What types of analysis can managers perform to help them diagnose a company’s financial condition?  How can a review of financial statements help managers diagnose other kinds of performance problems as well?

Your answer should be a minimum of 250 words.

LP4 Assignment

LP4.1 Assignment: Controlling Presentation

This assignment will assess competency 4: ANALYZE the efforts to control the activities of the organization.

Directions

Complete the LP4 Controlling Presentation. For this assignment, you will research organizational/structure theories and create a 9-12 minute presentation on your chosen topic. You will create your presentation in Powerpoint, record narration and upload it to YouTube. Follow these steps: 

• Research and describe how the scholarly literature describes the purpose/function of controlling in organizations
• Describe a contemporary control tool/systems (such as Balanced Scorecard, Open Book Management, Total Quality Management, etc.). Show how it works
• Describe how financial and budgetary controls are used in the tool described above

This assignment can seem vague, so if you feel that directing your presentation at a particular audience (CEO of a particular company, for example) would be helpful, then feel free to do so.

Use and cite at least four (4) scholarly or professional sources to support your position in addition to the sources provided in this learning plan.  Do not use the textbook as a primary source.   

Your presentation must be submitted as a video file and posted on your YouTube station.

Click here for instructions on How to Create a Presentation for Youtube. 

Create a reference page of your sources in APA format (Word file). Copy and paste the link to your Youtube video to the bottom of the page. Submit this file to your instructor via the dropbox LP4.1 Assignment: Controlling Presentation.

This assignment is worth 75 points and will be graded according to the LP4.1 Assignment: Controlling Presentation.

LP4.2 Assignment: Organizing Memo

This assignment will assess competency  3: EVALUATE the elements of organizing companies/organizations.

Directions

Complete the LP4.2 Organizing.

In this scenario, you are going to create one of the most important communication documents used in business: a memo. Even though we rely heavily on emails for business communication, when dealing with more formal situations (communicating with a potential client or upper management) the memo is often the best choice (memos are often sent as an attachment to an email). Memos are flexible documents. They can be casual and to the point, or they can be formal and informative. Naturally, for this assignment your challenge will be to create the latter.

You work for a Mr. Edward Harris, a very successful manager who has been in your industry for 35 years. He earned his MBA in the late 1970s and has made it a point to never take another college course again. However, because of his professional reputation, he has been asked to give a presentation for a management class at his alma mater on organizational/structural theories.

Naturally, he wants to come across as an expert but, he doesn’t want to spend the time to do the research. As the person he depends on to make him look good, he comes to you for help in preparing his presentation. Write a professional memo to help prepare him (hint: You’ve worked for him for 10 years and no one has ever called him anything besides “Mr. Harris”).

 Make sure to at least:

1. Research and describe how the scholarly literature describes the functional and divisional approaches to structure
2. Select an organizational structure (see exhibit 10.3 in your book to get a start) and explain how the structure is designed to work by providing an example or scenario (make certain to address the theory’s advantages and disadvantages). 
3. Discuss how culture is reflected in the chosen theory. What types of companies might choose it? Once chosen, how might the company’s culture be affected?

Use at least four (4) scholarly or professional sources to support your position in addition to the sources provided in this learning plan.  Do not use the textbook as a primary source.  Your memo will be 1000-1200 words long and in proper memo format (you can download a template from MS Office). Think about your audience and tone. Your reference page must be completed as an annotated bibliography. 

Submit this assignment to your instructor via the dropbox LP4.2 Assignment: Organizing Paper.

This assignment is worth 80 points and will be graded according to the LP4.2 Assignment: Organizing Paper rubric.