1. What is the ADEA?
2. What are two defenses to a potential violation of ADEA?

Recent election cycles have brought new challenges for corporations and their boards of directors. For example, in the 2016 presidential election campaign, candidate Hillary Clinton unveiled a prescription drug plan to lower prescription prices following the Turing Pharmaceutical price gouging scandal. Yet ironically, the pharmaceutical industry was one of the most generous industry donators to her campaign, as well as those of the other candidates.In fact, the health industry overall (including health professionals, hospitals, HMOs, and pharmaceutical companies) donated over $10 million to the presidential candidates by spring of 2016.

In essence, the pharmaceutical companies and health-care professionals spent money to promote policies that went against their own financial interests. This happened in congressional elections as well. In 2010, the pharmaceutical industry’s trade group, PhRMA, donated funds to nonprofit groups that used those funds to help elect 23 representatives who subsequently voted to limit access to contraceptives.

Some of those funds came from firms like Pfizer, Bayer, and Merck —all manufacturers of contraceptives.Political spending is also an issue with individual companies. Target Corporation, a company that had positioned itself as an LGBT-friendly corporation, found itself the target of angry employees and customers when they learned about Target’s political spending. Target, a sponsor of the annual Twin Cities homosexual Pride Festival, donated money to a business group that supported an homosexual rights candidate for Minnesota governor. Angry employees and consumers conducted protests outside Target stores and threatened a boycott.

These examples show how political spending can have dramatic consequences for corporations. Politicians take positions on a range of policies and so the same politician may hold some positions that support and other positions that damage a corporation’s best interests. This problem was exacerbated when the U.S.Supreme Court’s Citizen United decision changed the political spending landscape for corporations. Before that decision, political spending was constrained to political action committees (PACs), and PAC political activity had to be disclosed to the FEC (Federal Election Commission). Now firms can make unlimited contributions directly to candidates or indirectly to 501c4 nonprofits and trade associations, who can then hide both the donors who provided the money and the way the money was spent. Firms are now freer to become politically involved but, as Target and the pharmaceutical companies found out, that freedom comes with risk.Shareholders and other stakeholders are asking firms to be transparent in their political spending. They want to judge those expenditures for themselves to avoid agency problems and other conflicts of interest.

Ira M. Millstein, founder of the Ira M. Millstein Center for Global Markets and Corporate Ownership at Columbia Law School, proposes a new policy for boards of directors to follow in this new landscape. He suggests that:

1.Companies should require trade associations of which they are members to report to them on their political spending,

2.Companies should require trade associations of which they are members to disclose the donors who provide the money for their political spending,and

3.Companies should then disclose the information they receive from their trade associations when they disclose their other spending to shareholders and other stakeholders.

DISCUSSIONQUESTIONS

1.How would you react to the problem of political spending?

2.As the Chief Executive Officer of a pharmaceutical company, what would you do? Would you retain your PhRMA membership? Would you attach any conditions to your membership?

3.How would you react to the Target situation? What would you do as the CEO?

4.What is your reaction to Ira Millstein’s suggestions? Should corporations demand that trade associations disclose this information before they join?

5.Should companies start disclosing the information they gather? If a trade association refuses to give up that information, should the company decline to join?

Please answer:

It costs $15 per unit per year to hold a product in inventory. The forecasted demand for this product is 10,000 units per year. The total amount of inventory is made up of two types of inventory: safety stock and in-transit. Calculations for determining the average amount of inventory for each type are given below.  

Safety Stock Cost = 2 x Average Demand during Lead Time * Holding Cost per Unit per Year

In-Transit Inventory Cost = Total Annual Demand x (Lead Time / 365) * Holding Cost per Unit per Year

Total Cost = Safety Stock Cost + In-Transit Inventory Cost + Transportation Cost

The following is data related to your transportation options.

1. Build a spreadsheet model that calculates the total cost of transportation for Air, Truck, and Rail transportation. Based on your total cost calculations, what mode of transportation would you recommend? What is the total cost of your recommendation?

