I have attached 2 photos front and back of the instructions on the essay. I am choosing prompt 1 in the photos about The Citizen and the Polis in the book and the main questions to answer are “What makes for a good citizen and how is good citizenship related to the form and role of government? By that logic, what is an example of a bad government?” They want us to go beyond the 5 paragraph essay format in a 4-6 page paper so i was thinking 4 or 5 body paragraphs. He said to use 2 or 3 quotes per paragraph from the book Politics. When quoting the book at the end of each quote just say in parentheses (Aristotle, 63) or whatever page number it is. It is a history essay so everything is based on facts and what you can prove rather than deeper meaning or symbols or anything like that. I left some notes in the margin of the documents as well you can see and they give a body paragraph example to give you an idea of how to write it. If you have any other questions please dont hesitate to ask and PLEASE do not plagiarize anything. I would also like a writer with a very good grammar. Thank you so much!

HI6028 Taxation Theory, Practice and Law T2 2018
HI6028 Taxation Theory, Practice
& Law
T2 2018 Individual Assignment
(2500 words)
Due date: Week 10
Maximum marks: 20 (20%)
Instructions:
This assignment is to be submitted by the due date in soft-copy
only (Safe assign – Blackboard).
The assignment is to be submitted in accordance with
assessment policy stated in the Subject Outline and Student
Handbook.
It is the responsibility of the student submitting the work to
ensure that the work is in fact his/her own work. Ensure that
when incorporating the works of others into your submission
that it is appropriately acknowledged.
HI6028 Taxation Theory, Practice and Law T2 2018
Question 1 (10 marks)
You are working as a tax consultant in Mayfield, NSW. Your client is an investor and antique
collector. You have ascertained that she is not carrying on a business. Your client provides
the following information of sales of various assets during the current tax year:
(a) Block of vacant land. On 3 June of the current tax year your client signed a
contract to sell a block of vacant land for $320,000. She acquired this land in
January 2001 for $100,000 and incurred $20,000 in local council, water and
sewerage rates and land taxes during her period of ownership of the land. The
contract of sale stipulates that a deposit of $20,000 is payable to her when the
contract of sale is signed and the balance is payable on 3 January of the next tax
year, when the change of ownership will be registered.
(b) Antique bed. On 12 November of the current tax year your client had an antique
four-poster Louis XIV bed stolen from her house. She recently had the bed valued
for insurance purposes and the market value at 31 October of the current tax year
was $25,000. She purchased the bed for $3,500 on 21 July 1986. Although the
furniture was in very good condition, the bed needed alterations to allow for the
installation of an innerspring mattress. These alterations significantly increased the
value of the bed, and cost $1,500. She paid for the alterations on 29 October 1986.
On 13 November of the current tax year she lodged a claim with her insurance
company seeking to recover her loss. On 16 January of the current tax year her
insurance company advised her that the antique bed had not been a specified item
on her insurance policy. Therefore, the maximum amount she would be paid under
her household contents policy was $11,000. This amount was paid to her on 21
January of the current tax year.
(c) Painting. Your client acquired a painting by a well-known Australian artist on 2 May
1985 for $2,000. The painting had significantly risen in value due to the death of the
artist. She sold the painting for $125,000 at an art auction on 3 April of the current
tax year.
(d) Shares. Your client has a substantial share portfolio which she has acquired over
many years. She sold the following shares in the relevant year of income:
(i) 1,000 Common Bank Ltd shares acquired in 2001 for $15 per share and sold on
4 July of the current tax year for $47 per share. She incurred $550 in brokerage
fees on the sale and $750 in stamp duty costs on purchase.
(ii) 2,500 shares in PHB Iron Ore Ltd. These shares were also acquired in 2001 for
$12 per share and sold on 14 February of the current tax year for $25 per share.
She incurred $1,000 in brokerage fees on the sale and $1,500 in stamp duty
costs on purchase
(iii) 1,200 shares in Young Kids Learning Ltd. These shares were acquired in 2005
for $5 per share and sold on 14 February of the current tax year for $0.50 per
share. She incurred $100 in brokerage fees on the sale and $500 in stamp duty
costs on purchase.
(iv) 10,000 shares in Share Build Ltd. These shares were acquired on 5 July of the
current tax year for $1 per share and sold on 22 January of the current tax year
for $2.50 per share. She incurred $900 in brokerage fees on the sale and
$1,100 in stamp duty costs on purchase.
(e) Violin. Your client also has an interest in collecting musical instruments. She plays
the violin very well and has several violins in her collection, all of which she plays on
HI6028 Taxation Theory, Practice and Law T2 2018
a regular basis. On 1 May of the current tax year she sold one of these violins for
$12,000 to neighbor who is in the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. The violin cost
her $5,500 when she acquired it on 1 June 1999.
Your client also has a total of $8,500 in capital losses carried forward from the previous
tax year, $1,500 of which are attributable to a loss on the sale of a piece of sculpture
which she sold in April of the previous year.
Required:
Based on this information, determine your client’s net capital gain or net capital loss for the
year ended 30 June of the current tax year.
Question 2 (10 marks)
Rapid-Heat Pty Ltd (Rapid-Heat) is an Electric Heaters manufacturer which sells Electric
Heaters directly to the public. On 1 May 2017, Rapid-Heat provided one of its employees;
Jasmine, with a car as Jasmine does a lot of travelling for work purposes. However,
Jasmine’s usage of the car is not restricted to work only. Rapid-Heat purchased the car on
that date for $33,000 (including GST).
For the period 1 May 2017 to 31 March 2018, Jasmine travelled 10,000 km in the car and
incurred expenses of $550 (including GST) on minor repairs that have been reimbursed by
Rapid-Heat. The car was not used for 10 days when Jasmine was interstate and the car was
parked at the airport and for another five days when the car was scheduled for annual
repairs.
On 1 September 2017, Rapid-Heat provided Jasmine with a loan of $500,000 at an interest
rate of 4.25%. Jasmine used $450,000 of the loan to purchase a holiday home and lent the
remaining $50,000 to her husband (interest free) to purchase shares in Telstra. Interest on a
loan to purchase private assets is not deductible while interest on a loan to purchase
income-producing assets is deductible.
During the year, Jasmine purchased an Electric Heaters manufactured by Rapid-Heat for
$1,300. The Electric Heaters only cost Rapid-Heat $700 to manufacture and is sold to the
general public for $2,600.
Required:
(a) Advise Rapid-Heat of its FBT consequences arising out of the above information,
including calculation of any FBT liability, for the year ending 31 March 2018. You may
assume that Rapid-Heat would be entitled to input tax credits in relation to any GSTinclusive
acquisitions.
(b) How would your answer to (a) differ if Jasmine used the $50,000 to purchase the shares
herself, instead of lending it to her husband?

