ACED 2050 – Communication in the Workplace

Unit 4 Activity – Practice Business Report

Due Date: Monday, April 12

This activity has been designed to give students experience with formatting a Formal Business Report.  For this activity, students will open a Microsoft Word text document that is already keyed but is not formatted.  Students will use Microsoft Word to correctly format the text into a Formal Business Report according to the guidelines given below.   Your completed report will be submitted here in BlazeView.

Points: 30

Please follow the instructions below:

Please click on the first attachment below (Report for Lesson SP2015).  If you don’t see any attachments at the bottom of this message, you need to scroll up and actually click on this assignment’s title that has the blue icon beside it.  Clicking on it will cause the message to open up everything.  Then, you will be able to scroll down to the bottom and find the attachments.  When you click on the attachment, a Microsoft Word file will open with the unformatted text of your report.  When it opens, click “save as” to save the file onto your jump drive or hard drive of your computer. Use the filename Student last name – Practice Report.   Five points will be deducted for using a different file name.

Click the second attachment below (Key to Practice Report).  An image file of the report will open with the report correctly formatted with handwritten tips to help you format your document. Your document should look like this when you are finished.  You should print these pages to use while working on your document.  Below are some additional instructions that you must also follow. It might be helpful to print these instructions you are reading as well.  Points will be deduced for NOT following the instructions below.

FORMATTING:

1. After you have opened the Word file, turn on Vertical Page Position.  To turn on the Vertical Page Position in MS Word, do the following:
   1. Point your mouse on the very bottom, gray bar at the bottom of the Word screen and right-click your mouse.
   2. When the menu appears, find Vertical Page Positions and put a check mark by Vertical Page Position. Vertical Page Position will give you a measurement in inches letting you know how far from the top of the page your indicator is.  You will need this to properly position your titles.
2. Title Page:
   1. Press the enter key to place the title of your report at 2″ (1.9″ or 2.1″ is fine).  You can tell when you are at 2″ by looking at the bottom of your screen where you turned on Vertical Page Position.  The measurement (in inches) will change as you press enter to let you know how far from the top of the page you are.
   2. Format your title and other title page text as indicated on printout.  Yours should look exactly like mine.
   3. After the date at the bottom of the title page, insert a page break.  You can do this by holding down the Control (ctrl) key and pressing Enter.
   4. Save again
3. Table of Contents:
   1. Press enter until you are at 2.1″ of the second page and key Table of Contents as indicated on your printout.
   2. On the Table of Contents page, format your page numbers and dot leaders by doing the following:
      1. Delete the dots that are after each section title (do not delete the page numbers).
      2. Then, place a blank line between each section as shown by pressing the enter  key.
      3. Use your mouse to select/highlight from the word “Introduction” all they way through “References” on this second page.
      4. Then, access the Tabs feature by clicking the little arrow in the bottom right corner of the Paragraph group found on the Home tab/toolbar.  Click Tabs… on the bottom left of the window. The Tab Menu will appear.
      5. Key 6.5 in the tab setting section; in the Alignment section, place a dot in the Right choice (not Left or Center).
      6. In the Leader section, choose the second choice.  Click Set. Click OK.  Now your tabs are set are ready to be used.
      7. To make your tabs work, click your mouse after the word “South” (between the word and the page number) and press the tab key on your keyboard.  This will make your number move to the right margin with dots in between.
      8. Do this for each of the section headings.  You will correct the page numbers when you are finished with formatting this report.
      9. Place another page break in the blank line after References by pressing Control and Enter.
4. Pages 3, 4, and 5
   1. Format these pages as indicated on your printout
   2. Notice bold, all caps, spacing, etc.
   3. Yours should look exactly like mine
   4. Save again
5. Reference page
   1. Format text as indicated on your printed pages.
   2. Turn on Hanging Indent by doing the following:
      1. Make sure your horizontal ruler is turned on at the top of your screen.  If it isn’t, click the View menu and put a checkmark beside Ruler.
      2. Then, use your mouse to highlight your text from “Allen” to the very end of the references.
      3. On the horizontal ruler at the top of the Word screen, use your mouse to point to the small horizontal ruler markers on the left side of the horizontal ruler.  There are three little tools there (a down-pointing triangle, an up-pointing triangle, and a little square). Continue pointing to the up-pointing triangle until it says “hanging indent.”
      4. Then hold down your left mouse button and drag that little triangle a half inch and let go.  This will format your references in a hanging-indent format.
      5. Save again
6. Page Numbers
   1. To turn on page numbers, click Insert, Page numbers.  Choose bottom center, drag to highlight the number and change the font and size of your page numbers to Times New Roman, 12 pt.
   2. On the Design Tab, put a check mark in the option for “Different first page.”  This will keep “1” from showing up on the title page and “2” will show up on the Table of Contents, 3, etc. as shown on your printout.
   3. Go back and put the correct page numbers for the different sections of your Table of Contents page information.  Some of the page numbers might be incorrect.
7. Proofread
   1. Check back over your report and make sure yours looks like mine.
   2. Save again and CLOSE the file.
8. Submit
   1. Note:  Do not try to attach your practice report unless you have closed it and MS Word.
   2. When you are ready to submit your Practice Report, click on Assessments above in the BlazeView menu and find Assignments.
   3. Click Assignments
   4. When you get to Assignments, click on Unit 4 Activity – Practice Business Report and a window will open for submitting your document.
   5. Look under the Submit Files section and click the button labeled Add A File
   6. Look over to the right and click the button labeled Upload
   7. Locate your Practice Report file on your computer or jump drive and double click
   8. Look down at the bottom of the Assignments screen and click the Add button.
   9. If you selected the correct file and you are ready to submit your practice report, click the submit button.

