Unit 2 Strategic Management Questions

Complete

Instructions: Minimum of 1200 word count for the whole section. Must use a minimum of 3 sources per question to validate. Sources must be scholarly and in APA FORMAT. This is the book information, Parnell, J.A. (2008). Strategic management: Theory and practice (3rd ed). Cincinnati, OH: Cengage.

The External Environment

Case Summary

1. In a narrative format, discuss these firms from a strategic perspective. Information concerning recent changes in the firms is readily available online and should be accessed. Strategic issues should be discussed in “real time.”

Case Analysis

1. How would you define Auto Zone’s industry? Would you include new car dealerships and/or discount stores in the industry? Why or why not?
2. How has Auto Zone responded to changes in its macroenvironment? Is Auto Zone immune to threats associated with economic downturns? Why or why not?

Application

1. Review the discussion in the reading on changes in social forces associated with automobiles. Suppose that you are the CEO of Auto Zone. What changes present opportunities for your firm? Which changes concern you the most?

Due Week 10 and worth 235 points

This assignment uses the information you have gathered for your weekly World View Chart Assignments.

Choose ONE (1) category (origin of all things, nature of god, view of human nature, view of good and evil, etc.) from the chart to focus on for this assignment. Consider how the selected category relates to all of the religions covered and to your own social or work experiences.

Write a two to three (2-3) page paper in which you:

1. Select ONE (1) category from the completed World View Chart. Provide a rationale for choosing this category. What is compelling about this category? Why is it important in the study of religion?
2. Describe the selected content and explain the significance of the selected category across all of the religions studied. Show in what ways the category is significant for each religion.
3. Give an example of how you have noticed this category in your life, town or country. What impact does this category have in the everyday lives of people who practice religion in your area? (You do not have to give examples of all the religions in your area, just one you have noticed besides any you practice). For example, in Cincinnati, Ohio we have Hindu, Greek Orthodox, Catholic festivals in the summer. So if my category were “Festivals and Celebrations” I could use those events as my example.
4. Use at least three (3) quality resources as references for the assignment and document your sources using APA Style for in-text citations and references. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.
5. Write clearly and coherently using correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and mechanics.

Your assignment must:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and 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 assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Analyze what is meant by religion.
• Analyze the similarities and differences in the primary beliefs held by major religious traditions and the cultures in which these religions evolved.
• Describe the varieties of religious experience and practice in a wide range of cultures.
• Recognize how daily life within various religions and current affairs are influenced by religion.
• Develop written pieces that demonstrate an analysis of a topic relevant to the course.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in religion.
• Write clearly and concisely about world religions using proper writing mechanics.

Click here to view the grading rubric.

Psychology class- Application:

Can You Use Persuasion or Social Influence to Change
Prejudice or Stereotyping?

Given all you know about how to change people at this point
in the course, can you apply your knowledge to tackle one of the most important
and difficult problems in society? The goal of this final Application
Assignment is for you to think of creative new ways to use social influence and
persuasion processes to change the negative attitudes, beliefs, and behavior
that that underlie intergroup conflict.

To prepare for this assignment:

Review Chapters 4, 5, 9 and 11 in the course text, (Persuasion:
Psychological Insights and Perspectives, 2n Ed), and think about the various
ways that people are motivated to change their behaviors, attitudes, beliefs,
etc.

Then think about ways of using a foot-in-the-door and
door-in-the-face strategy to facilitate positive behavior toward a disliked
group.

Consider what behavior you would like to encourage and the
steps necessary to initiate change.

Now consider how you might use cognitive dissonance to
change negative attitudes towards a stigmatized group. Then think about using
the induced compliance and/or justification of effort procedure strategies to
motive change.

Lastly, create and describe a persuasive message to promote
appreciation of multicultural diversity. Think about the audience, the use of
central route to persuasion, and three strong arguments you could use to
promote appreciation of diversity.

The assignment (1–3 pages):

Create and describe a foot-in-the-door or door-in-the-face
strategy that can facilitate a positive behavior toward a disliked group. After
you identify the group and the target behavior, explain whom you would try to
change and what steps would be necessary to initiate commitment or reciprocity
processes. Do you think this would lead to long-term change? Why or why not?

Use cognitive dissonance to change negative attitudes
towards a stigmatized group. First identify and briefly describe the stigmatized
group and the negative attitudes that your audience holds toward them. Then,
using either an induced compliance or justification of effort procedure,
explain how you would get your target audience to commit a discrepant act that
would cause dissonance. Then explain how you would provide the means to reduce
dissonance by changing their attitudes toward the stigmatized group.

Create and describe a persuasive message designed to promote
the appreciation of multicultural diversity. Identify the audience and, in
order to use the central route to persuasion, explain how you would motivate
them and provide the ability to process your message. Identify three strong
arguments you would use to persuade them to appreciate multicultural diversity.
Finally, assuming some people in the audience may not be motivated or have the
ability to process the arguments, describe a positive source cue that you would
include to influence these audience members through the peripheral route.

