Select one of the following tools: the nine steps in Ackerman and Anderson’s roadmap for change, Cummings and Worley’s five dimensions of leading and managing change, or the three components of organizational change.  Explain how a leader could use this tool in guiding an organizational change.  Review several of your peers’ posts.  Respond to two peers who did not choose the same tool as you.  Discuss the similarities and differences between the tools.

Your initial post should be at least 200 words in length.  Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7.

   Other MGT 435 Assignments and Discussions

–MGT 435 Ashford 2: – Week 1 – Discussion 1

–MGT 435 Ashford 2: – Week 1 – Discussion 2

-MGT 435 Ashford 3: – Week 2 – Discussion 1

–MGT435 Ashford 3: – Week 2 – Discussion 2

-MGT435 Ashford 4: – Week 3 – Discussion 2

–MGT435 Ashford 4: – Week 3 – Assignment

–MGT435 Ashford 4: – Week4 – Discussion 1

–MGT435 Ashford 4: – Week4 – Discussion 2

–MGT435 Ashford 6: – Week 5 – Discussion 1

–MGT 435 Ashford 6: – Week 5 – Discussion 2

–MGT435 Ashford 6: – Week 5 – Final Paper

United Screen Printers (USP) produces a wide range of decals for displaying promotional messages on fleet vehicles, including delivery vans, eighteen-wheelers, and aircraft.  Its decals range from flat-color designs to full-color photographic reproductions.

Although it is one of the oldest forms of printing, screen printing is superior to most of the more modern approaches because it permits making heavier deposits of ink onto a surface, resulting in more vibrant and longer lasting finishes.  Screen printing works by blocking out areas on a silk screen so that ink passes through only the unblocked areas to make an impression on the vinyl decal.

Many in the industry believe that the economics of fleet graphics makes them an extremely attractive form of advertising and should lead to their continued penetration of a largely untapped market.  One industry source estimated that the cost of fleet graphics works out to be $2.84 per 1,000,000 visual impressions. 

Given the highly cost effective nature of using fleet graphics as a form of advertising, it is speculated that organizations will increasingly exploit this form of advertising.  In addition, as organizations become better aware of this advertising medium, it is likely they will want to change their message more frequently.  According to managers as USP, this may be on the of the major factors that is apparently driving the competition to focus more on short lead-times and prices, and less on decal durability.

USP is about to begin its annual evaluation of proposed projects.  Six projects have been proposed as described below.  USP currently has annual sales of approximately $7 million.  It typically allocated up to 10% of sales to these types of projects.