I will grade this report using MS Word’s Review feature.  I will resave the document with my markings/corrections,  will attach the graded document back to you in Assignments, and assign a grade based on accuracy of your formatting.  Do not share your work with anyone; do your own work.  A grade of zero will be given to any two students with the same hidden identification labels.

Please don’t hesitate to email with any questions.  However, make sure you read instructions carefully before emailing questions.

Start DateSep 24, 2018 8:00 AMDue DateApr 12, 2021 11:45 PMAttachmentsReport for Lesson SP2015.docx (16.57 KB)Key to Practice Report.pdf (915.77 KB)Download All FilesHide Rubrics

Best Practices in Talent Management textbook case study

From the Best Practices in Talent Management textbook, the Avon Products (Chapter 1) case study for this assignment.

Write a 5 page paper in which you:

1. Provide a brief description of the status of the company that led to its determination that a change was necessary.
2. Identify the model for change theory typified in the case study of your choice. Discuss what led you to identify the model that you did.
3. Illustrate the types of evaluation information that were collected and how they are used to benefit the company.
4. Speculate about the success of the changes within the next five years and how adjustments could be made if the results become less than ideal.
5. Use at least five quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other websites do not quality as academic resources.

• Develop a strategic action plan for yourself.

Introduction

The final step in developing your strategic plan is to translate your strategy into action. A robust action plan contains four elements:

• Identification of specific actions to be undertaken in the next year or less.• Establishment of a clear time frame for the completion of each action.• Creation of accountability by identifying who is responsible for each action.• Determination of one or more specific, immediate objectives that the action should achieve.

Functional tactics and monetary ramifications are the underlying details of your strategic action plan. Functional tactics are short-term, narrow-scoped plans that detail the activities you will use to achieve your short-term objectives. The monetary ramifications of your strategic plan will likely be expressed in both income and expenses, for example, the amount of increased income anticipated by climbing the corporate ladder and the amount of money you may need to spend on education or professional development.

Note: Developing a strategic plan requires specific steps that need to be executed in a sequence. The assessments in this course are presented in order and should be completed in sequence.

In the previous assessments, you have developed your mission statement, conducted a personal SWOT analysis and environmental scan, and laid out your long-term and short-term objectives. Now, you will create a strategic plan to achieve your objectives.

Your completed Strategic Action Plan will be based on the information from your mission statement, your SWOT analysis, environmental scan, and your long-term and short-term plans; however, you do not need to include these items in this assessment.

Develop a strategic action plan in which you address the following:

• Specific steps you will need to take in the next year to achieve your 5-year objectives.• A time frame for completing each action.• The scorecard you will use to measure the success of each action.• The functional tactics you will use to achieve your short-term objectives.• The resources (financial, human, and other) you will use to complete each action.• An analysis of the monetary ramifications of each action.• A plan for monitoring the progress of the action plan.• A plan for handling obstacles or roadblocks.• An explanation of how your overall strategic plan reflects your mission statement.

To successfully complete this assessment, you may need to do some research on strategic action plans. Format this assessment as a research paper following current APA guidelines for both style and citing sources, making sure that you also use correct grammar and mechanics. There is no required minimum or maximum page length; however, you should strive to be as detailed as possible in addressing each bullet point, while also being as clear and concise as possible.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies:

• Competency 1: Create organizational value. o Explain how a strategic plan reflects a mission statement.• Competency 2: Participate collaboratively and respectfully. o Describe the resources needed to complete the steps of a strategic plan.• Competency 3: Communicate effectively. o Explain how to measure the success of the steps needed to achieve long-term objectives.o Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.• Competency 4: Plan strategically. o Describe functional tactics used to achieve short-term objectives.o Describe a plan for monitoring the progress of a strategic plan.o Explain strategies for addressing roadblocks and obstacles to a strategic plan.• Competency 5: Employ high-performance business management techniques. o Describe the steps and associated time frames needed to achieve long-term objectives.• Competency 7: Use appropriate financial models and principles. o Explain the financial ramifications associated with a strategic plan.

discuss a scenario where a coworker gives another employee a union leaflet urging employees to sign an authorization card

Students should read the chapter and other resources then discuss a scenario where a coworker gives another employee a union leaflet urging employees to sign an authorization card. What questions should the receiving employee ask of the union supporter? List the steps of forming a union within an organization from this point on after the authorization card signing?

