This assignment is to be completed by the same teams that worked on the case study project. You should answer each question completely and provide the Excel files, tables, calculations, plots, etc. that you assembled to answer the questions. Each question needs to write at least one page.

3. Go to the site https://www.portfoliovisualizer.com/efficient-fron… and enter ticker symbols (you can locate ticker symbols at finance.yahoo.com) for eight securities and select 2011 to 2016 as your time period. Do not use the securities used to answer Questions 1 and 2. What is expected return for the minimum variance portfolio on the efficient frontier?

4. Download daily adjusted closing prices for one of the stocks in Problem 1 and the S&P 500 Composite Index for 2015 and 2016. In an Excel spreadsheet, calculated the daily returns of the stock and the S&P 500 Composite Index for the full two years. Go to https://www.federalreserve.gov/datadownload/Choose… to download daily observations for the secondary market four-week Treasury bill rates, which will be your measure of the risk-free rate.

a. For each day use returns for the stock and the returns for the S&P 500 Composite Index, along with the Treasury bill rates to calculate excess returns for your stock and the S&P 500 Composite. Note that excess return for an asset is equal to the daily return less the risk-free rate.

b. Use the excess return data in part a. to produce an x-y plot with y as the excess return on the stock and x as the excess return on the market. Make sure your data is sorted by date from earliest to latest when you do this. Use the Data Analysis tools in Excel to calculate a regression of the stock’s excess return on the excess return of the composite index. The intercept of the regression equation is alpha and the slope is beta.

c. Repeat the procedures in part b separately on data from 2015 and on data from 2016. Are your alphas and beta different for each year?

5. For the firm that you used in Question 4, use Bloomberg to obtain the following: a. Return on equity (ROE), the number of shares outstanding, the dividends per share, and the net income. Record them in a spreadsheet.

b. Calculate the total amount of dividends paid (dividends per share x number of shares outstanding), the dividend payout ratio (total dividends paid/net income), and the plowback ratio (1 – dividend payout ratio).

c. Compute the sustainable growth rate, g = b X ROE, where b equals the plowback ratio.

d. Find the price-to-book, price-to-sales, and price-to-cash-flow ratios

e. Compare the three-year growth rate of earnings per share with the sustainable growth rate calculated above.

f. Use Bloomberg to obtain price-to-book, price-to-sales and price-to-cash flows for the industry in which your firm operates. Based on comparing the industry ratios with the firm ratios calculated in part d, does your firm appear to be overvalued or undervalued?

6. Go to the website of Moody’s at www.moodys.com.register Register at the site so that you can get free data. Find the ratings on bonds of at least 5 companies. Then access Bloomberg to get the most recent annual data for the following financial ratios of the five companies: EBIT interest coverage (earnings before interest and taxes divided by interest expense), Total debt/(total debt + equity), and return on assets. What is the relationship between bond rating and these ratios?

Assignment 1: Case Study Analysis and Discussion

The case study is provided to you (an acting consultant) in five parts, as follows:

• Part 1 is a contextual description of the company and how it carries out its business.
• Part 2 is a letter from a Mr. James Baker, a one-time employee of Metro Services.
• Part 3 is a synopsis of the principles and the business conditions.
• Part 4 is a synopsis of the spokesperson’s role and agenda; some of the problems are further defined.
• Part 5 contains the results of a ten-item survey that was given to the employees, with the items and results shown.

You have been asked (retained) by Metro’s management to study the five existing documents and identify:

• The positives (for resolution) and negatives (for resolution) in favor of the management group and in favor of the employee group
• Points of contention related to the positives and negatives. Any of these points can relate to or create conflict conditions
• A time-phased strategy to address the conflict and recommendations for change and resolution

Submission Details:

• By the due date assigned, submit your responses to the Discussion Area. Through the end of the module, review and comment on at least two classmates’ responses.

All written assignments and responses should follow APA rules for attributing sources.

Module 5 Overview

Conflict Resolution

The second assignment in Module 5 asks you to identify someone you know who is a professional and who is willing to talk about a serious conflict in which the dynamics of leadership were important as the events moved (or did not move) to resolution. Selection of this person is obviously important. His or her willingness to search and discuss is the key requirement.