2. How much would the cost per unit of the other two modes have to change in order to make you change your recommendation?

1.   Briefly describe the environmental and organizational changes that have taken place over the past 25 years that have affected the nature of work and careers. In a broad sense, how have these changes forced an alteration in the way individuals manage their careers?

2.   Briefly describe the different ways for individuals to look at career success. How should (or could) organizations make accommodations or institute programs to recognize the different ways that individuals view career success?—explain your views.   

3.   Briefly describe the boundaryless and protean concepts of career management. Does one need to display inter-organizational mobility in order to be considered as having adopted the boundaryless or the protean perspective in his or her career management—why or why not? Reference the Kevin case in your answer. (pg 44-47 of the textbook)

4.   Why is self-exploration such an important component in the career management process? What types and sources of information might one use in conducting self-exploration? How did Michelle Terry use self-exploration in managing her career? (pg 96-98 in the textbook)

5.   Define the term career goal. Why is the establishment of a career goal or goals a critically important step in the career management model? Explain why Joe Francis did such a poor job in his career management. (pg 125-126 of the textbook)

6.   Define the term career indecision. What are the causes/sources of career indecision? Identify and briefly describe the subtypes of career indecision. Is being career undecided always unfavorable? (Reference the Kimberly case in your answer- pg 168-170 in the textbook).

Evaluate the current performance of GE and determine how you would change the corporate strategy of GE. Please identify 10 ways and elaborate on each

Take a career you’re (considering) pursuing. The career that I would like to pursue is an Event Planner.

On the scale from obedience loyalty to free agency, where do you imagine most employees in that line of work are located? Why?

Forecasting can be classified into four basic types: Qualitative, Time series, Causal relationship, and simulation.

Determine which one or two styles best fits an electrical distribution companies forecast needs. Why?

Please read the case provided below and answer the following question:

Red Bull- Waking a New Market

Little did Austrian business man Dietrich Mateschitz suspect when he visited Bangkok, Thailand in the early 1980’s his trip would launch not only a new product but also a new product category. Mateschitz international marketing director for Blendax a German tooth paste producer encountered Krating Daeng, “tonic syrup” that Red Bull Beverage Company had been marketing in Thailand for years. Mateschitz discovered that one glass of the product eliminated his Jet lag.

Returning to Austria, Mateschitz began a three year product development process that included developing the drinks image, packaging, and marketing strategy. In 1987 he obtained the marketing rights for Red Bull (the translated Thai name) from the Thai company and launched his marketing strategy.

Although marketers credit Red Bull with creating the “energy drink” category, the pursuit of drinks to enhance performance and well being is not new. Back in 1886 some folks in Atlanta introduced a product they called “Cocoa- Cola” that had extracts from cola nuts and coca leaves and advertised it as an “esteemed brain tonic and intellectual beverage”.

Red Bull is slightly carbonated drink that comes in a slender aluminum can that holds 8.3 ounces. The label indicates that it has 110 calories, 0 grams of fat, 200 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 27 grams of sugar, and less than one gram of protein. Ingredients include sucrose, glucose, sodium citrate, taurine, glucurono-lactone, caffeine inositol, niacinamide, calcium –pantotheate, pyridoxine HCL, Vitamin B12, and artificial flavors and colors, all mixed in carbonated water.

Sounds delicious, don’t you think? Well that is part of the problem. Each of energy drinks ingredients has a specific purpose- but each has its own taste, and in some cases an after taste. It’s no easy matter to blend the ingredients to get not only the correct benefits for the consumer but also something the consumer will drink voluntarily.

Energy drinks have a number of different types of ingredients. The body takes carbohydrates and metabolizes them into glucose (sugar). Simple sugars produce a rapid rise in blood sugar, while complex carbohydrates produce a slower rise. By combining different types of sugars, a drink can produce glycemic response at different times.