1. Purchase new large press.  There is currently a three-and-a-half to four-week backlog in the screen printing department.  The result of this is that USP’s total lead-time is 4 to 6 weeks in comparison to an industry average lead-time of 3.5 to 4 weeks.  In a typical month, USP ships 13% of its orders early, 38% on time, and 49% late.  It has been estimated that 75% of the backlog is waiting for press 6, the largest press in the shop.  Furthermore, press 6 is in dire need of replacement parts but USP has been unable thus far to locate a source for these parts.  Given the problem of finding replacement parts and the fact that the press is somewhat outdated, this proposal calls for purchasing a new large press for $160,000.  Based on estimates that a new large press could process jobs 50-100% faster than press 6, it is calculated that the payback period for the new large press would be one year.
2. Build new headquarters.  USP’s CEO fervently believes that the company needs to have a strong corporate identity.  He therefore purchased land and had plans drawn up for the construction of a new corporate headquarters.  Analysis of the new headquarters indicated that although it would improve operating efficiencies, the savings generated would not pay for the new building (estimated to cost $4 million).  Many of the board members viewed the project as too risky since it would increase the company’s debt as a percent of capital from almost 0 to 50%.
3. Pursue ISO 9000 certification.  This proposal also comes from USP’s CEO.  ISO 9000 is a set of standards that provides customers with some assurance that a supplier follows accepted business practices.  In some industries, obtaining ISO 9000 certification is essential, such as industries that export to Europe and the domestic automobile industry.  It was less clear what competitive advantage pursuing ISO 9000 would provide USP at this time.  On the other hand, the process along would help it document and perhaps improve its processes.  The cost of this initiative was estimated to be $250,000-$300,000 and would take one year to complete.
4. Develop formal procedure for mixing inks.  This proposal comes from USP’s plant manager.  At present, mixing inks is a highly specialized skill that consumes 2-3 hours of the team leader’s time each day.  This project would focus on developing ink formulas to make the task of mixing inks more routine, and less specialized and subjective.  The team leader is paid $25,000 annually.  The cost of pursing this project is estimated to be $10,000.
5. Purchase and install equipment to produce four-color positives in-house.  The lead-time to have positives made by an outside supplier is typically one week and costs $1,500-$6,000.  According to this proposal, the cost of purchasing the equipment to produce four-color positives in-house would be approximately $150,000 plus $25,000 for installation and training.  The variable costs of producing positives in-house are estimated to be $375 per job.  If produced in-house, the lead-time for the four-color positives would be approximately an hour-and-a-half.
6. Purchase inkjet printers.  An alternative to purchasing a new screen printing press is to add capacity based on newer technology.  Given the inkjet’s production rate, 6 inkjet printers at a cost of $140,000 would be needed to provide the equivalent capacity of a new large screen printing press.  The major disadvantage of the inkjet printers is that compared to the screen printing process, the outdoor durability is more limited.  In general, inkjet printers are more economical for small orders, while screen printing presses are more economical for large orders.

Multiple Choice 

1.         Consider a minimal spanning tree problem in which pipe must be laid to connect sprinklers on a golf course. When represented with a network,

a.         the pipes are the arcs and the sprinklers are the nodes.

b.         the pipes are the nodes and the sprinklers are the arcs.

c.         the pipes and the sprinklers are the tree.

d.         each sprinkler must be connected to every other sprinkler.

2.         Which would be the correct transformation for the constraints defined as:

            ax₁+bx₂ ≥c; x₁≥-d; x₂≥0.

            a.         a(x₁+d)+bx₂–x₃+ x₄=c; x_j≥0 (j=1,..,4)

            b.         ax₁+bx₂–x₃+x₄=c; –x₁+x₅ =d; x_j≥0 (j=1,..,5)

            c.         ax₁+bx₂–x₃+x₄=c; x₁–x₅+x₆=-d; x_j≥0 (j=1,..,6)

            d.         ax₁+bx₂+x₃–x₄=c; –x₁+x₅=-d; x_j≥0 (j=1,..,5)

3.         The shortest-route algorithm has assigned the following permanent labels to six nodes, where the label [a, b] indicates the minimum distance a up to the node k from node b.

                        Node                Label

                           1                   [0,S]

                           2                   [15,1]

                           3                   [12,1]

                           4                   [20,3]

                           5                   [8,1]

                           6                   [32,4]

            What is the shortest path from the source to node 6?

            a.         1, 3, 4, 6

            b.         1, 6

            c.         1, 2, 5, 6

            d.         1, 5, 6

4.         The basic solution to a problem with four equations and five variables would assign a value of 0 to

a.         4 variables.

b.         0 variables.

c.         1 variable.

d.         7 variables.

5.         Given a maximization problem with the following intermediate simplex tableau:

            Which statement is true?

            a.         The problem may have an unbounded feasible region.

b.         x₃ enters to the basis and x₅ leaves the basis.

            c.         x₄ enters to the basis and x₂ leaves the basis.

            d.         It cannot be determined since there is missed information

Assignment 1 Submission .

