Anyone able to help with a whole class especially the three large papers?

BUS 5910: Management Capstone

  

Credits: 3

Prerequisites:  BUS 5111, BUS 5114, and BUS 5117. As this is the final course in the MBA program, all eight Core Courses, in addition to at least three elective courses must be completed first before taking.

  

Course Description: The intent of the Capstone course is to integrate what was learned during the students’ MBA program into an applied context. This course addresses the business-related fields of organizational theory, human resources, project/program management, accounting/finance, operations management, business law and ethics, leadership, and globalization. These fields of study are used as frames through which business case studies are analyzed. Students will place into practice their acquired skills to evaluate comprehensive business enterprise situations through an integrated view of various functional disciplines. Students will be required to present their final project via live video interview with the instructor as part of this course. 

  

Required Textbook and Materials: UoPeople courses use open educational resources (OER) and other materials specifically donated to the University with free permissions for educational use. Therefore, students are not required to purchase any textbooks or sign up for any websites that have a cost associated with them. The main required textbooks for this course are listed below and can be readily accessed using the provided links. There may be additional required/recommended readings, supplemental materials, or other resources and websites necessary for lessons; these will be provided for you in the course’s General Information and Forums area, and throughout the term via the weekly course Unit areas and the Learning Guides.

· This course does not contain a main textbook; resources to all required reading will be provided in the course Learning Guide for each week.

  

Software Requirements/Installation: No special requirements.

  

Learning Objectives and Outcomes:

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1.  Evaluate comprehensive business enterprise situations through an integrated view of various functional disciplines.

2.  Analyze challenges and engage in decision-making through multiple frames, including organizational theory, human resources, project/program management, accounting/finance, operations management, business law and ethics, leadership, and globalization

3.  Apply concepts and approaches to strategy formulation and implementation

4.  Create a final, comprehensive work that demonstrates a broad understanding, as well as some mastery, of concepts acquired during MBA study, demonstrating the following: critical analysis, clear communication, innovative problem-solving, and synthesis of multiple business constructs, theories and models.

  

Course Schedule and Topics: This course will cover the following topics in eight learning sessions, with one Unit per week.

Week 1: Unit 1- Organizational Theory

Week 2: Unit 2- Organizational Theory viewed through the Human Resources Frame

Week 3: Unit 3- Project/Program Management viewed through the Organizational Frame

Week 4: Unit 4- Managerial Finance and Accounting viewed through the Project/Program Management Frame

Week 5: Unit 5- Operations Management viewed through Managerial Finance/Accounting Frame

Week 6: Unit 6- Business Law viewed through the Business Ethics Frame

Week 7: Unit 7- Leadership viewed through the Human Resources Frame

Week 8: Unit 8- Globalization viewed through the Strategic Frame

  

Learning Guide: The following is an outline of how this course will be conducted, with suggested best practices for students.

Unit 1: Organizational Theory

· Post an introduction in the Course Forum

· Read BUS5910: Course Guide for Final Paper and Presentation

· Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments

· Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)

· Complete and submit the Written Assignment

· Respond to the Portfolio Activity

Unit 2: Organizational Theory viewed through the Human Resources Frame

· Peer assess Unit 1 Written Assignment

· Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments

· Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)

· Complete and submit the Written Assignment

· Respond to the Portfolio Activity

Unit 3: Project/Program Management viewed through the Organizational Frame

· Peer assess Unit 2 Written Assignment

· Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments

· Review: BUS5910: Course Guide for Final Paper and Presentation

· Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)

· Complete and submit the Written Assignment (instructor Graded)

Unit 4: Managerial Finance and Accounting viewed through the Project/Program Management Frame

· Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments

· Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)

· Complete and submit the Written Assignment

· Respond to the Portfolio Activity

Unit 5: Operations Management viewed through Managerial Finance/Accounting Frame

· Peer assess Unit 4 Written Assignment

· Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments

· Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)