Your discussion is to be submitted in 12-point Times New Roman font using APA format. 

Use at least two (2) academically reviewed journal articles ONLY as research for your primary response

*** The business will be for a Creative Studio Called 757 Local. This studio will specialize in music production and artist development. The studio will also be a place for creatives to gather to conduct photoshoots, networking events and video shots. This studio is a one stop shop for all things creative.

ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION

For this major project you are asked to develop a Human Resource plan/audit. You can think of this as preparing for a new business you want to start, or a review of the business where you currently work, or a review of a friend’s business or non-profit. This major project will assist you with the business plan you will need to assemble in the MBA679 Business Plan & Launch course. Therefore, it has added value for you beyond this course.

Write the narrative and lists under each heading with sufficient detail and specificity that anyone who reads this can work with the document without you and make the HR function work well. For example, please do not use phrases like “We will comply with all EEO legal requirements.” Instead, explain what the legal requirements are and how you intend to ensure they are complied with.

This project is scored using the ‘Major Project Rubric (not QEP)’. Please click on the underlined ‘Major Project’ heading above and review the rubric so that you know how the project will be scored.

The syllabus says that you have 16 hours to complete this project. In addition, you have 6.5 hours of reading available from the ‘study’ section. Use the reading to research information to assist you with this project.

The length of the document will vary from student to student with an ‘average’ length estimated at 20-30 pages double-spaced. It can be longer if you would like to use this for your business. Bullet-point lists are acceptable where appropriate to present your points.

The Human Resource Management Plan

Bill Gates has said that Microsoft, which employees 22,000, would become an unimportant company if it lost its 20 best people. That’s why you need to address the issue of how you will attract and retain key employees in any enterprise.

The things that make employees want to come to work for you and stay vary from business to business. Bottom line, however, choosing an employer is a highly personal decision. That’s why it’s crucial to understand the individual needs of your key employees so that you can give them exactly what they want. If you only offer a higher salary to an employee whose most important concern is the option to work at a job offering flexible hours so she can care for an elderly parent, then you probably won’t retain that employee.

Here are some of the commonly overlooked areas in a human resource management plan that actually drive a person’s employment decision:

Salary or hourly compensation – While the business may be your “baby,” and you may be willing to work for sweat equity, your first employee will the business as a paycheck. That means you will have to consider how you will pay them.

Method of compensation payment – will the employee be on payroll, or will you contract with the employee. You need to know the pros and cons of both from the perspective of your business and the employee’s perspective as well

Benefits – Paid holidays and sick leave, health insurance and retirement plans such as a 401(d) are among the key benefits most often listed as desirable by employees.

Compensation – Salary bonuses, stock options, profit sharing and auto mileage allowances are among the most important compensation issues to employees.

Work location – Does the employee have to work in an office, or can he or she work from home and “telecommute” to the office, thereby saving wear and tear on automobiles, and providing greater flexibility in work hours.

Miscellaneous – On-site child care, flexible work hours, paid memberships to business groups or gyms, and holidays off are important considerations as well.

The Human Resource Management section of your business plan should consider and address all of the above issues and describe the inducements you will offer key employees to encourage them to stay. It is also important to explain at what point in time certain HR things can occur. For example, you may have to start someone at an hourly rate when the business first starts, but you may be able to switch them to a salary in nine months after sales reach a certain level. In a small company, an investor is likely to be very leery of a plan that appears to be based on the capabilities of a handful of employees unless the business owner has clearly given a lot of thought to keeping these important workers on board.

The Management Team Section of your Business Plan (IF you are using this HR plan as a part of your final program Business Plan)

Georges Doriot, the father of venture capital and founder of American Research and Development Corporation (the first modern-day venture capital firm), said that he would rather “back an ‘A’ entrepreneur with a ‘B’ idea than a ‘B’ entrepreneur with an ‘A’ idea.” He reasoned that an A team would more easily mold and reshape a B idea into a winning opportunity than a B team could execute an A idea.