2ND Paper: Midterm Paper– Cultural Ethnographic Interview and Paper

o See Due Dates

o 50 points

o As a student in this CDL course, you will be required to complete both a Midterm & Final Paper. You cannot pass the course without a midterm and final paper.

o This midterm cultural ethnographic paper is a report on an organization, family or group that you picked to interview and report the answers to the majority of the questions listed below.

o You will be acting like a pseudo-anthropologist in the field conducting an ethnographic interview (see book for description of this process), and it is an important research effort of this course. Many students report this as an excellent opportunity to learn more about a co-worker, friend, or casual acquaintance’s culture.

o You do not need outside resources for this paper, such as information from journals, books or the Internet.

o Write a 2 ½ -3 ½ page, single-spaced paper entitled, Cultural Ethnographic Research on a topic that would allow you to interview and explore in detail a family, society, organization/group or culture of your choice, and must be one different than your own. (See List Below). Choosing to interview someone from another culture will allow each of you to do some ethnographic work that will make your midterm cultural ethnographic paper more interesting and relevant and parallel work an anthropologist might do in the field.

o Students must incorporate at least five cultural anthropological concepts/terms, issues or topics discussed. Use your book as a guide for anthropological terms. The terms highlighted at the bottom of the page are anthropological concepts. Some examples are kinship terms, marriage rites, how lineage is traced (matrilineal, patrilineal), descriptions of rites of passage, or linguistic terminology.

o Post (no attachments) your paper on Blackboard under Assignments, Midterm Paper.

The best way to approach this assignment is:

1. Choose a family, group, or organization; one that you are not a part of but interests you.

2. Get permission to interview that person or group (please avoid interviewing a minor under 18 years old without a parent present).

3. Prepare interview questions that would allow you to derive at any of the following information.

a) Tell me who you interviewed (use a fake name if protecting identity of informant), their age, gender, in what situation did you interview them (location), and why you chose them. Make sure you write comments only based on their single perspective,which is influenced by their generation and gender. Be careful not to generalize about the entire culture from only 1 informants information.

b) Introduce the culture from which your informant comes from (Where in the world it is located, what is the population like)

c) Describe wedding, & marriage practices & expectations, (Matchmaking, role of divorce, monogamy, abstinence, dowry, family obligations, live with parents until married)

d) Views on birth (showers, baptisms, ceremony for naming, circumcision, out of wedlock births, adoption, abortion)

d) Language (expectations, reading and writing, body language)

e)Gender roles & Age Expectations (jobs, children)

f)Views on Death (heaven, mourning, spirits/ghosts, burial within 24 hours, cremation, wake, celebration)

g)Describe a typical dinner experience. (Who is invited? What food is served? What conversation topics are discussed? What topics are avoided?)

h) Describe the main festivals and holidays. (rituals, songs, food, religious significance)

i)Religious beliefs (general or specific)

j)Taboos (Are there any? Tattoos, piecing, eating certain foods, incest, homosexuality)

k)Political and/or Economic situation of culture

l)Growing Up (Enculturation into America possibly)

m)Function of Music, Dancing & The Arts (Certain instruments played? Specific dances? Art style?)

n) Role of Sports in the culture (rugby, soccer, caber tossing, rowing, baseball)

o) Future (What About Their Culture’s Future?)

3. Record the answers to the above questions (either use a laptop, tape recorder or hand-written field notes)

4. Write-up a cultural ethnographic reflection detailing who you interviewed and what were their answers in a narrative description with insightful comments from an anthropological perspective. In order to receive the highest grade, make sure to incorporate terms and ideas from your book.

Examples: The following families, organizations or groups are just some examples of persons or groups that can be chosen to interview. You may also interview just one person from a culture different than your own.

Family– Two or more people related by blood, marriage or adoption. Cultural Families may be:

Samoans, Canadians, Nigerians, Norwegians, Swedish, Austrians, Kenyans, Puerto Ricans, Italians, Chinese, European Americans, Cubans, Polish, Japanese, Iranian, Korean, Vietnamese, French, Mexicans, Spanish, Native Americans, Haitians, Russians, Indonesians, Australians, Brazilians, Indians, Pakistanis, Greeks, Germans, Pacific Islanders, Turkish, Egyptians, and many, many, many more.

Organization(s) – Group of persons united for some purpose (Churches, Clubs, Political Parties)

Women or Men’s Rights Organizations, Association of Retired People (AARP), Animal Rights, Soak Gakkai International Organization,Veterans of Foreign Wars, Gay Rights, Human Rights Organizations, and Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD)

Group(s)– An organized group(s) who generally; share a common territory, language, and who act together, for collective survival and well-being; number of persons, animals or things together. Groups can be separated by gender, age, common interests, and/or social rank.

Amish, Gypsies, Stratified Societies, Girls & Boys Club, Junior Achievement, Masons, Jack & Jill, and Fraternal Order of Police