There may be some ways that have helped you do mindful searches in order to grasp memories and organize these thoughts. Taking time to talk through this process of recall and analysis with the interviewee may help improve the quality of the interview. It may very well be that you interview a second or even a third person in order to achieve the objectives of this assignment.

The interview interaction in the second assignment is preceded by a case study wherein you carry out your analysis of the situation and then provide a scenario solution. This scenario actually demonstrates a quasi-leadership role. As you complete the second assignment, try two juxtapositions, one as the president of Metro Services, Inc., and the second as the appointed leader of the employee group. What would be some important things that the leaders would need to make happen to resolve this conflict? Try visualizing the interactions between the two leaders.

Or, you may want to seek another classmate to role-play the scenario with you, and work together to come to a resolution for the two factions in the scenario. You may find that this role-playing experience may provide some insight as to how you might react during a resolution (or negotiation) meeting.

From these two assignments, you may detect some personal attributes, similar to your results of the four assessments, that stand out as significant forces—or modus operandi—as you work through the case studies. Is there possibly a key value that is a deep-seated belief influencing your actions, feelings, and ideas?

You are to discover any patterns, postures, or perspectives that inform you as to how or what you are doing when completing the case studies. Know that first reactions to a situation provide important clues. Repetition of a response is another clue. Identifying a rather unusual method or solution yet not acting on it are also key to identifying deep-seated values, personality traits, conflict style, and emotional intelligence.

Conflict Resolution Strategies

Negotiation Strategies

Conflicts are basically resolved through some type of negotiation. Without constructive communications, there is no negotiation. The three characteristics of this phase are the dependence that the parties have on each other, which entails negotiation; the common and contradictory issues at hand; and the objective of an agreement. The difficulty is in trying to understand the real motives and goals of the situation. Identifying the source of the problem can be very difficult. This is why it is so important to find an objective criterion that is possibly acceptable so that once the criterion is agreed upon, you can move forward. Once this is accomplished, concessions will have to be made and accepted by agreeing upon the best alternatives.

Mediation

Mediation uses a third party, which attempts to bring about a middle ground that is mutually acceptable to both parties without having lawyers, etc., involved. Mediation is a widely used method for conflict resolution as it does enable the involved parties to convey their concerns related to the dispute. A mediator does not hold any bias toward one party or the other, nor does he or she favor one solution over the other. The mediator’s sole purpose is to simply assist both sides involved to find a resolution for the conflict that would be lasting and fair to both parties. The mediator will communicate with both parties to try and have the parties assess the relative merits of the different options in the hope of developing an agreement that would satisfy all sides. While the mediator will attempt to find a common ground that both parties can find acceptable, it still may not happen. Even after mediation, the parties can freely reject the settlement and try an alternative means for resolving the conflict.

Trade-Offs and Risk Analysis in the Mediation/Resolution Process

People who are in lengthy or prolonged conflict will often begin to take risks in order to settle the dispute. The downside of this is that barriers to conflict resolution can begin to develop, making it essential that the mediator focuses on the specifics of the risk aversion and moves toward trying to have the parties communicate on specific points of acceptability. Therefore, the mediator must do a risk analysis and ask the parties involved to consider some of the risks involved in order to develop an agreeable solution. The trade-offs and risk resolution result in the parties having to come to a settlement if the remaining risks are acceptable to them, and the parties must understand that more variables may have to be evaluated if the risk taking continues to occur. In mediation, there is usually a small length of time wherein mediation may be successful, and if mediation is tried before or after this time, it may not succeed.

Arbitration

Arbitration, as with mediation, is normally accomplished in a setting wherein sensitive issues can be discussed without them becoming public knowledge. Arbitration is adversarial and allows all sides to state their positions, and then the arbitrator reviews the evidence and makes a decision or agrees to a solution. Some parties will try to avoid arbitration because it will normally not develop a win-win situation; more often than not, it will end in a win-lose solution. An arbitrator will usually decide that one side is right and the other side is wrong. Arbitration is slightly different from adjudication in that the parties can usually agree on their arbitrator and, in many cases, the arbitrator is an expert in the field at hand whereas a judge is usually not. Arbitration is usually much quicker than adjudication since the arbitrator has the final word and it is binding as there is no appeal.