The management team section of the business plan is often the section that professional investors read after the executive summary. Thus, it is critical that the plan depict the members responsible for key activities and convey that they are exceptional people with integrity, knowledge, and skills.

The business planning process will help you identify what gaps exist on your team. It is rare that a founding entrepreneur has all the competencies needed to launch a successful business. Research suggests that ventures launched by teams are more likely to become sustainable businesses than those launched by individuals. For a start-up venture, as an example, many sharp businesspeople can identify a customer need, but don’t have the technology background to build a prototype. In these situations, it makes sense to recruit a co-founder—someone who complements your skill set so that together you can fill the gaps on the team.

For a start-up venture, in most cases, you cannot have a complete team right from the start. It would drain too much cash (presuming you pay them). You need to be strategic and think about the two to five key people you will need to succeed. You also have to anticipate when you will need them. When building your core founding team, identify people that can multitask and are willing to take on lots of duties. Considering how important the team is to your company’s success, you need to present the power of your team as effectively as possible. Provide an introductory paragraph that talks about how the team came together. The subsequent subsections will provide the detail that connects the teams’ skills with the requirements of the business opportunity.

However, if this is a mature business you may well have all the key people in the right positions. In this case, it is best to start by identifying the founding team members and their titles. The key is to convince investors that you have assembled the best team possible and that your team can execute on the brilliant concept you are proposing.

Required sections of the Human Resource Management Plan are below. You may add additional sections you feel are needed for your business or organization.

Cover Page

Table of contents with page numbers

1. Leader/Founder background information along with information on any other key members of the management team.

2. Description of the business.

3. Mission, Vision, and Guiding Principles (or Ethics Code) for the organization.

4. Locations of the business and specific location that this plan document relates to.

5. Product/service which organization provides (useful if multiple product/service divisions exist).

6. Position and skill set summary table (fill in key information below). For this project, you do not have to use every position in the organization but you should include at least four.

Type of Employee

Functions – What do they do?

Knowledge – What body of information do they need to do the job? Education?

Skills – What type of manual, verbal, or mental skills do they need to do the job? I.E. Driving a truck, typing, etc.

Abilities – What observable activities do they need to possess to do the job? I.E. Ability to organize work, lead, etc.

7. Position Descriptions. Add additional details and descriptions to the information in the table above to create a position description for each type of employee position identified. You can use the Department of Labor’s job description website for this section of the plan and adapt the descriptions as needed. The website is located at https://www.onetonline.org/  You can also google O*Net and it will take you to the site.

8.   Compensation principles. Explain how you intend to go about determining compensation.

9.  Benefits and indirect compensation. In this section, list the benefits and any indirect compensation you will offer to each type of employee identified in the table above. REMEMBER, if you offer employer paid benefits, they will need to be part of your annual payroll budget contained later in this plan.

10. Hiring and Retaining. Provide details as to the principles and practices you will use to find, select, orient, train/develop, and retain qualified employees. You should address each in at least a paragraph, preferably more.

11. Privacy rules. Describe any legislation to which your business must adhere, and explain how you maintain privacy for both customers and employees as well as the business. This includes company trade secrets, customer information, employee information, credit card numbers, addresses, Social Security numbers, etc. How will you keep data in your computers safe?

12. Safety rules. Describe any legislation (e.g., OSHA) to which your business must adhere, and/or explain how you intend to keep employees safe and provide a safe environment for them to work in. Do not use a generic “we will comply with all safety regulations.”

13. EEO, Sexual Harassment, and Bullying. State your policy and describe the principles used to avoid discrimination including any training. Include reporting procedures for employees who want to report violations. Explain how you intend to watch and monitor for disparate treatment and disparate impact.

14. Performance Reviews. Describe the organization’s principles for employee performance review and explain the process you will use for those reviews (what, when, who, how).

15. Discipline. Explain how you will handle situations of poor performance or possible criminal activity.

16. Telecommuting policy. Explain who is eligible, how they request it, who provides necessary equipment, etc.

17. For USA-based business, explain how you intend to make reasonable accommodation for an employee in compliance with the Americans with Disability Act and the Family Leave Act.

18. Develop an organization chart and show the number of employees where more than one exists and the reporting relationships.

19. Develop an annual payroll budget presuming 12 months of salary for exempt employees, 52 weeks payroll at 40 hours for hourly employees (using 2080 hours in one work year). Use the current benefit/taxes the firm has to pay for the location (country/state/city). For the USA this includes FICA, Medicare, unemployment taxes. If you pay a monthly allotment for clothing/uniform, medical insurance, life insurance, etc. please include these as line item expenses.

20. Create a Gantt Chart identifying when you intend to hire each person during the first year of operation (or during the next 12 months for an existing company).

Please do not hesitate to contact your professor if you have questions