...1. What do you think of the Vanguard group as a firm? What is the Vanguard group investment philosophy? 2. What are the key differences between Life-Style funds and Life-Cycle funds? 3. Discuss the pros and cons of Life-Style funds. Explain their rationale. 4. Discuss the pros and cons of Life-Cycle funds. Explain their rationale. 5. Are the Life-Style funds or the life-Cycle funds consistent with the theory (MeanVariance approach)? 6. Would you invest in either Life-Style or Life-Cycle funds? Why, why not? Question 1: What do you think of the Vanguard group as a firm? What is the Vanguard group investment philosophy? Vanguard was founded by John C. Bogle (Princeton University B.A., 1951) in 1975. Prior to The Vanguard Group, John Bogle was part of Wellington Management Company. The Vanguard Group currently manages about $3,148,496 million in assets (according to Northern Trust “Asset Management Ranking Highlights: The Largest Money Managers”), which makes it the second largest money manager after BlackRock ($4,651,896M). The company is mostly focused on mutual funds and ETFs. Index funds were created and offered to individual investors, which introduced significant cost-savings benefits. Their trademark way of doing business is by heavily investing in technology, reducing management fees, and lowering marketing costs. Providing exceptional and exemplary client service has also been part of Vanguard’s repertoire. Mr. Bogle strongly believes in long-term investment...
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...Alibaba Group At Alibaba, strategy and organization go hand-in-hand. Every year we change 'the organizational structure in tandem with changes in strategy. Jack Ma, Chief Executive Officer of Alibaba Group, stared through the fog at the cable stays of the Hangzhou Bay Bridge whistling past on his drive to the offices of Taobao ("hunting for treasures"), Alibaba's online marketplace for Chinese retailers and consumers. The longest transoceanic bridge in the world had a long gestation period: the feasibility studies took a decade. and even after their approval the plans changed to connect the northern end of the bridge to Jiaxing, rather than the Jinshan suburb of Shanghai as initially planned. When the bridge was opened to the public just over a year earlier, in May 2008, it cut the trip between the cities of Ningbo and Shanghai and southern Jiangsu province from 400 kilometers (km, equivalent to 249 miles) to just 80 km (50 miles), boosting economic integration and development in the Yangtze River Delta, which was home to 72.40 million people living in almost 100,000 square km of land comprising Shanghai, Zhejiang province, and Jiangsu province.? Ma couldn't help but smile to himself as he thought of the obvious similarities between the Hangzhou Bay Bridge and the Alibaba Group of companies. Just as the proposed bridge changed form as its plans progressed, the Alibaba Group evolved over an equally long period from its founding by Ma and a small group of friends in 1998...
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...Name: Jack Brendon Instructor: Date: 08.10.2013 Case: The Apollo Group Major issues and problem * The primary problem UoP faces increased competition from both traditional not for profit universities as well as for profit universities as recently both private and public institution have expanded their part time and online offerings to adults, which was exclusively their competitive advantage earlier. Now students are seeking education with most up to date technology and with a renowned accreditation and UoP does not comes in either of those therefore they have to re-examine their focus market and continue their competitive advantage. * There is a lot of negative promotion and bad image associated with the Apollo group like “low standard education” by public universities and the media. Also according to the research conducted 95% of the employer said that they would rather hire a graduate who has done traditional in class graduation as compared to online graduation. * The new regulatory norms which are introduced now is likely to clash with UoP current condition as they are very close to 90% limit of federal fund and they are already above the stated 45% loan repayment rate. * The regulatory agencies had enormous power and could destroy the legitimacy of UoP programs by refusing to grant accreditation to the sponsoring institutions Suggested Alternatives and Implementation * The first alternative is to focus on the market focus which is...
