Category: Management

Assignment 1:
Mutual funds offer convenience, diversification, and the services of professional money managers and analysts. Mutual funds can be particularly appealing for small investors who don’t have a lot of money and for those who are new to investing. This project will help you learn more about the various types of mutual funds and how to pick the funds that best suit your investment objectives.
Assume that you’ve just received a windfall of $25,000 and would like to invest it all in mutual
funds. There are several ways to classify mutual funds, but for this project, we will consider the following eight categories:
Growth
Value
Equity income
Bond
Balanced
Index
Socially responsible
International
Pick three or four categories that you believe best meet your financial needs and risk tolerance,
and then select one fund from each category. You are strongly encouraged to use some of the online sources and other references mentioned in this chapter to help you make your selections. For each fund, find the following information:
a. Name of fund, its ticker symbol, the fund manager, and the tenure of the fund manager.
b. Category and size of the fund—try to find the Morningstar style box.
c. Loads, fees, and other charges; minimum investment required.
d. Performance of the fund over the past 1, 3, and 5 years. Compare the fund’s performance to
at least two or three other funds in its category and to an appropriate index over these same
periods.
e. How much did the fund pay out last year in dividends and in distributions of short- and long-term capital gains?
f. What were the approximate and exact returns on the fund last year? (You may have to compute
this yourself; use the approximate return formula and a handheld calculator after finding its price
1 year ago from a source such as http://finance.yahoo.com.)
g. What services does the fund offer, such as automatic reinvestment plans or phone switching?
h. Briefly explain why you selected the fund and how it meets your investment objectives.
Assignment 2:
Personal Finance Data_.xlsx (17.409 KB)
You have recently been hired as a financial analyst for a personal finance consulting firm. Your first task is to create an interactive dashboard to help clients manage and understand their finances better. You have been provided with a dataset that contains detailed transaction records for a client over several months. The data includes information on the date, account type, description of the transaction, amounts debited and credited, sub-categories, categories, and category types.
Data Columns:
Date: The date of the transaction.
Account: The type of account used for the transaction (e.g., Checking, Debit Card).
Description: A brief description of the transaction.
Debit: Amount of money spent (if applicable).
Credit: Amount of money received (if applicable).
Sub-category: A more specific category of the transaction (e.g., Rent, Groceries).
Category: The main category of the transaction (e.g., Housing, Living Expenses).
Category Type: Whether the transaction is an Income or Expense.
Create an interactive dashboard that visualizes the provided personal finance data. The dashboard should help users understand their financial health, track their spending, and identify potential areas for savings. Your final product should closely resemble the example provided.
Data File:
The dataset contains detailed transaction records for a client, including information on the date, account type, description of the transaction, amounts debited and credited, sub-categories, categories, and category types.
Dashboard Requirements:
Your dashboard should include the following components:
Total Spend by Account:A donut chart displaying the total amount spent from different accounts (e.g., Checking, Credit).
Ensure that the donut chart shows the total spend YTD and percentage contributions from each account.
Monthly Expense and Income Analysis:A bar chart displaying monthly expenses for different categories (e.g., Living Expenses, Discretionary, Transport, etc.).
A bar chart displaying the monthly net income (Credit – Debit) for each month.
Category-wise Expense Breakdown:A treemap that shows the distribution of expenses across various categories and sub-categories for a selected month.
Ensure that each category and sub-category is color-coded and labeled with the expense amount.
Expense Trends:A line chart tracking the monthly expenses in different categories over the year.
Top Categories in Selected Period:A bar chart showing the top 5 expense categories for the selected period.
Expense by Category for Selected Month:A bar chart comparing expenses across categories for the selected month, highlighting increases and decreases.
Filters:Include interactive filters for selecting the month and categories to dynamically update the dashboard views.
Steps to Complete the Assignment:
Data Preparation:Clean and preprocess the data. Ensure that all transactions are correctly categorized and date formats are consistent.
Dashboard Construction:Use Microsoft Excel to construct the dashboard.
Ensure all charts are interactive and update based on the filters applied.
Layout and Design:Design the dashboard layout to be user-friendly and visually appealing.
Use appropriate colors, fonts, and labels to enhance readability and understanding.
Insights and Recommendations:Analyze the data and provide a brief report with key insights and recommendations for the client’s financial management.
Deliverables:
Interactive Dashboard:An interactive dashboard that meets the above requirements and closely modeled after the example dashboard shown in the provided video.
Analysis Report:A brief report summarizing the key insights derived from the dashboard.
Recommendations for improving financial health based on the analysis.
Submission:
Submit the following files:
The interactive dashboard file in Excel
The analysis report in word format.
You must use Excel to create the dashboard.
Ensure that your submitted files include a sheet demonstrating the thoroughness of your analysis.
Any dashboard generated using AI will be marked zero.
Evaluation Criteria:
Accuracy of data cleaning and preparation.
Completeness and clarity of visualizations.
Creativity and effectiveness of the dashboard design.
Depth of analysis and quality of insights.
Overall presentation and communication, including the effectiveness of the recorded presentation video.