Assignment 1: Expanding an MNC – Part 1
Due Week and worth 300 points Imagine that you are a senior business manager in a U.S.-based MNC. Your boss has informed you that the MNC is considering expanding into an emerging market and has asked you to evaluate three (3) potential markets. To get started, you must decide the following: 
•Determine what kind of business your MNC is (e.g., manufacturing, information technology, etc.).
•Determine what products or services your MNC provides.
•Select three (3) emerging market countries to evaluate.
Write a 4-6 page paper in which you: 
1.Describe a fictional MNC and describe the type of business your MNC is and the products and services it provides.
2.Create a matrix that compares three (3) emerging market countries across the following seven (7) elements: 
1.economic system
2.political environment
3.legal and regulatory environment
4.technological environment
5.ethical system
6.social responsibility indicators
7.cultural dimensions
3.Evaluate each country in the matrix as to its suitability for your MNC.
4.Determine and justify your recommendation for which emerging market your company should consider expansion.
5.Provide at least three (3) qualified sources (i.e., peer-reviewed journals, government, or a professional organization Website).
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; 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 the major economic, social/cultural, technology, and political/legal aspects of the international business environment.
•Analyze the ethical issues in conducting international business and develop guidelines for a company to operate in an ethical and socially responsible manner in global markets.
•Analyze leadership styles and operating norms and their relationship to cultural differences, organizational cultures, and the motivation of employees in diverse work environments.
•Use technology and information resources to research issues in global management.
•Write clearly and concisely about global management using proper writing mechanics.

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Assignment 2: Expanding an MNC – Part 2 Due worth 300 points 

Imagine that you are a senior business manager in a U.S.-based MNC. Your boss has accepted your recommendation to expand the MNC into the country you selected in Assignment 1. Your boss has now asked you to formulate an entry and implementation strategy for expansion. 
Write a 5-7 page paper in which you: 1. Describe an organizational culture for your fictional MNC that would ease entry into the given market. 2. Prepare an environmental scanning analysis for the new market as illustrated in Figure 8-3. 3. Determine the entry strategy, ownership structure, and organizational structure for your fictional MNC that would ease entry into the given market. Justify your selections. 4. Create a political risk assessment for the given country. 5. Design an implementation strategy for expansion based on the above analyses and justify your recommendation. 
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:  Explain the major considerations for effective communication and decision making in an international environment.  Formulate competitive market entry strategies and organizational structures to operate in foreign markets.  Use technology and information resources to research issues in global management.  Write clearly and concisely about global management using proper writing mechanics 

Assignment 2: Designing Value-Based Service

As the rate of innovation increases, companies face expanding product/service lines, shorter product and service lifecycles, and more frequent product/service transitions. All of these can bring tremendous value but also pose enormous challenges and risks.

The article “The Art of Managing New Product Transitions” by Erhun, Gonclave, and Hopman (2007) from the readings for this module includes a matrix titled “Product Drivers and Risk Factors,” which focuses on Intel, a company that manufactures high-tech products (p. 76). Based on your readings and research, address the following issues:

• Redesign the product risk factor matrix so that the factors are appropriate for a services firm that delivers traditional tax accounting and audit services. For example, among the supply risks, assume that the company relies on individuals with specific knowledge of the tax law in the jurisdictions where its clients operate, be it state, federal, or foreign.

• Now, assume that the firm wants to develop a management consultancy practice. (Alternatively, you may choose to add a legal services line instead.). Create a separate new matrix that summarizes the additional risk factors for this firm launching a management consultancy or legal services line. What additional risk factors are you adding to your matrix?

• Explain how the business risks differ between traditional tax and audit services and management consulting services. In your opinion, what are the three biggest risks the firm faces if it diversifies into the new service line?

• Recommend whether the firm should organically grow into a consultancy service or acquire a third party to achieve new goals. Justify your recommendations.

Develop a 6–8-slide presentation in PowerPoint format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M2_A2.ppt.

Be sure to include the following in your presentation:

• A title slide

• An agenda slide

• A reference slide

• Headings for each section

• Speaker notes to support the content in each slide