Assignment 4: Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies 
Due Week 8 and worth 300 points

Choose two (2) public corporations in an industry with which you are familiar – one (1) that has acquired another company and operates internationally and one (1) that does not have a history of mergers and acquisitions and operates solely within the U.S. Research each company on its own Website, the public filings on the Securities and Exchange Commission EDGAR database (http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml), in the University’s online databases, and any other sources you can find. The annual report will often provide insights that can help address some of these questions.

Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:

1. For the corporation that has acquired another company, merged with another company, or been acquired by another company, evaluate the strategy that led to the merger or acquisition to determine whether or not this merger or acquisition was a wise choice. Justify your opinion.
2. For the corporation that has not been involved in any mergers or acquisitions, identify one (1) company that would be a profitable candidate for the corporation to acquire or merge with and explain why this company would be a profitable target. 
3. For the corporation that operates internationally, briefly evaluate its international business-level strategy and international corporate-level strategy and make recommendations for improvement. 
4. For the corporation that does not operate internationally, propose one business-level strategy and one corporate-level strategy that you would suggest the corporation consider. Justify your proposals.
5. Use at least three (3) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

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

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Identify various levels and types of strategy in a firm.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in business administration.
• Write clearly and concisely about business administration using proper writing mechanics.

Week Five Exercise Assignment

Financial Ratios

 

1.      Liquidity ratios. Edison, Stagg, and Thornton have the following financial information at the close of business on July 10:

 

 

 

1. Compute the current and quick ratios for each of the three companies. (Round calculations to two decimal places.) Which firm is the most liquid? Why?

 

2.      Computation and evaluation of activity ratios. The following data relate to Alaska Products, Inc:
	20X5		20X4
Net credit sales	$832,000	$760,000
Cost of goods sold	530,000	400,000
Cash, Dec. 31	125,000	110,000
Average Accounts receivable	205,000	156,000
Average Inventory	70,000	50,000
Accounts payable, Dec. 31	115,000	108,000
Instructions a.       Compute the accounts receivable and inventory turnover ratios for 20X5. Alaska rounds all calculations to two decimal places.

 

3. Profitability ratios, trading on the equity. Digital Relay has both preferred and common stock outstanding. The com­pany reported the following information for 20X7:

 

1. Compute the profit margin on sales ratio, the return on equity and the return on assets, rounding calculations to two decimal places.
2. Does the firm have positive or negative financial leverage? Briefly ex­plain.

 

4.      Horizontal analysis. Mary Lynn Corporation has been operating for several years. Selected data from the 20X1 and 20X2 financial statements follow.
20X2		20X1
Current Assets	$86,000		$80,000
Property, Plant, and Equipment (net)	99,000		90,000
Intangibles	25,000		50,000
Current Liabilities	40,800		48,000
Long-Term Liabilities	153,000		160,000
Stockholders’ Equity	16,200		12,000
Net Sales	500,000		500,000
Cost of Goods Sold	322,500		350,000
Operating Expenses	93,500		85,000
a.       Prepare a horizontal analysis for 20X1 and 20X2. Briefly comment on the results of your work.

 

 

5.Vertical analysis. Mary Lynn Corporation has been operating for several years. Selected data from the 20X1 and 20X2 financial statements follow.

 

20X2		20X1
Current Assets	$86,000		$80,000
Property, Plant, and Equipment (net)	99,000		80,000
Intangibles	25,000		50,000
Current Liabilities	40,800		48,000
Long-Term Liabilities	153,000		150,000
Stockholders’ Equity	16,200		12,000
Net Sales	500,000		500,000
Cost of Goods Sold	322,500		350,000
Operating Expenses	93,500		85,000