Refer to the Managing Conflict to learn more about conflict management.

Presidential Leadership and the Electoral College

Americans expect their presidents to get things done, to solve problems,
to govern effectively, and to be strong leaders. The framers of the
Constitution did not envision such presidential leadership. A scholar of
the presidency points out that Article II of the Constitution gives the
president scant formal power to influence congressional policy-making
(Simon, n.d.).  He also notes that the framers intentionally designed a
process for selecting presidents that would minimize their political
power – the Electoral College. They hoped this institution would
insulate the chief executive from the public because they feared the
power of presidents who might be elected by the people. Therefore, the
Constitution provides that “Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as
the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the
whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be
entitled in the Congress…” Having state legislatures “appoint” the
Electors who select the chief executive would minimize the president’s
capacity to lead on the basis of his popular support. In a very real
sense, the president would not be accountable to the people but rather
to the state legislatures who appoint Electors. This procedure was also
seen as a way to encourage the selection of statesmen with “characters
preeminent for ability and virtue” rather than mere politicians with
“talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity” (Hamilton,
1788).

The practice of state legislatures appointing Electors continued for
many years. Most American history texts do not report national
presidential vote totals before 1824 because 25% of the states were
still not holding presidential elections by that year. Even as late as
1876 the state of Colorado’s legislature appointed Electors. As states
moved away from legislative appointment to the current system of
allowing a state’s Electors to be chosen by a winner-take-all popular
vote, the primary rationale for the Electoral College was forgotten in
history. At the same time, public expectations of strong presidential
leadership were rising.  

This creates a problem well illustrated by the disputed election of
2000. George W. Bush was elected president with 271 electoral votes to
Al Gore’s 266 electoral votes. However, Gore amassed 543,895 popular
votes more than Bush. Also, because some disputed votes in Florida made
unclear which candidate should receive the state’s electoral votes, the
Florida Supreme Court ordered a full recount of the Florida vote. But
the U.S. Supreme Court intervened and stopped the recount, thereby in
effect awarding Florida’s electoral votes to Bush. While arguments
continue to this day about the legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court’s
intervention, the 2000 election illustrates a glaring weakness of the
Electoral College system – selecting a president whose authority may be
diminished by the dubious circumstances of his or her election. The
election of 2000 also has fueled a long ongoing debate about whether the
Electoral College should be abandoned in favor of method which insures
that the candidate elected has the most popular votes. Would this
outcome be more consistent with contemporary public expectations about
the president’s role as a national leader who can get things done?

Before writing your initial post, review the assigned resources. To
easily access the resources from the Ashford University Library, please
see the table located in the Course Materials section.

In your initial post of at least 200-250 words, briefly summarize how
the Electoral College works.  Explain some of the main pros and cons in
the debate about whether to keep or abolish the current Electoral
College process. Also explain one proposal to change how the system
works without formally abolishing it. Evaluate the various arguments and
the proposal. Include at least two perspectives in your assessment:

• Your judgment about the relevance of the Electoral College’s underlying rationale to contemporary America.
• Your judgment about its impact on presidential leadership capacity. 

Fully respond to all parts of the question. Write in
your own words. Support your position with APA citations to two or more
of the assigned resources required for this discussion. Please be sure
that you demonstrate understanding of these resources, integrate them
into your argument, and cite them properly.