Assignment 1:
Case Overview: You have been hired as a Junior Financial Analyst at Cumberlands Financial Services, a boutique financial advisory firm that specializes in personal wealth management. Your first major assignment is to assist a senior financial advisor in creating a dynamic live stock portfolio tracker for a high-net-worth client who is keen on building a diversified stock portfolio. The client has given you the freedom to choose 10 stocks for the initial portfolio, and they are interested in tracking the performance of this portfolio in real-time.The client expects a well-researched justification for each stock selected and requires a comprehensive tool that will allow them to monitor their investments closely. This tool will help them make informed decisions about their holdings, and it will also serve as a blueprint for future investment decisions.Client Profile:Name: Mr. John McLeod
Age: 55
Investment Goal: Growth-oriented, with moderate risk tolerance.
Investment Horizon: 10-15 years.
Preferred Sectors:Technology
Healthcare
Renewable Energy
Financial Services
Consumer Goods
Industrials
Telecommunications
Utilities
Mr. McLeod is particularly interested in companies that are leaders in their respective fields and have strong growth potential. He is open to investing in both large-cap, well-established companies and promising mid-cap companies that offer growth potential. He is also concerned about market volatility and wants to keep track of his portfolio’s performance on a daily basis.Objective: Your task is to create a dynamic live stock portfolio tracker using Excel in combination with Google Sheets, Google Sheets, or Office 365 that will help Mr. McLeod track his investment in real-time. Additionally, you are required to provide a detailed justification for each stock selection, explaining why it fits Mr. McLeod’s investment goals and risk profile.Steps to Complete the Assignment:1. Stock Research and Selection:Research: Conduct thorough research on potential stock picks, focusing on sectors Mr. McLeod is interested in.
Selection: Construct the portfolio with a balanced mix of market capitalizations:2 Large-Cap Stocks: Select 2 stocks from well-established, large-cap companies.
3 Mid-Cap Stocks: Select 3 stocks from mid-sized companies with strong growth potential.
5 Small-Cap Stocks: Select 5 stocks from small-cap companies with high growth potential but higher risk.
2. Live Portfolio Tracker Development:Spreadsheet Setup: Create a live portfolio tracker using Excel in combination with Google Sheets, Google Sheets, or Office 365. The spreadsheet should include the following columns:Symbol: Ticker symbol of the stock.
Name: Full name of the company.
Sector: The industry or sector the company belongs to.
Cap Size: Market capitalization size (Large Cap, Mid Cap, Small Cap).
# of Shares: Create hypothetical units of shares for each stock in the portfolio.
Price Paid Per Share: Use the average price of the stock over the last 30 days as the purchase price for your hypothetical shares.
Amount Paid: Total amount paid for the shares (calculated as # of Shares * Price Paid Per Share).
Current Price: The current market price of the stock.
Total Value: Current value of the shares (calculated as # of Shares * Current Price).
Allocation: Percentage of the portfolio’s total value that each stock represents.
Total Gain/(Loss) $: The dollar amount of gain or loss (calculated as Total Value – Amount Paid).
Total Gain/(Loss) %: The percentage gain or loss (calculated as (Total Gain/(Loss) $ / Amount Paid) * 100).
Conditional Formatting: Apply conditional formatting in the spreadsheet to visually highlight the performance of each stock:Green: For gains in the “Total Gain/(Loss) $” column.
Red: For losses in the “Total Gain/(Loss) $” column.
Pie Chart for Stock Allocation: Create a pie chart to visually represent the allocation of the portfolio to each stock. This chart should update dynamically based on the total value of each stock in the portfolio.
Pie Chart for Sector Allocation: Create another pie chart to show the allocation of the portfolio by sector. This chart should dynamically reflect the distribution of investments across different sectors based on the total value of the stocks in each sector.