 

a.       Prepare a vertical analysis for 20X1 and 20X2. Briefly comment on the results of your work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	6. Ratio computation. The financial statements of the Lone Pine Company follow.
	LONE PINE COMPANY
	Comparative Balance Sheets
	December 31, 20X2 and 20X1 ($000 Omitted)
	20X2				20X1
	Assets
	Current Assets
	Cash and Short-Term Investments	$400				$600
	Accounts Receivable (net)	3,000				2,400
	Inventories	3,000				2,300
	Total Current Assets	$6,400				$5,300
	Property, Plant, and Equipment
	Land	$1,700				$500
	Buildings and Equipment (net)	1,500				1,000
	Total Property, Plant, and Equipment	$3,200				$1,500
	Total Assets	$9,600				$6,800
	Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
	Current Liabilities
	Accounts Payable	$2,800				$1,700
	Notes Payable	1,100				1,900
	Total Current Liabilities	$3,900				$3,600
	Long-Term Liabilities
	Bonds Payable	4,100				2,100
	Total Liabilities	$8,000				$5,700
	Stockholders’ Equity
	Common Stock			$200		$200
	Retained Earnings			1,400		900
	Total Stockholders’ Equity			$1,600		$1,100
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity				$9,600		$6,800
	LONE PINE COMPANY
	Statement of Income and Retained Earnings
	For the Year Ending December 31,20X2 ($000 Omitted)
	Net Sales*				$36,000
	Less: Cost of Goods Sold		$20,000
	Selling Expense		6,000
	Administrative Expense		4,000
	Interest Expense		400
	Income Tax Expense		2,000		32,400
	Net Income				$3,600
	Retained Earnings, Jan. 1				900
	Ending Retained Earnings				$4,500
	Cash Dividends Declared and Paid				3,100
	Retained Earnings, Dec. 31				$1,400
	*All sales are on account.

 

Instructions

Compute the following items for Lone Pine Company for 20X2, rounding all calcu­lations to two decimal places when necessary:

a. Quick ratio

b. Current ratio

c. Inventory-turnover ratio

d. Accounts-receivable-turnover ratio

e. Return-on-assets ratio

f. Net-profit-margin ratio

g. Return-on-common-stockholders’ equity

h. Debt-to-total assets

i. Number of times that interest is earned

 

 

Week 4 – Assignment

Creating a Unit Plan

Once you’ve gotten to know your students through learning profile inventories that identify individual areas of strength and learning styles, you can design multimodal lessons that incorporate instructional technology that engage the 21st century learner. This week, you will create a three-day unit plan outline that addresses students’ diverse learning styles and multiple intelligences, acknowledges cultural and language differences, and integrates digital tools and technology.

Using the textbook as guidance, create a Unit Plan outline, using the provided template that includes:

Introduction: Describe the demographics of your current (or fictional classroom) including:

• Grade Level and Subject Area
• Total number of students – ability levels, gender, students with special needs, English Language Learners (ELLs)
• Other relevant information (such as socioeconomic status, family background, recurring behavior issues, etc.)

Stage 1: The first stage is to determine the “Big Picture”; what you want students to learn, conceptually, at the unit’s conclusion. You must:

• Identify the content, unit title, unit subject, and at least one Common Core State Standard (CCSS) that aligns with the unit.
• Create at least two measurable unit objectives that align with the CCSS.
• Describe what you want the students to master including key concepts, “big ideas”, and major understandings (see the textbook, Chapter 4 for guidance).

The following resources are helpful when creating Stage 1:

• Common Core Standards – The Standards
• Writing measurable learning objectives.
• P21 common core toolkit

Stage 2: The second stage outlines evidence of learning including pre-assessments, formative assessments, and a summative assessment.

• Pre-assessment: Explain how you will measure student’s level of readiness and preexisting knowledge specific to the content chosen. Include how you will take into account student strengths, interests, and learning needs.
• Formative Assessment: Explain how you will use formative assessments to drive differentiated instruction throughout the unit specific to the content you’ve chosen. Be sure to include how these assessments address UDL principals.
• Summative Assessment: Design a summative assessment that will measure the student’s level of unit mastery. You must include how this assessment addresses UDL principals and DI theory and how the assessment takes into account your diverse student population.