· Complete and submit the Written Assignment

· Respond to the Portfolio Activity

Unit 6: Business Law viewed through the Business Ethics Frame

· Peer assess Unit 5 Written Assignment

· Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments

· Review: BUS5910: Course Guide for Final Paper and Presentation

· Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)

· Complete and submit the Written Assignment  (Instructor graded)

Unit 7: Leadership viewed through the Human Resources Frame

· Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments

· Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)

· Complete and submit the Written Assignment

· Respond to the Portfolio Activity

· Schedule your Week 8 interview with your instructor (if you haven’t already)

Unit 8: Globalization viewed through the Strategic Frame

· Peer assess Unit 7 Written Assignment

· Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments

· Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)

· Complete and submit the Final Paper

· Meet with Instructor by Skype to discuss your final paper.

· Complete and submit the anonymous Course Evaluation

  

Course Requirements:

Discussion Assignments & Response Posts/Ratings
Some units in this course require that you complete a Discussion Assignment. You are required to develop and post a substantive response to the Discussion Assignment in the Discussion Forum. A substantive response is one that fully answers the question that has been posed by the instructor. In addition, you must extend the discussion by responding to at least three (3) of your peers’ postings in the Discussion Forum and by rating their posts. Instructions for proper posting and rating (out of a 10 point scale) are provided inside the Discussion Forum for each week. Discussion Forums are only active for each current and relevant learning week, so it is not possible to contribute to the forum once the learning week has come to an end. Failure to participate in the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum and responding to peers as required may result in failure of the course.

Written Assignments & Assessment Forms
Most units in this course require that you complete a Written Assignment, which may come in many forms (case study, research paper, etc.). You are required to submit your assignments by the indicated deadlines and, in addition, to peer assess three (3) of your classmates’ assignments according to the instructions found in the Assessment Form, which is provided to you during the following week. During this peer assessment period, you are expected to provide details in the feedback section of the Assessment Form, indicating why you awarded the grade that you did to your peer. Please note that each assignment grade is comprised of a combination of your submission (90%) and your peer assessments (10%). Failure to submit Written Assignments and/or Assessment Forms may result in failure of the course.

Comprehensive Final Paper

The final written assignment is a substantive effort on your part in contributing to the work required to successfully pass this course.  In this paper, the student will comprehensively discuss the case study they have selected. The case study selection should represent many (but not all) of the topics covered by the Master’s Program at the University of the People. This work will demonstrate the synthesis of their acquired knowledge from the various disciplines represented in the case study selected. In doing so, the student should strive to introduce into the discussion creative solutions and flexible, critical thinking. The final paper also represents an integration of the work performed with Written Assignments 3 and 6. 

The paper final written assignment will contain the following five sections:

· Section One – Problem Statement

· Section Two – Literature Review

· Section Three – Case Elements

· Section Four – Case Solution

· Section Five – Case Conclusions 

Students are also required to schedule a Skype conference call with the instructor. The purpose of the call is for the student to conduct a brief presentation of the important aspects of the assignment and to answer questions from the instructor.  Under certain conditions where an interview may not be possible, students will be given permission to submit a PowerPoint presentation with audio narration. 

Unit 3, Unit 6 and the FInal Paper are instructor-assessed.

Group Activities
This course does not contain group activities.

Portfolio Activities
In this course, Portfolio Activities will be used to support the final paper assignment.

Course Forum
The Course Forum is the place to raise issues and questions relating to the course. It is regularly monitored by the instructors and is a good place to meet fellow students taking the same course. While it is not required to participate in the Course Forum, it is highly recommended.