Pie Chart for Cap Allocation: Create a pie chart to visually represent the allocation of the portfolio by market capitalization (Large Cap, Mid Cap, Small Cap). This chart should update dynamically based on the total value of stocks in each cap category.
3. Adding Live Data to the Tracker:Current Price Updates: Set up the spreadsheet to pull live stock prices using financial websites, APIs, or built-in functions available in Excel, Google Sheets, or Office 365, ensuring that the current price columns update automatically.
Data Accuracy: Make sure that the data source used is reliable and that the information is updated frequently to reflect market changes.
4. Final Presentation and Report:Spreadsheet Submission: Submit the completed portfolio tracker, ensuring all formulas, data connections, conditional formatting, and the pie charts are functioning properly.
Video Presentation: Create a 10-15 minute video presentation demonstrating the features of your portfolio tracker. In the video, you should:Explain the stock selection process and justify your choices.
Show the live tracking features, highlighting how the current prices and other key metrics are updated.
Walk through the key elements of the portfolio tracker, such as allocation, total value, gain/loss, conditional formatting, and the pie charts showing the portfolio allocation by stock, sector, and cap.
Provide an overview of the portfolio’s performance and your final recommendations.
Presentation: Present your findings and recommendations in a professional manner, simulating a client meeting scenario.
Justification: Provide a detailed written justification for each stock, including:
Company Overview: Describe what the company does, its market position, and competitive advantage.
Sector Analysis: Explain the growth prospects of the sector and how the company is positioned within that sector.
Market Capitalization: Discuss the company’s size and stability (Large Cap, Mid Cap, Small Cap).
Recent Performance: Include recent financial performance and stock price trends.
Growth Potential: Highlight the company’s future growth potential and any catalysts for growth.
Risk Factors: Identify any potential risks associated with investing in the company.
If you plan to use Office 365 for this assignment, please follow the link below to access the steps for gaining access.https://helpdesk.ucumberlands.edu/support/solutions/articles/7000045435
Video Guide for Assignment
Video Guide for AssignmentCreate a Live Stock Portfolio Tracker in Excel | No Microsoft 365 RequiredBuild a Stock Tracker in Google Sheets: The Ultimate GuideLIVE Stock Portfolio
Dashboard in Excel
Assignment 2:
Group Projects:
Investing involves making informed decisions, which means researching companies and industries before plunking down your hard-earned money! An excellent source of information about a company is the company itself, particularly its annual report to stockholders. In this project, you’ll examine the annual stockholders’ report of a company in which you are interested.
The annual report is a document that provides financial and operating information about a company to its owners, the stockholders. Obtain a copy of the latest annual report of the company you are researching. Copies can be found in many public and college libraries, at local brokerage offices, or on the company’s Internet site. Carefully study the annual report and then prepare a corporate profile of the firm you selected. Your profile should include the following elements:
Name of the company, its ticker symbol, and the exchange on which it trades
Current market price of the stock and its percentage change from 1, 3, and 5 years ago (try to find a chart of its stock price)
Location of its corporate headquarters, names of its officers, and percentage of inside ownership
Brief description of the company, including its major products or services
Brief history of the company
Major competitors
Sales and profit summaries
Other relevant financial ratios and measures
Recent developments and future plans
Based on your findings, would you consider this company for a potential investment? Why or why not?
Group Project Presentation:
Your presentation should be a top-line summary of the key points from your findings
Each team will have 15 minutes to present
Every member of the team must present, and have a speaking part of the presentation.
Use headings and subheadings throughout your presentation.
Presentation should discuss all required parts of the research.

