Term 6 Week 1 Discussions

Week 1 Discussion Forum (MKT6250 Healthcare Marketing)

1. Discuss marketing and differentiate between a marketing-driven and nonmarketing-driven process.

2. Discuss the importance and sources of a competitive differential advantage.

Week 1 Discussion Forum (ECO550 Managerial Economics)

Bel’s Bakery (BB) is a family owned business. In 2010 it recorded a $3 million operating loss. Apparently, 50% of the losses stemmed from a failed acquisition. With short term interest rates at 5%, the manager (John) convinced the owners to expand its operations. It used $15 million of its retained earnings to acquire another privately owned bakery, Joe’s Bakery (JB). In the first year after the acquisition, revenues from Joe’s was $5 million, but thereafter sales were halted when one of the owners of JB filed suit challenging the rights of the management of JB to sell the company. BB lost the case and paid damages of $1.5 million. John, the manager of BB was fired. In explaining to his wife, John said he was the scapegoat because the attorneys who handled the acquisition failed in their due diligence. He said, “I promised sales of $5 million a year for 3 years and my sales forecast was right on the money.”

1. Why was John fired?

2. If sales were $6 million annually, would John still have been fired?

Your “substantive” initial response should be a minimum of 300 words, excluding references at the end.

Unit 1 Discussion (ACC450 Advanced Accounting)

DID THE COST METHOD INVITE EARNINGS MANIPULATION?

Prior to GAAP for equity method investments, firms used the cost method to account for their unconsolidated investments in common stock regardless of the presence of significant influence. Under the cost method, when the investee declares a dividend, the investor records “dividend income.” The investment account typically remains at its original cost—hence the term cost method.

Many firms’ compensation plans reward managers based on reported annual income. How might the use of the cost method of accounting for significant influence investments have resulted in unintended wealth transfers from owners to managers? Do the equity or fair-value methods provide similar incentives?

Unit 1 DB: Strategic Thinking (BUS411 Business Policy Seminar)

In this week’s readings, you were introduced to the main concepts of strategic leadership and planning. In this discussion question, you need to review and explain what the major challenges of strategic planning are for large, complex organizations, such as Apple, Wal-Mart, or Southwest Airlines? What do you think can be done to improve the strategic planning processes in your own organization or field?