Assignment Content

1. Read “Case 6: Fixer Upper: Expanding the Magnolia Brand” in your Connect textbook.

   Evaluate Magnolia Brands’ sustainable competitive advantage by analyzing the case study and answering the following questions in 350 words:

   • How will the components of the external environment impact Magnolia Brands’ ability to realize their vision?
   • Who are Magnolia Brands’ major competitors?
   • What other factors are affecting the growth of Magnolia Brands?
   • What internal factors must be considered for Magnolia Brands to achieve its vision and mission?
   • What are some of Magnolia Brands’ strengths and weaknesses?
   • How does the new show represent an opportunity in the home remodeling industry?
   • What challenges or threats might Magnolia Brand face?
   • What measurements can be used to determine if the new show is successful?
   • What is the feasibility of the ability of Magnolia Brands to continue to be successful? Why?

Meeting with the President Analysis

You were recently hired at a new company.  The President of the company believes that new employees have a fresh perspective on the company and likes to have ‘new hires’ give their perspective on how the company can improve.

You will select the company.   It should be the company you have already been offered a job with after graduation.   If you do not yet have a job offer, then you should use either the company that you had a summer internship with, a company you are (or have) interviewed with for a job after graduation, a company that you have worked for in the past (for example: during the summer or even while in high school).  my major is business analytics and information system.

You will write a two page report  (1.5 spaced, 11 point font) and on the 3rd page include a chart/graph of the strategic tool you are using with the data for you company listed within the chart/graph.

1. Use 1 Tool, either STEEP or 5 Forces and analyze the current situation of the company and explain what you discovered, how that impacts the company and what opportunity it offers to the company.
2. Provide a Well-Resoned Recommendation of a strategic action the company should take based on your analysis and explain why that is a good action for the company.
3. Create a Chart/Graph of the tool used with the information you researched and attach it to the end of the report.

NOTE:  Written report is two pages in length.   The chart/graph of the tool does not count toward the two page requirement.   The chart/graph of the tool is attached at the end of the report as a 3rd page.

You will determine the salary and reward methods as well as how the employee’s benefits will be determined. There are advantages and disadvantages to having a benefits package that is fixed versus having one in which the employee can select the desired benefits within an approved dollar amount. (An umbrella program such as this is referred to as a “flexible bundle.” For example, a young employee may want more vacation days but not wish to have life insurance. A flexible bundle allows for this.)

For this assignment, you will propose a compensation structure. Your compensation structure must

• Explain the rewards and type of benefits package to be supplied for the India employees.
  • Construct a total rewards model for hedging diversity as a resource for organizational competitiveness.
  • Assess whether a fixed benefits package or a flexible bundle (in which the employee selects the benefits desired) would best fit these employees.
  • Provide a rationale for your decision.
• Explain whether the compensation will consist of hourly, salary, or contingent base selection.
• Explain how the elements of your compensation structure compare to the competition in India (consider such tools as benchmarking and positioning of the competition).

The Rewards and Benefits Management paper

• Must be minimum of three double-spaced pages in length (not including title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.).
• Must include a separate title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• Must use at least two web based scholarly, peer reviewed, and/or credible sources in addition to the course text.
  • The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.
• Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Must include a separate reference page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center

Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.) for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

 Write a minimum of 500 words and a maximum of 750 words according to MLA guidelines for literary studies papers. Include a Work Cited page, but do not include a cover page. No secondary sources are required or expected. Only one entry (your primary source) shall be listed on your Work Cited page.

topic

Topics Choose one of the following topics for your thesis:

In the short story “The Last Hunt of Dorax” by Olive Huck, Dorax seems quite different than the other sheep dogs on the ranch. What makes him different and how does this difference define his character? Does this symbolize anything?

In the short story “The Last Hunt of Dorax,” Olive Huck uses many tropes such as symbols, similes, metaphors, and irony. Choose one of these tropes and evaluate her use of this trope. Does this trope work well or does her trope need improvement? For example, Dorax is blamed for killing sheep, but he is protecting sheep and the ranchers. What does this situational irony mean?

In the short story “The Last Hunt of Dorax,” how does Olive Huck capture the local color of Texas in the early twentieth century? What does this mean for the story?

In the short story “The Last Hunt of Dorax,” Olive Huck captures the ranching life of Texas. How can this story help urban readers understand nature, Texas ranching, or ranching life?

In the short story “The Last Hunt of Dorax” by Olive Huck, Dorax meets a tragic end. How does his death represent the conflict between industry, symbolized by the rancher’s firearm, and nature, symbolized by Dorax himself?

In the short story “The Last Hunt of Dorax” by Olive Huck presents a domesticated dog who “consorts” with a wolf pack and seemingly leads them to the sheep but turns to defend the sheep once the pack begins the hunt. What does this mean?