BUS 110 Company Research Project (40 points)

Objective: To practice researching and reporting business information.

Each student will be required to select one?    company that is publicly traded to research?      throughout the semester. These assignments must be typed and submitted by the due?        dates announced. Be sure to cite your sources in MLA format for each part of the?        project. ?A Library Guide (LIBGUIDE) for business is available on the NCC library’s website and is also posted in Blackboard. The LIBGUIDE is a comprehensive research guide to assist you throughout the project. Please be sure to?  ask questions.

 

Part 1:? Ethics and Social Responsibility (5 points)?          Read chapter 2 on Ethics and Social Responsibility.

1. Go to your company’s website and read what it states about ethics and social responsibility. In a minimum two page double spaced, 12 font, typed?             report,? discuss what you have learned about your company from reading the website. Has your company been ethical and socially responsible? Include why you think a company should be ethical and socially responsible. How can a company benefit from being ethical and socially responsible? 
2. Research one article about your company and social responsibility/ethics. Summarize the article. You can find articles in the databases?          found on the NCC?       library’s website: Business Insights: Essentials or Business Source Complete.?       

CITE YOUR SOURCES.

 

 

Part 2:? FIVE ARTICLE SUMMARIES (5 points) 

You must research your company in the news and write a one page summary of the article and include your opinion or reaction to the article. In total you must include five (5)?        articles and the summaries. Be sure to include the title and date of the article and the?         name of the publication, i.e., The New York Times, Business Week, Forbes, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, etc. You can access articles through the library databases or go to the publication’s website, such as Businessweek.com, Fortune.com, nytimes.com etc. DO

NOT GOOGLE FOR THESE ARTICLES. USE THE DATABASES. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The one page summary?           must be a ?        typed ?  and might include information, such as:?  

 

MY COMPANY…..

announced an acquisition or merger with another company because… was involved in a crisis or scandal because… announced changes in its management because… was affected by global developments because…

was affected by changes in U.S. government regulations because… was affected by competitor activities because…

reported an increase (decrease) in sales because…

 

Note: You will not find news articles on all of the above. These are just some examples?     of what you might find in the news about the company. CITE YOUR SOURCES.

 

Part 3: The 4 P’s of Marketing (5 points)?    

Read chapters 11, 12, 13 in the textbook about marketing.

 

Write a two -?   ? three page, double spaced, 12 font, typed report? discussing your?             company’s marketing strategy. Be sure to discuss each of the 4 P’s. ?       CITE YOUR?  

SOURCES

 

I suggest that you visit the company's website and also review the annual report posted there. You can also go to the database Business Source Complete or Business Insights?      Essentials and look for articles on their marketing strategy.? In Business Source Complete be sure to do an advanced search where you can enter your company’s name and also specific aspects of marketing such as product/service, pricing, promotion, distribution that you are searching for.

 

 

Part 5:?  STOCK PRICE (2 points)  

Monitor the stock price and news regarding the stock that you selected.  If you notice a significant change in the stock price on a particular day/week, review the news about the stock to determine what caused the change in price. This could be one of the articles you?     select for Part 2. 

Part 6:   COMPANY PROFILE (5 points)?  

Refer to the Company Profile assignment sheet attached at the end of this assignment. CITE YOUR SOURCES.  Download the file containing the Company Research Project and save so you can type in your answers. The form is also provided below.

 

 

 

Part 7:? Company Research Project Summary (20 points) 

 

Write a three page, double spaced, 12 font report covering each of these topics?   :?

 

 

1. Research a SWOT analysis for this company. What are some of the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats? The Business Insights: Essentials database is the best source for the SWOT analysis.

 

2. You are a stockbroker. Give three?             well thought out reasons why you?         would call your clients and recommend that they buy the stock. Remember that you work on commission and have to be very persuasive while still doing what is in the best interest of the clients. Why should investors buy this stock? If you would not?            recommend the?      stock, why not?

 

3. If you were the CEO of the organization, what would you do  differently to increase sales and be more competitive in the global marketplace?

 

 

 

 

Some suggested companies to follow:

Microsoft, Ford, General Motors, Apple, McDonald’s, FedEx, UPS, CBS, Google,

Wal-Mart, General Electric, IBM,  Nike, Boeing, Hewlett Packard, The Walt Disney Co.,

Coca-Cola, Proctor & Gamble, Toyota, Nike, Starbucks, Avon Products, Hilton Hotels,

Amazon.com, Exxon Mobil Corp., United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Delta Airlines, Timberland, or another company of your choice, subject to instructor’s approval. You may select a company where you have been employed or hope to be employed, if it is publicly traded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some helpful suggestions:

 

 

you can access information through NCC’s library.  Go to www.ncc.ed?     u and click on? Library. You will need your N # to gain access to the databases from a computer off?       campus. Some especially useful databases are available through the library’s website, including Business Insights: Essentials?       ? for the articles, investment reports, financials, and for the company profile, and also for articles Business Source Complete?            ?.

 

A library research guide (LIB GUIDE)  has been prepared by a librarian to help with your research. To access the guide go to www.library.ncc.ed?   u ? and click on LIBGUIDES, Select b for business. I have also posted a link to the LIBGUIDE in Blackboard.

 

You can do an Internet search for the company’s website, follow the company’s stock price, and also find company profiles on the Internet. Some suggested sites to help you with the company profile or to follow the stock prices are:

 

www.cnnmoney.com www.hoovers.com

www.fortune.com/fortune/companies www.finance.yahoo.com

 

DO NOT GOOGLE FOR ANSWERS.  If you have questions, please do not hesitate to?           see me. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BUS110          

Company Research Report and Presentation Project :

Company Profile ( 5 points) 

 

Objective:? To practice researching and gathering business information. 

 

You are required to cite the source of the information?     . Papers submitted without?      sources will not be graded. All work must be typed. Download the file and save so?       you can type the report.

 

Choose any company with publically traded stock and answer the following questions. 

 

1. Name of the Corporation and stock (ticker) symbol:

__________________________________     

 

2. Address of Corporate Headquarters:

__________________________________________

                        __________________________________________

__________________________________________

_______________________________________________ 3.         Name of Principal Officers:

3a.       Chairman of the Board of Directors:

__________________________________________________________________ 

 

3b.       President or Chief Executive Office:

__________________________________________________________________

             

4. Type of Industry:

__________________________________________________________________ 

 

5. Description of the major goods and services the Corporation produces:

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

 

 

6. Major subsidiaries the Corporation owns:

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

 

7. What overseas (international) operations does it have?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________