  

Course Policies:

Grading Components and Weights
Each graded component of the course will contribute some percentage to the final grading scale, as indicated here:

  

Discussion Assignments

20%

 

Written Assignments (Case Studies)

25% 

 

Written Assignments (Units 3 and 6)

20% (2 @ 10% each)

 

Final Paper and Presentation

25%

 

Portfolio Activities

10%

     

TOTAL

100%

 Grading Scale
This course will follow the standard 100-point grading scale defined by the University of the People, as indicated here:

  

Letter Grade

Grade Scale

Grade Points

 

A+

98-100

4.00

 

A

93-97

4.00

 

A-

90-92

3.67

 

B+

88-89

3.33

 

B

83-87

3.00

 

B-

80-82

0.00

 

C+

78-79

0.00

 

C

73-77

0.00

 

C-

70-72

0.00

 

D+

68-69

0.00

 

D

63-67

0.00

 

D-

60-62

0.00

 

F

Under 60

0.00

 

CR

N/A

N/A

 

NC

N/A

N/A

 

NF

N/A

N/A

 

W

N/A

N/A

 Grade Appeal
If you believe that the final grade you received for a course is erroneous, unjust, or unfair, please contact your course instructor. This must be done within seven days of the posted final grade. For more information on this topic, please review the Grade Appeal Procedure in the University Catalog.

Participation
Non-participation is characterized by lack of any assignment submissions, inadequate contributions to the Discussion Forums, and/or lack of peer feedback to Discussion/Written Assignments. Also, please note the following important points about course participation:

· Assignments must be submitted on or before the specified deadline. A course timeline is provided in the course schedule, and the instructor will specify deadlines for each assignment.

· Any student showing non-participation for two weeks (consecutive or non-consecutive) is likely to automatically fail the course.

· Occasionally there may be a legitimate reason for submitting an assignment late. Most of the time, late assignments will not be accepted and there will be no make-up assignments.

· All students are obligated to inform their instructor in advance of any known absences which may result in their non-participation.

Academic Honesty and Integrity
When you submit any work that requires research and writing, it is essential to cite and reference all source material. Failure to properly acknowledge your sources is known as “plagiarism” – which is effectively passing off an individual’s words or ideas as your own. University of the People adheres to a strict policy of academic honesty and integrity. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in sanctions by the University, including dismissal from the University or course failure. For more information on this topic, please review the Academic Integrity Policy in the University Catalog.

Any materials cited in this course should be referenced using the style guidelines established by the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA format is widely used in colleges and universities across the world and is one of several style and citation formats required for publication in professional and academic journals. Purdue University’s Online Writing LAB (OWL) is a free website that provides excellent information and resources for understanding and using the APA format and style. The OWL website can be accessed here: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html

Code of Conduct
University of the People expects that students conduct themselves in a respectful, collaborative, and honest manner at all times. Harassment, threatening behavior, or deliberate embarrassment of others will not be permitted. Any conduct that interferes with the quality of the educational experience is not allowed and may result in disciplinary action, such as course failure, probation, suspension, or dismissal. For more information on this topic, please review the Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog.

BUS5910 Management Capstone

Final Project Assignment Guidelines

Assignment Overview

The final written assignment requires a substantive effort and is required to successfully pass this

course. The final written assignment will be a written paper which is at about 12-pages in length,

exclusive of the reference page, double-spaced. The paper should cite at least six sources independent

of the course assigned textbooks and readings.

In this paper students will comprehensively discuss a case study they have selected. The case study

selection should represent a number of the topics covered by the Master’s Program at the University of

the People. In the case analysis, students should demonstrate synthesis of their acquired knowledge

from the various disciplines applied to the case study selected. In doing so, students should strive to

introduce into the discussion creative solutions and flexible-critical thinking. The final paper also

represents an integration of the work performed with Written Assignments 3 and 6 (see the Appendix in

this document for more information.) The requirements of Written Assignments 3 and 6 are restated in

the appendix of this assignment guide. In those written assignments the student has:

(1) Selected a case study and identified the problem

(2) Discerned the cause of the problem,

(3) Analyzed the case and formulated alternatives to arrive at a recommendation, and

(4) Described a plan of action to implement the student’s recommendation.

In addition, all of these steps are supported by research independent of the course assigned readings.