Energy drinks sometimes include amino acids that are protein building blocks. Taurine for example is an important aid in the release of insulin and can prevent abnormal blood clotting. Because researchers have cited a deficiency of vitamins and minerals as associated with a lack of energy, beverage makers often include them in energy drinks. Niacin (Vitamin B 3) works with other vitamins to metabolize carbohydrates. Riboflavin (vitamin B 12) helps combats anemia and fatigue by helping to manufacture red blood cells.

Some drinks include botanicals such as gingko biloba, guarana and ginseng. Ginkgo biloba is purported to provide mental energy and sharpness by stimulating blood flow to the brain. Finally, most energy drink contains caffeine an alkaloid stimulant that body absorbs and circulates to all body tissues. Caffeine affects the central nervous system, the digestive tract, and the body’s metabolism boosting adrenaline levels to increase blood pressure and heart rate. Typically energy drink like Red Bull, contain the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee.

Packaging is also important. Some fruity beverages come in glass bottles, but many energy drinks that contain light sensitive vitamins, like B 12 , come in slender metal cans to prevent the vitamins from breaking down.

The Marketing Strategy

Mateschitz designed an unusual marketing strategy. “We don’t bring the product to the people” he argues, “We bring people to the product”. Initially when Red Bull entered U.S. market in Santa Monica California, it used traditional beverage distributors. But as the product gained popularity, the company began to pursue a more focused distribution strategy. Red Bull sales representatives now approach a beverage distributor and insist that he or she sell only Red Bull and no other energy drink. If the distributors will not agree, Red Bull hires young people to load the product in the vans and distribute it themselves.

The Company divided the United States into eight territories, with sales team in each area responsible for developing distribution and targeted marketing plans. The local team seeks to determine where people aged between 16 and 29 are hanging out and what they find interesting. First, the sales teams calls on trendy clubs and bars that offer drinks on premise. As incentives the team offers Red Bull coolers and other promotional items. Red Bull works with individual accounts rather than large chain because it has found that process goes much faster due to lack of bureaucracy. It has also found out that young people in local hot spots are open to trying new things and help generate a “buzz” about Red bull.

Second, the sales team also opens off premise accounts such as gyms, health food-stores, and convenience stores near colleges. The product sells for about $2 in convenience stores. In addition, “consumer educators” roam local streets and hand out free samples. The company has encouraged students to drive around with big Red Bull cans strapped to the top of their cars and to throw Red Bull parties focused on weird themes.

Contrary to the traditional promotional practice, Red Bull starts traditional advertising only after it believes a local market is maturing. The company’s philosophy is that media can only reinforce not introduce a brand. Thus, it builds demand even before it introduces the product at retail. Only about 19 percent of the $ 100 million the brand spent on promotion in 2000 was for measured media. Red Bull spends around 35 percent of sales on promotion. The company has also begun sponsoring extreme sporting events and athletes.

Does all this grass roots marketing work? Well, in 2001, Red Bull sold 1.6 billion cans in 62 countries, up 80 percent over 2000. In the United states , Red Bull entered the list of top 10 carbonated beverage distributors with a mere 0.1 market share but its case volume grew 118 percent over 200 to 10.5 million cases. Red Bull is the number one product in store 24 and had similar results at 7 eleven. It captures 70 to 90 percent share of the energy drink market.

With results like that, it did not take competitors to jump in. Pepsi bought South Beach Beverage Company (makers of So Be brand) and developed an energy drink it calls “Adrenaline Rush”. Coca-Cola jumped in with KMX. Even Anheuser – Busch, of Budweiser fame, joined with a product it calls “180” degrees. In early 2002, another Thai company Otsotspa entered the fray with its own energy drink called “Shark”.

Mateschitz does not seem concerned about competition. He knows Red Bull has a tremendous head start and strong local marketing teams. He already has plans to enter into Brazil and South Africa.

