MGMT 383 Final Operations Assessment Analysis paper
The general assignment for the final paper will be to provide a summary and critique of the strategy, policy and implementation of a real company within the framework of the format shown below:
The papers will be graded on four criteria: 1. Useful Knowledge 2. Rigor 3. References 4. Style and Impact. Each of these is described more fully in the Syllabus. If there are any questions, please give me a call. I would like to meet with each of you on your project.
Section I — Company Background and History
Section I should provide enough company background and history for the reader to feel prepared to read further about the case. This section is the lead-in to the story.
Approximate length = 1 single spaced page.
Section II — Corporate Management and the Background of Key Principals
Section II should familiarize the reader with who is running the company. Section II should cover two or three of the top officers of the company as one or two of the people in charge of the part of the country you are studying.
Approximate length = 1 1/2 single spaced pages.
Section III — The Company Scoreboard and Major Measures of effectiveness.
Briefly describe five to seven major measurements of how this company has done over the past five years. Some of these measures can be obtained by reviewing the company’s financial records. If the company is public, web sites like Goggle Finance, Yahoo Finance, and others will often contain enough information for this brief synopsis. Industry ratings and articles about the company can help to flesh out the Scoreboard to pprovide some indication of how they are doing on more subjective considerations like perceived quality and customer acceptance If the subject company is private, getting information is often more difficult. Rated measures like Bond Ratings and key financial ratios may also be helpful.
Approximate length = 2 single spaced pages plus related charts or tables.
Section IV — Major Competitors and their Comparative Measures
Briefly describe two or three of major competitors of this business. Websites like Goggle Finance, Yahoo Finance, and others will often list who these competitors are. If the subject company is private, getting competitive information is more difficult, but not impossible. Look for competitive company strengths and weaknesses and their general standing. Look at measures like Bond Ratings and key financial ratios as well as legal information.
Approximate length = 2 single spaced pages plus related charts or tables.
Section V — Analysis of the Company’s Cost Position
Compared to competitors and other companies with which you are familiar, evaluate the target companies cost position. Use some of the measures we have covered in class. Compare profit margins, inventory turn ratios, tangible net worth and other measures with benchmark companies to analyze the target company’s cost position.
Approximate length = 2 to 3 single spaced pages plus related charts or tables.
Section VI — Analysis of the Company’s Differentiation
Compared to competitors and other companies with which you are familiar, evaluate the target companies product offerings and product differentiation (uniqueness in the minds of customers). Compare market shares, gross profit margins, inventory turn ratios, and other measures with benchmark companies to analyze the target company’s product or service differentiation.
Approximate length = 2 to 3 single spaced pages plus related charts or tables.
Section VII — Description of Present Managerial and Technical Processes
Include some interesting examples of anecdotes that will provide some insights into the way the company operates and how these modus operandi are meaningful in the attainment of company objectives. Be sure to include employee development practices.
Approximate length = 2 single spaced pages.
Section VIII — Your assessment of the Company’s Culture
What is the company culture like? Do people like and admire the company, or are there reservations?
Approximate length = 1/2 single spaced page.
Section IX — Analysis of the Company’s Leadership & Organization
What is your assessment of how the company is being managed? Provide analysis with some of the managerial concepts we have discussed in class.
Approximate length = 1 single spaced pages
Bibliography —
This is merely a summary of what materials you examined in the creation of your report. Use either the APA style (American Psychological Association) is used by Education, Psychology, and Sciences. Or the Chicago/Turabian style, generally used by Business, History, and the Fine Arts.
Paper Evaluation Criteria –
Term papers and reports are evaluated against four main criteria:
1. Useful Knowledge 2. Rigor 3. References 4. Style and Impact
Operations Assessment Analysis Paper Schedule
At any time – Schedule a phone conference or a meeting with Dr. Zimmerman on your plans for the paper.
By December 8, 2022 – Submit final version of paper.
Useful Knowledge
This is a more involved criteria than whether the subject area is interesting. Many subjects are interesting. The question is, can the information from the paper be USED. Some papers make it easy for the reader to use the information.
There is also the matter as to whether the paper relates to a relevant question. Usually this is not a problem. It is of value to your company, it is probably relevant. Sometimes, summary information of what the leading companies are doing can provide some additional insight into the importance of the topic. Topics with longer term impacts can be relevant and useful. Our industrial environment does have to change.
With respect to the assignment to study the operations management of a particular company, the report should include some analytical and financial information in order to be useful. Market statistics, industry statistics, operating statistics and other indicators of strategic success or failure are of great interest and high regard.
Rigor
Rigor is a scientifically sound procedural approach to examining the question. This often involves some detail, some test data or other evidence and an outline of the basic conceptual model.
Sometimes individuals can say things which will be accepted by an organization largely because of the individual’s credibility, but that is usually a very small number of people. Important questions have to be examined on the basis of good evidence.
Often back–up information or other elements of rigor are not shown in the final report to management. However, the effective person will have it available in case somebody asks penetrating questions so that the reader to be at ease and no significant questions surface in either the analysis or the recommendations which follow from it.
References
Many years ago, when I was an undergraduate, we had a profession who was especially demanding regarding the use of references. His name was Professor Bronfenbrenner and he had the irritating habit of bringing a list of important questions to class and then going down the row of students and asking each one to provide the appropriate citation. His frequent saying was:
“If you are going to do professional work, you have to not mind doing one of two things. You have to not mind reading the literature or not mind being wrong.”
Most of us felt uncomfortable at the time. But, as I look at American industry today, I wonder how many managers are winging it totally on their own without the benefit of the accumulated experiences of others.
The proper use of references does not mean a footnote every other sentence. Too many formal references can be confusing and destroy the continuity of the presentation. But, it is appropriate to provide evidence that the most relevant scientific work of others or the relevant experiences of other companies were considered in your analysis and recommendations.
Style and Impact
The appropriate style for a report should match the requirements of the reader. Above all, the report should be professional. The report should be well structured, succinct and easy to read. The report should contain an outline so the reader can quickly form an impression of what material is to be presented. The printing should be clear so the report can be easily read — even by people with failing eyesight (a common attribute of both professors and business executives). Key paragraphs should have topical headings. Key concepts should be underlined, or made bold. References might be placed in italics. The meaning of acronyms should be clearly spelled out. Some well–placed diagrams should illustrate main points. Single spacing, rather than double spacing is preferred, so important text can more easily be proximate to associated diagrams or images. If all of these attributes are present, the report will have impact. It is the impact that is sought.
Special Note:
Avoid Extensive Downloading from the Internet It is no secret, of course, that these days anyone can get a great amount of information on any particular company from the Internet. We, at SCSU, greatly encourage the use of the Internet, but of course we want the paper to be of your own creation. This caveat appears in the handbooks for nearly all educational programs and most companies.
Beyond this stated policy, these general guidelines might be helpful: Avoid downloading full paragraphs of materials or texts. Avoid downloading data from tables without adding additional measurements or analysis of your own. Clearly annotate the source of all material. Use many sources, rather than a few sources, for the material of your report. Use academic, as well as business press, references.
Summary
I hope these ideas will be helpful to you. The purpose is not only to explain the grading process for this course, the purpose is to be of some help to you in the future. Perhaps these ideas can be of help to you in your program at SCSU. More importantly, perhaps they will be of help to you in your career.
If you have any questions, please call me at 612-867-8368.
Professor Fred