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...The Haier Group: U.S. Expansion I. INTRODUCTION A. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Summary statement of the problem: The Haier Group is a major home electrical appliance maker based out of China. This company was listed as the only Chinese name brand among the world’s 100 most recognizable brands in a global name brand list edited by the World Brand Laboratory. The main issue that Haier Group is facing is how expand into the U.S. market. 2. Summary statement of the recommended solution: Haier has been successful in the Chinese and foreign market but is looking to succeed in the U.S. market. The problem is, Haier has to compete with well known electrical appliance maker companies like General Electric, Whirlpool, Maytag, Electrolux, Sony, Panasonic, Phillips and LG. All of these companies are well known in the US and have control over the market. Haier Group will have to lower their prices for their products in order to get U.S. consumers to want buy their products. Then they’ll have to convince U.S. consumers that their products are comparable with the other major brands when it comes to productivity. When they achieve this goal there will be no stopping Haier. B. THE SITUATION Haier Group started out in 1984 and was enterprise that was owned by the Chinese government. They originally imported refrigerator technology from Germany. Haier would eventually start to venture into international expansion, acquisitions and mergers, capital operations, scientific...
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...Case Study 2 Assignment Bandon Group, Inc Read the Bandon Group Inc. Case study. Complete the tasks listed under “Things to do” below. Bandon Group, Inc. |Strategy |Documentation |Things to Do | |Purpose and Scope of Study|Purpose and scope of the | | |(Step 1) |MIS study | | |Document High-Level |Executive Management |Write a summary of major problems and| |Business Direction |Interviews |opportunities defined by management. | |(Step 2) | |Focus on “common” | | | |problems/opportunities. | |Identify Key Information |Matrix: Goals, Critical |Write a summary of “common” or | |Needs and Measures |Success Factors, Measures, |“shared” CSFs, measures, IT needs. | |(Step 3) |IT Needs | | |Determine Detailed |Interview findings: |Write a summary of “common” or | |Business Requirements |Problems, |“shared” priorities. | |(Step 4) |Goals/opportunities, IT | | | |needs, Priorities | ...
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...Summary Houghton Refrigeration Company is a company that builds refrigerators for large appliance companies. During the summer, the company needs to hire around forty new employees which are typically college students from a local private college. They receive little training prior to starting working. All they are taught is the basics of how to do their job, not how to handle difficulties that arise. More and more employees start to get injured, and the president of the company decides the company needs safety training. The first-line supervisor gave a brief training that wasn’t very beneficial to the employees. Step 1: Identify the Problem The problem in this case is that Houghton Refrigeration Company is having complications maintaining a safe and healthy work environment for their employees, and now some of their workers are becoming injured. Step 2: Identify Causes of the Problem There are several reasons this problem could be occurring. One reason is that the upper management are educated in engineering, not management, which is the cause of the second reason for this problem. The second reason the employees are being injured is because they lack proper training. The college students are also feeling pressured by one of the first- line supervisors who is harassing them. Step 3: Alternative Solutions * The company can hire an outside source to develop a training program for the employees. * They can hold one-on-one training with each of the new employees...
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...Case Study - The Forgotten Group Member Helen M. Gales GM591 - Leadership and Organizational Behavior Keller Graduate School of Management Professor Leo Shelton July 23, 2012 Case Study - The Forgotten Group Member Part 1: Group Development In looking over the details given for the case, the group appears to still be in the Storming stage. While some of the team has come together and are providing their assigned portions of the class project, they still are not a cohesive, and functioning team; due to one of their team members being preoccupied with outside demands and not really coming together with the rest of the team. By having a better understanding of the stages of group development, Christine would have had a better idea of how to lead the group through the different stages and help them to move forward towards a successful completion of the assignment. The text indicates that for a team to be successful it needs to go through all of the stages, forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning; making progress as each stage is completed. Part II: Problem Identification From the little amount of information that the case gives concerning the initial meetings of the group, the primary problem is that Mike is seen as the "clown" and not taken seriously when suggestions are made. From what the text indicates about the different stages, this indicates a "clique" was formed between the other team members, and a general lack of concern was given to Mike and...
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...Case Study – The Virgin Group: Structure, leadership and motivation This essay analyses organizational structuring of the Virgin Group, with a view to understanding the dynamics that have helped create a global conglomerate. A critical assessment is undertaken on three areas: the hierarchical form of the company, the style of leadership exhibited by Sir Richard Branson, and the approach adopted by management to motivate employees. Firstly, a comparative argument is made on whether the Virgin Group can be classified as a centralised or decentralised organization. These terms refer to division of power, capital, technical procedures and control in various units of a business. A centralised organization allows for minimal delegation to managers, with the chief executive retaining power over majority of the decisions. On the other end, a decentralised organization makes it possible for managers to exercise control without ownership oversight at each stage, provided goals and targets are met (Buchanan & Huczynski, 2007). Secondly, the essay aims to determine the leadership style practiced by Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Group’s chief executive officer (CEO). Two styles of leadership are used as reference point: transactional and transformational. According to Bass & Bass (2009), transactional leaders work within the organizational culture as it exists, with an awareness of the link between effort and reward. They motivate their employees by setting goals, and enforce control through...