However, Mateschitz does have one concern. “It makes no sense to build a company on one product” he argues. So far he has put the Red Bull brand on only one other product. Luna Aqua is a still water that company claims it bottles only 13 times per year, during full moon when the moon reaches its full energy level. There is also variety of Luna Aqua that contains caffeine. But Mateschitz knows that it will take more than moon power to stay ahead of the competition in the energy drink market. You can bet he will be up all night, sipping Red Bull and developing new product ideas.

Now, assume that you have been appointed by RED BULL as marketing director; then answer the following questions:

Required Question

Question 01:Apply the theory of product Augmentation to Red bull , by explaining the different layers. Suggest improvements in the augmented layers that would give an edge for the company over it’s competitors?

You are supposed to make a comprehensive web search regarding “the impact of coronavirus on supply chains” and discuss each question below in terms of the three dimensions of sustainability. Please make sure you cite the sources (books, articles, magazines etc.) within the text and list the full references of each citation at the end of the report.
•   What is coronavirus's impact on the sustainability of supply chains? (Please discuss social, environmental and economic impacts)
•   How coronavirus will affect the global supply chains?
•   How can the impacts of coronavirus be mitigated for sustainability of supply chain?
•   How can supply chain resiliency be rebuild after coronavirus?

PART A: Suppose that a liquor distributor has an average known weekly demand of 10000 units of 1 Liter Makers Mark Bourbon. Each bottle of Makers Mark costs the distributor $25 per bottle. Specifically for the space for this product, it costs the distributor $0.50 per bottle per week to hold in inventory. When the distributor purchases from the manufacturer, they are incurred a $2000 fixed ordering cost. Use this information to answer the following questions

a: What is the optimal order quantity that the distributor should order when they order?

b: How often should the distributor place an order for this quantity?

c: If the distributor follows this ordering policy, what is the total weekly cost of the distributor? Suppose that the distributor makes a mistake, and order 1% more than the optimal policy. What is the percentage difference in cost as a result of ordering 1% more than required?

PART B: Now suppose that the distributor is able to sell each bottle for $35 per bottle. The cost per bottle is the same, namely $25 per bottle. Assume now, however, that demand is random, and that it follows a normal distribution. Use this information to answer the questions below.

a: Assume the average weekly demand is µ = 10000. Find the optimal solution for σ = 500, σ = 1000, σ = 5000, σ = 10000.

b: Let y be the set of optimal solutions, let x be the sigmas from the previous problem. Run a linear regression to find an equation for Q = a + bσ. What are the respective values for a and b?

c: What does this tell us about the optimal ordering policy with respect to the variation in our demand data?

PLEASE SHOW ALL WORK.

Why is whistle - Blowing and employee Protection an ethics concern in Human Resource Management?

You work for a major car-rental company and need to create search advertisements for the firm. Explain the four-step process you would go through as you create such advertising. Include details about what happens at each step of the process after you launch your ads. As you complete your answer, be sure to include all substeps. Give specific examples that relate to the car-rental firm when you explain each step of the process.

The management of Hartman Company is trying to determine the amount of each of two products to produce over the coming planning period. The following information concerns labor availability, labor utilization, and product profitability:

The company operates a punch press to manufacture machine parts. It is a noisy operation. As a matter of fact, it is common knowledge in the plant that employees working in this location have to shout to be heard, even if you are right next to them. The employer decides to transfer a new employee to the department to monitor the punch press operation. The employee is deaf and the companies thinking was that since the employee had hearing loss it doesn't matter much if this individual worked in this location. Hearing protection was not provided and no personnel noise monitoring conducted.

You have been hired as the new EHS Manager for this company and have been asked for your opinion as to the best method to handle this situation. Please prepare a response that considers both the employer and employee perspective.

First and foremost, consider the following information when preparing your response.

1. From an employer perspective, how should this situation be managed? Here, think about issues such as ethical and moral responsibilities including compliance, worker rights and employer responsibilities.

2. From an employee perspective, how should the workers disability be managed? Do they have any rights in this situation?

How can these everyone's rights (employee and employer) be protected in this delicate situation?