·The Assignment must be submitted on Blackboard (WORD format only) via allocated folder.
·Assignments submitted through email will not be accepted.
·Students are advised to make their work clear and well presented, marks may be reduced for poor presentation. This includes filling your information on the cover page.
·Students must mention question number clearly in their answer.
·Late submission will NOT be accepted.
·Avoid plagiarism, the work should be in your own words, copying from students or other resources without proper referencing will result in ZERO marks. No exceptions.
·All answered must be typed using Times New Roman (size 12, double-spaced) font. No pictures containing text will be accepted and will be considered plagiarism).
·Submissions without this cover page will NOT be accepted.

The Assignment must be submitted on WORD format only.
The question word should be between 150-250 words.
All references must be cited using APA format. This includes both in-text citations and the reference list at the end of the document.
Avoid plagiarism , the work should bein your own words, copying from students or other resources without properreferencing will result in ZERO marks. No exceptions.
All answered must be typed using TimesNew Roman (size 12, double-spaced) font. No pictures containing text willbe accepted and will be considered plagiarism).· Submissions without this coverpage will NOT be accepted

The Assignment must be submitted on Blackboard (WORD format only) via allocated folder.
Assignments submitted through email will not be accepted.
Students are advised to make their work clear and well presented, marks may be reduced for poor presentation. This includes filling your information on the cover page.
Students must mention question number clearly in their answer.
Late submission will NOT be accepted.
Avoid plagiarism, the work should be in your own words, copying from students or other resources without proper referencing will result in ZERO marks. No exceptions.
All answered must be typed using Times New Roman (size 12, double-spaced) font. No pictures containing text will be accepted and will be considered plagiarism).
Submissions without this cover page will NOT be accepted.

ASSIGNMENT-2
Knowledge Management (MGT-403)
First Semester (2024-2025)
Course Learning Outcomes-Covered
Define the different Knowledge types and explain how they are addressed by knowledge management in different business environments.
Identify and analyse role of communities of practice in knowledge management and the challenges and issues pertaining to community of practice.
Demonstrate effective knowledge management skills to utilize knowledge management tools for the benefits of the organization.
The focus of the assignment is to evaluate the understanding level of students related to communities of Practice, learning organization, and various techniques used to capture tacit and explicit knowledge.

Please read chapter 3, chapter 4, and chapter 5.
Assignment Questions
Q.1: “The Wiig KM model is based on the principle that in order for knowledge to be useful and valuable, it must be organized through a form of semantic network that is connected, congruent, and complete and has perspective and purpose.” Explain in detail. (Chapter 3 Wiig’s KM Model) (2 Marks)

Q.2: In what ways is the Choo and Weick KM model like the Nonaka and Takeuchi KM model? In what ways do they differ? (Chapter 3 Choo and Weick and Nonaka and Takeuchi KM Models) (2 Marks)

Q.3: Discuss in detail any two techniques of capturing tacit Knowledge? (Chapter 4 Knowledge Capture and Codification) (2 Marks)

Q. 4: Read chapter 5 (Knowledge Sharing and Communities of Practice) and answer the following questions.
a). Explain the concept of communities of practice. (1 mark)
b). Will it be fruitful for the organization to cultivate the communities of practice? If yes, What steps must be taken by the organization to cultivate them. (1 mark)
c). Discuss the concept of skill mining, social network analysis, and Knowledge support office. (2 Marks)