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...“A team is a group of people holding themselves collectively accountable for using complementary skills to achieve a common purpose”. Group development: Stages of team development: 1. Forming stage: “The forming focuses around the initial entry of members of a team”. In this stage team members ask questions to each other. In this stage team members are in the process of getting familiar with each other. During the forming stage of Christine’s team, Diane, Janet, Steve and mike came across each other for the first time. Diane is the one who is quiet but has very good ideas in the mind if when asked. Mike is a funny and relaxed guy. Steve is a business minded person, he is always makes sure that the meeting was productive. Janet is the matured one, she always puts in more efforts. Christine is the one who is organized and tried to give her best. 2. Storming stage: “The storming stage is one of high emotionality and tension among team members”. In this stage team members experience many changes. Individuals may have clashes between each other. They try to impose their opinions on the group. Everyone tries to attain a special position for themselves in the group. The team members feel very pressurized due to the expectations. Conflicts may rise at this stage. I think Christine’s team is that storming stage. Because she has not developed a comfortable relation with Mike. Mike always avoids attending the meeting and he hardly works on his assignment. Here Christine should lead...
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...The Forgotten Group Member Case Study Wanda Keeton keetonwanda@yahoo.com MGMT 591 Leadership and Organizational Behavior November 18, 2012 Dr. Thomas M. Bock Part I: Group Development Reflecting on the case and our text book I believe that the group is in the Storming stage which is the second phase of the group development. There are five phases in group development; the first one is Forming. This stage is when the group starts coming together and begins by introducing themselves. According to the case study Christine is the leader of the group and the other group members are Diane, Janet, Steve and Mike. The second phase is Storming. In this stage the group is coming together showing their own personalities and different opinions during brainstorming. Some of the group has pulled together and have done their portion of the assignment. The group is still not cohesive because of Mike. Mike has missed out on most of the meetings and has not done is fair share of the assignment. The third phase is Norming. In this phase the group should be relating to each other and should be working together on the assignment. Four of the members are getting along and working well together, Mike is feeling left out as he doesn’t attend most of the meetings and is not giving any input. The fourth phase is Performing. In this phase everyone is turning in their part of the assignment so that the leader can compile all the information. Everyone has done their portion even Mike although...
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...Chapter 7 Case Study 1. The first stage of the group development phase is forming. This phase is where the group begins to gather and start introductions. Discussing the case Study, The Organizational Behavior Group Christine leads, along with Diane, Janet, Steve and Mike. The First group meeting in the case study involved Christine and her group getting acquitted with one another, which signals the forming phase. The second phase is Storming. This is known to be one of the hardest phases in group development due to conflicting personalities and different opinions in the brainstorming process. This would refer to the case study in the situation when Christine planned a team meeting 5 weeks into the semester. The conflict was that Mike would not attend most meetings. This resulted in him not participating with the team, which was the opposite interest of the entire team. Norming is the phase that comes after storming. During this phase, this is when the whole team learns to relate and starts building relationships with each other as friends, rather than acquaintances while attempting to reach the same goal. This started to happen around week 5 in the semester, when the whole team was already feeling comfortable with each other, having the ability to joke with each other. This made Mike feel left out since he missed meetings. After norming is the fourth phase, performing. This is where the united plan of a group is being accomplished. This phase is shown in the case study when...