The full Final Paper, due in Unit 8, will contain the following five sections:

• Section One – Problem Statement

• Section Two – Literature Review

• Section Three – Case Elements

• Section Four – Recommended Action Plan

• Section Five – Case Solution

Assignment Detail

Section One – Problem Statement: This section should provide an introduction to the case study selected

for the final assignment. It should introduce the case and provide detailed background of the subject company. It should also provide a description of the problem situation in which the subject company

finds itself. There should be sufficient detail of the subject and its situation to provide the basis for

identifying the problem it faces.

Section Two – Literature Review: This section provides a review of the research sources used to research

and support the case analysis. Most of the research has already been conducted by the student, in

preparing the prior two written assignments in units 3 & 6. In this section, students should take

research performed for prior assignments, adding any newly found research and compose a coherent

review.

Updated 4/2017 2

Section Three – Case Elements: From the Problem Statement (Section 1), the third section will logically

follow. This section of the paper should identify and provide analysis the root cause of the organization’s

problem. The root cause should be described in such detail as to provide sufficient information for a

discussion within this section of the paper and of proposed solutions/recommendations to be discussed

in the next sections.

Section Four – Recommended Action Plan: From the prior section — Case Elements–the fourth section

will select from the alternatives discussed in Section Three, the best alternative and present it as the

recommended solution. This section will provide a narrative as to why the recommended solution is the

best alternative, with supporting logic and research. A high-level action plan which provides a

description of implementation steps concludes this section.

Section Five – Case Solution: This section discusses the importance of the case study. This discussion

takes the form of highlighting the issues discussed as well as their relevance and importance to the

business world.

Assignment Presentation and Discussion

Students are required to schedule a Skype conference call with the instructor. The purpose of the call is

for the student to conduct a brief presentation of the important aspects of the assignment and to

answer questions from the instructor. In the case where a Skype call is not possible, students will be

required to create and submit a presentation with audio narration to the instructor. You should contact

the instructor by the end of Unit 5 to begin the scheduling process.

Updated 4/2017 3

APPENDIX

Requirements of Written Assignments 3 and 6

Assignments for Units 3 and 6 provide the building-blocks for the final paper.

Written Assignment 3: Submit a written paper which is at 4-5 pages in length, exclusive of the reference

page, double-spaced. The paper should cite sources independent of the textbook.

In this paper, please discuss the case study you have selected and plan to use for your final assignment

(Week #8). The paper should contain the following two sections: Section One – Problem Statement and

Section Two – Causes of the Problem.

Section One

Problem Statement should provide an introduction to the case study you have selected for the final

assignment. The introduction should provide a detailed background of the subject company or

enterprise. It should also provide a description of the problem situation in which the subject company or

enterprise finds itself. There should be sufficient detail of the subject and its situation to provide the

basis for identifying the problem it faces.

Section Two

Statement of Cause(s) will logically follow the Problem Statement. This section of the paper should

provide analysis of what the root cause of the company/enterprise’s problem is. The root cause should

be described in such detail as to provide sufficient information for a later discussion of proposed

solutions/recommendations. 

Written Assignment 6: Submit a written paper which is at 4-5 pages in length, exclusive of the reference

page, double-spaced. The paper should cite sources independent of the textbook.

In this paper, please discuss the case study you have selected and plan to use for your final assignment

(Week #8). The paper should contain the following two sections: Section One – Possible Alternatives and

Section Two – Recommended Action Plan.

• Section One – Possible Alternatives should provide a narrative that comprehensively explores

the possible solutions to the problem identified in the student’s Week 3 written assignment. It

should briefly restate the problem statement and cause(s) of the problem discussed in Week 3’s

written assignment. The narrative should then connect the problem/cause to the alternatives

being suggested.

• From the Possible Alternatives section, the next section: Section Two – Recommended Plan of

Action will logically follow. This section of the paper should provide an analysis and evaluation of

each alternative and provide a final recommendation. The section should also include a high

level implementation plan stating what steps should be taken