Answers

Answer-
Answer-
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Assignment Question(s):
Read carefully the mini case No. 18 from your textbook (entitled ‘Tesla Motors Inc.) and answer the following questions:
Describe the different functional strategies of the Tesla Motors company.
Describe the relationship of Tesla Motors with its primary stakeholders.
Discuss any strategic alliance (acquisition, outsourcing, joint venture, ….) that Tesla Motors uses. Why did this company choose it? was it successful? Justify your answer.
Describe the core competency and assess the competitive advantage of Tesla Motors in its market.
Recommend solutions for Tesla Motors to improve its competitive advantage.
General Instructions:
Avoid plagiarism, the work should be in your own words, copying from students or other resources without proper referencing will result in ZERO marks. No exceptions.
Your answers MUST include at least four scholarly peer-reviewed references, using a proper referencing style (APA)
Make sure to support your statements with logic and argument, citing all sources referenced

I want the answer without similarity at all, and Conceptual and professional, they’re important. I have a solution model.

I want the answer without similarity at all, and Conceptual and professional, they’re important. I have a solution model.

Background
You’re exhausted and overwhelmed and eager to put it all on paper, but you’re not quite there yet. After all, your leadership team accepted your proposal and have mentioned in passing that they are excited about what you may offer the company. Thinking back to your undergrad, you recall the ease of organizing your thoughts with an outline.
Instructions
Develop a signature assignment outline. This will require you to look ahead at the signature assignment. Include the following subtitles and succinctly provide the key points to each section. Refer to the questions in each section for reference. Provide a list of scholarly references that you plan on using currently.
Introduction and Clear Problem Statement: Define your organization by the type of work it provides. Provide the approved research question.
As-Is Condition: Select one of the topics that you will discuss and describe the current condition, process, project, or root problem to solve. List the Quality Tools (Charts) you will use to illustrate the current condition (see Chapters 15-7 for clarity).
Analysis: List the preliminary inefficiencies and gap issues of the current condition. Provide the OM concepts used to explain the problem and possible solution. Provide the metrics used in the analysis.
To-Be Condition – Proposed Improvement/Solution: If already known, state the benefits of making the change in terms of customer, and stakeholder satisfaction, efficiencies, or cost reductions.
Conclusion: Not applicable is acceptable.
References: Provide at least 3 of the 7 current scholarly references you plan on using for the signature assignment.
Length
This assignment must be 1-2 pages and all numbered items above must be covered. This is not a written paper. This is an outline of your signature assignment.
I attached the first part and the second part
and this assigenemnt is he 3rd part. Please continue the assignement based on the previous powerpoints that are attached.

I’ve included the instructions below. I have attached the template and the outline for this assignment so you can check it. Please check below and work on it accordingly. If you have any other ideas or
approaches, please let me know. As I mentioned, I need around 20 references.
This paper is for the Theories of Management course; I need to write a paper. This paper will summarize an area (“Improving Team Performance Through Coaching: A Focus on Alignment of Individual and Team Goals) and draw upon some readings to propose an appropriate theoretical framework. You will consider three theoretical approaches, outline their strengths and weaknesses, describe the theory and provide referenced examples of its use in management research, and justify the theory you choose for the final paper.
I have chosen the three theories below :
This topic revolves around how team coaching helps align individual aspirations, self-perceptions, and the team’s collective goals. Each theory offers a unique lens to explore this alignment:
1. Self-Discrepancy Theory: Analyze how individual team members’ perceived gaps between their actual performance and their ideal or team-expected performance affect motivation and engagement. Coaching can help bridge these gaps, improving both individual and team performance.
2. Conversational Theory: Focus on how effective coaching conversations facilitate open communication about personal and team goals, helping team members articulate challenges and align their contributions to the team’s objectives through dialogue.
3. Intentional Change Theory: Explore how coaching guides teams in setting shared goals and engaging in intentional, structured change efforts. The theory emphasizes creating a positive vision for the future and systematically working towards closing the gap between the current and desired states.
Then, I want to choose the best theory and justify the theory that I will use in my final paper(this paper is a draft)
I think the Best Theory for the Topic will be :
• Intentional Change Theory would likely be the most fitting for this topic, as it emphasizes goal alignment, structured developmental change, and long-term performance improvement at both the individual and team levels.