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...1. You may have seen the terms “e-business” before. Do some research and briefly indicate why you think that this term better defines what GE did rather than “e-commerce” GE’s CEO, Jack Welch, once described their e-business as, “an elixir, a tonic that has changed the DNA of GE forever.” (Bartlett, 2002) During Welch’s final years as CEO, he was faced with the strategic decision of introducing GE onto the internet. GE Plastics had already begun using the internet as a way to conduct business and Welch used this division as a building block for the conversion to a digital workplace. The difference between GE and so many other companies is their competitive culture and their drive to succeed. Therefore, when Welch introduced his fourth strategic initiative, embracing e-business, he expected the best from his employees, set far-reaching goals, and demanded that all of GE’s large divisions begin to develop their own website. Welch’s expectations and the scope of the fourth strategic push is what differentiate GE’s term of “e-business” from “e-commerce.” As Welch began to realize the potential the internet could have on GE’s businesses, he encouraged all the business leaders to get a mentor to help them understand this potential. He also required regular meetings of all business division heads so they can learn from what other managers experienced as well as create ideas to overcome obstacles. Since GE sees failure as unacceptable, Welch wanted to give his full support to the company...
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...Case Study: The Forgotten Group Member MGMT 591 – Leadership and Organizational Behavior Christopher Declerk 1/27/2013 Group Development 5 Stages of Group Development 1. Forming Stage: In the Forming stage, personal relations are characterized by dependence. Group members rely on safe, patterned behavior and look to the trainer for guidance and direction. Individual learners have a desire for acceptance by the group and a need to know that the group is safe. They set about gathering impressions and data about the similarities and differences among people in the group, and forming preferences. 2. Storming Stage: This stage is characterized by competition and conflict in personal relations. As the group members attempt to work together on the task, conflict inevitably results - healthy debate or slight disagreement. Individuals may need to adapt their feelings, ideas, attitudes, and beliefs to suit the group. 3. Norming Stage: In the norming stage, interpersonal relations are characterized by cohesion. Learners are engaged in active acknowledgment of others' contributions, community building and maintenance, and solving of group issues. Individuals will be willing to change their preconceived ideas or opinions on the basis of facts presented by others, and they actively ask questions of one another. 4. Performing Stage: The performing stage is not always reached by all groups, however if learners are able to get through this stage their capacity...
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...CASE STUDY 7: THE FORGOTTEN GROUP MEMBER GM591 LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR Group Development At this point, Christine’s group is considered to be stuck at the storming stage. This is the stage where high tension and emotionality amongst the group members have occurred. (Schermerhorn, et al., 2010) Mike is causing a lot of the tension because he can’t commit to the group meetings; and therefore, it is hard for them to stay motivated and complete their assignment. (Ramsoomair, Franklin 2010) Each group was assigned a specific task and a different section to complete, but Mike is putting a strain on the group by continuing to miss the group meetings and not contributing like he should. (Ramsoomair, Franklin 2010) Christine needed to know the series of life cycle stages that a team passes through because it would have prepared her for the different challenges. Knowing the stages would have helped her to handle the situations differently and also helped the team to remain effective. (Schermerhorn, et al., 2010) Going through the forming stage would have pinpointed who were the hard workers and who were the slackers as they became more acquainted. As she noticed Mike’s behavior in the beginning, she could have found it unacceptable and corrected it. It was expected for everyone to be at the group meetings, but Mike started being absent and became the obstacle standing in the way of the group’s goals which began the storming stage. (Schermerhorn, et al., 2010)...
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...Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Case Study Marcela Beas Dr. Pepper Snapple Group March 5th, 2013 Current Situation Analysis Mission/Vision Statement The Dr. pepper Snapple Group fuses its vision and mission statements saying, “At Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, it is our vision to be the best beverage business in the Americas. Our brands have been synonymous with refreshment, fun and flavor for generations, and our sales are poised to keep growing in the future.” This stamen is straightforward and informatively average. It establishes the company’s goal and core values. Also, it highlights DPS’ interest in future sales growth. The company includes its business strategy stating that it focuses on building and enhancing leading brands, pursuing profitable channels, packages and categories, leveraging an integrated business model, strengthening routes to markets, and improving operating efficiency (Dr. Pepper Snapple Group). External Analysis Government policies and regulations affect business development and growth. Products have to be consistent with the USDA’s dietary guidelines and adhere to the FDA’s standards for health claims. Due to the current post-recession economy, growth is expected to be slow since existing demand patterns are expected to change as consumers become more health conscious. Moreover, global awareness and concern regarding the impact of climate change continues to be a focal point as business seek to achieve better business in terms of reduced cost...
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