Stage 3: The final stage of the unit plan involves developing the activities and experiences, building upon what you determined in Stage 1. “This stage involves tailoring learning activities to the identified strengths, learning styles, and interests of students, organizing lessons in a meaningful way that emphasizes the relevance of the learning, and engaging the learners with active learning strategies”(Chapter 4, pp. 5-6). In addition, this stage should also incorporate self-regulation strategies (behavior management).

In Stage 3 you must:

• List the daily breakdown of lesson topics to meet the final unit goal and that also addresses differentiated instruction and UDL. For example:
• 9th Grade English, Unit: Character Analysis
• Unit Goal: Students will use a word processing program to write an analysis of Holden Caulfield (main character in The Catcher in the Rye) and how his behavior is indicative of typical adolescence
• Day 1: Pre-assessment, introduction to book
• Day 2: Watch parts of “Dead Poet Society” with discussion
• Day 3: Writing Prompt (based on initial book chapters)
• Days 4-5: Graphic organizer- begin building character analysis with teacher-selected partner
• Describe how each daily activity incorporates differentiated instruction and UDL.
• Discuss two technology tools that will be incorporated throughout the unit including how each addresses differentiated instruction, how each will be used to aid instruction and how each is an example of universal design. Be sure to support with evidence from at least one scholarly source.
• Describe which self-regulation strategies have been built into the lesson and how they are reinforced and differentiated depending on the student’s level of need.

Instructive tools to consider for your lesson:

• 10 Emerging Education and Instructional Technologies that all Educators Should Know About (This list summarizes Emerging Education and Instructional Technologies)
• Tech Connections (this website provides a chart that explains how to connect technology with each multiple intelligence level and how it can be used to differentiate instruction)
• Ten Tips for Differentiation (this website lists technology tools by area of motivational needs to create a more engaging lesson)
• LiveBinders (this is a Live Binder that was created to provide teachers with resources for using digital tools in the classroom)
• The New York Institute of Technology (the New York Institute of Technology created webpage to help teachers find resources, services, and tools to support your teaching and learning)

Use your course text and at least two other sources (either scholarly article or online resource). ./Your paper will be formatted according to APA guidelines including title and reference pages.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be

Assignment: Creating a Unit Plan: Template Guide Introduction  A brief description of your current (or fictional classroom)  Grade Level & Content Area  Total number of students – ability levels, gender, students with special needs, English language learners (ELLs)  Other relevant information (such as socioeconomic status, family background, recurring behavior issues, etc.)

Stage 1: This FIRST stage is to determine the “Big Picture”; what you want students to learn, conceptually, at the unit’s conclusion. (For the purpose of this class, consider a unit to be three days)  What is the content area? (e.g.: math, science, social studies, English…)  Common Core State Standard: The state’s required standard of mastery  Measurable Unit Objective: What you want the students to master at the end of the unit 1. The students will (measurable verb) by (activity) with (___% of accuracy) 2. The students will (measurable verb) by (activity) with (___% of accuracy)   Online Resources: o http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards o http://teachonline.asu.edu/2012/07/writing-measurable-learning-objectives/ o http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/P21CommonCoreToolkit.pdf

Stage 2: The second stage outlines evidence of Learning including pre-assessments, formative assessments, and a summative assessment  Pre-assessment: explain how you will measure student’s level of readiness and preexisting knowledge specific to the content chosen. Include how you will take into account student strengths, interests, and learning needs  Formative Assessment: Explain how you will use formative assessments to drive differentiated instruction throughout the unit specific to the content you’ve chosen. Be sure to include how these assessments address UDL principals.  Summative Assessment: Design a summative assessment that will measure the student’s level of unit mastery. You must include how this assessment addresses UDL principals, DI theory, and takes into account your diverse student population.

 The topic is about Information Technology in a Supply chain , specificly write about Warehousing Managment System (WMS) and Transportation Managemnet System (TMS) in a supply chain . 

10 pages .

3 resources .