Complete the purpose statement and performance standards sections of strategic alignment worksheets for two functional areas of a fictional organization. Then write a 1–2-page reflection paper analyzing the strategic alignment work you did.
Note: The assessments in this course build upon each other, so you are strongly encouraged to complete them in sequence. In this assessment, you are required to complete the SAWs you began in Assessment 1.
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The four principal elements of management are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. This assessment focuses on the dynamic relationship between the third and fourth of these elements: leading and controlling.
Your job as the department manager is to lead your teams so that organizational and department goals can be accomplished. For this assessment you will develop purpose statements for the two functional areas that you have chosen for the case study scenario. You will also establish performance standards for both functional areas.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
•Competency 4: Evaluate how leading influences the role of a manager. ◦Explain how the purpose statement for a human resources functional area supports people leadership.
◦Explain how the purpose statement for a declared functional area supports people leadership.
•Competency 5: Evaluate how controlling influences the role of a manager. ◦Create a strategically aligned purpose statement for a human resources functional area.
◦Create a strategically aligned purpose statement for a declared functional area.
◦Identify strategically aligned performance standards for a human resources functional area.
◦Identify strategically aligned performance standards for a declared functional area. Required Resources
The following resources are required to complete the assessment.
Capella Multimedia
•Atha Corporation: Leading | Transcript.
•Atha Corporation: Controlling | Transcript.
Suggested Resources
The resources provided here are optional. You may use other resources of your choice to prepare for this assessment; however, you will need to ensure that they are appropriate, credible, and valid. The BUS-FP3011– Fundamentals of Management Library Guide can help direct your research, and the Supplemental Resources and Research Resources, both linked from the left navigation menu in your courseroom, provide additional resources to help support you.
Capella Resources
•Executive Department Management Instructions [DOCX].
•Doubling Sales Memo [DOCX].
Capella University Library Resources
•Rao, P. S., & Pande, H. S. (2010). Principles and practice of management. Mumbai, IND: Himalaya Publishing House. ◦You may want to pay particular attention to the chapters associated with leading and controlling, which are the focus of this assessment.
•Aswathappa, K., & Shridhara Bhat, K. (2009). Production and operations management. Mumbai, IND: Himalaya Publishing House.
•Bogardus, A. M. (2004). Human resources JumpStart. San Francisco, CA: Sybex.
•Hiriyappa, B. (2009). Organizational behavior. Delhi, IND: New Age International Publishers.
•Peterson Drake, P., & Fabozzi, F. J. (2010). The basics of finance: An introduction to financial markets, business finance, and portfolio management. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
•Sheehan, B. (2011). Marketing management. West Sussex: GBR: AVA Publishing.
Bookstore Resources
These resources are available from the Capella University Bookstore:
•Robbins, S. P., Coulter, M., & DeCenzo, D. A. (2017). Fundamentals of management: Management myths debunked! (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Note: You will need to complete Assessment 1 before completing this assessment.
For this assessment, complete the remaining sections of your strategic alignment worksheets (SAWs) for the human resources functional area and the additional functional area you selected for the Atha Corporation case study. Using the two strategic alignment worksheets you submitted for Assessment 1, complete the following:
1.Conduct independent research to familiarize yourself with the process of developing a purpose statement and performance standards. You may find the materials listed in the Suggested Resources helpful, or you may refer to other resources.
2.Update the SAW for the human resources area and for the additional functional area you selected by completing Section 2: Purpose Statement and Section 3: Performance Standards in each form. ◦In the Section 2: Purpose Statement table, provide thoughtful answers to the four questions to arrive at your purpose statement for each functional area.
◦In the Section 3: Performance Standards table, identify at least three performance standards that will be used to measure the performance of the functional area team. Provide a rationale for each identified performance standard.
3.Write one 1–2-page reflection on the sections you just completed for your SAWs. In your reflection, address the following questions: ◦For each SAW, explain how the purpose statement for that functional area addresses the people leadership aspects of management by promoting trust, motivating employees, and supporting collaboration.
◦How do the performance standards reflect strategic alignment with the organizational goals, through support of the other sections of the SAW (the goals and activities and purpose statement) and your revised organizational charts?
◦What research did you use to support your work in arriving at the goals and activities? Use APA style and formatting to cite your sources.
◦What current or past experiences did you draw from for this assessment, if any?
Submit all three of the following as attachments to this assessment:
1.Your completed SAW worksheet for the human resources functional area.
2.Your completed SAW worksheet for the additional functional area you chose.
3.Your reflection paper.