that can help address some of these questions.

Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:

• For the corporation that has acquired another company, merged with another company, or been acquired by another company, evaluate the strategy that led to the merger or acquisition to determine whether or not this merger or acquisition was a wise choice. Justify your opinion.
• For the corporation that has not been involved in any mergers or acquisitions, identify one (1) company that would be a profitable candidate for the corporation to acquire or merge with and explain why this company would be a profitable target.
• For the corporation that operates internationally, briefly evaluate its international business-level strategy and international corporate-level strategy and make recommendations for improvement.
• For the corporation that does not operate internationally, propose one business-level strategy and one corporate-level strategy that you would suggest the corporation consider. Justify your proposals.
• Use at least three (3) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Identify various levels and types of strategy in a firm.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in business administration.
• Write clearly and concisely about business administration using proper writing mechanics.

International Problem Course

Discussion 1

“The Rise of China” Please respond to the following:

“Let China sleep,” warned Napoleon, “for when she wakes, she will shake the world.” Napoleon’s prediction is now coming true, as China’s economic growth has helped aid in its climb to power.

• Describe the principal effects of China’s increasing prosperity on U.S.– China relations.
• Explain whether you believe the rise of China as a super power will positively or negatively affect the U.S. Explain your answer.

Introduction to Finance Course

Discussion 1:

Complete the following homework scenario:

• Select one (1) U.S. publicly traded company and review its most recent Annual Report. (You may use one (1) of the three (3) companies you selected for your Stock Journal assignment.)
  • Use the Income Statement and Balance Sheet to determine the changes in:
    • assets, liabilities, and equity
    • total revenue and net income
  • Briefly describe the change from the current and prior years in each of these key areas and determine if the changes would be positive or negative from an investor / stockholder’s view.

Discussion 2:

• Record the current price of the stock for each company you selected in Week 3’s Stock Journal. You may use any price during this week (e.g., day one price, the opening, the low, the high, the close, or any price you find when you check it during the day). Using MS Excel spreadsheet or MS Word document, put your Week 3 and Week 8 stock prices side-by-side, to show your comparison.
• Determine the current value of your total investment. Do not make any changes to your investment at this time. Calculate your total based on the number of shares and the new price per share, for each company.
• Provide your opinion / assessment of your investments. Evaluate the results of your current investment. Are you happy with the result and the trend? Are you upset because you’re investment is worth less than $25,000. Feel free to speculate / guess at why you believe the stock increased, decreased, or remained static