4. These are academic/ legal assignments, so the most crucial information to use is the law. That might sound trite, but think about the sources of law we study: legislation (Acts and Regulations further to Acts), case law and the Constitution. When you are researching and analyzing a legal problem, go to the sources of law first. Read and APPLY the statute and then use other legal sources to enhance your analysis.

5. Sourcing your writing: I must emphasize again how incorrect sourcing of references is a problem in university assignments, including yours. I can’t tell you how many of you incorrectly used lengthy direct quotes which you copied right from a source, but failed to use quotation marks and/or a source identifying page or paragraph numbers, or “n.p.” if that information was not available.

e.g. APA is so simple that it defies all logic that students can’t use it correctly. It is (author’s last name, year), or (author’s last name, year, page or para number, or n.p., written as p. number). Substitute author for organization and year for “n.d.” if no date of publication is given. There, that’s the essence of it. It takes one second to do and eliminates all suspicions of plagiarism. And, it shows respect for the intellectual property of the written words belonging to others.

6. Reference Lists: Robo-reference lists are awful! Please don’t use them! Please consider that the purpose of the reference list is providing crucial information to the reader to follow up your sources because they are deemed by you to be important to your assignment. For instance, when the robot is sourcing the Competition Bureau, it writes it as “Canada, C.B.”. What author/ organization is that? What the robot is trying to say is the “Government of Canada. Competition Bureau.” “Canada,C.B.” does not convey accurate information to the reader that the Competition Bureau is a federal government agency. You need to know that to understand its jurisdiction and to access its website.

Subject of the Assignment

The subject of the assignment is price fixing, a type of competition restriction prohibited in the marketplace pursuant to the federal Competition Act, 1985, R.S.C., c. C-34 (“the Act”). The federal Competition Bureau is an administrative tribunal, overseen by its Commissioner, and authorized by this statute to investigate and adjudicate matters pertaining to violations of the Competition Act.

Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of the assignment is for you to understand how price fixing is determined, a very important marketplace restriction, and to give you experience reviewing a statute so you understand how to use a statute to describe and define legal subjects and processes.
This assignment will require you to identify relevant sections of the statute which describe the prohibited activity of price fixing and the procedures and penalties set out for such illegal behavior.
You will also learn how the federal Competition Bureau regulates and governs marketplace activities in Canada, how the consumer is protected in this statutory regime, how liability is established against companies alleged to be engaged in anti-competitive behavior, and the punishments for companies which violate the statute.
The assignment also gives you the necessary exposure and practice in legal writing and research for the next assignment on professional regulation.

Content of the Assignment

The assignment should respond to the following questions and include the following information:

1. What is the purpose of the Competition Act, 1985? Please quote specific section(s) of the Act and/or the Competition Bureau website as required.

2. Please provide a short description of the activities of the Competition Bureau, the administrative tribunal which hears competition violations and decides on appropriate sanctions and punishment, and of the Competition Commissioner who oversees the operations of the Bureau. Please quote specific section(s) of the Act and/or the Competition Bureau website.

3. What is the mandate of the Competition Bureau? You will have to research this and quote or refer to specific sections of the Act and refer to the website as required.

4. What are the mission and value statements of the Competition Bureau? You will have to research this and quote or refer to specific sections of the Act and/or refer to the website as required.

5. What is the role of the Competition Commissioner? You will have to research this and quote or refer to specific sections of the Act and/or refer to the website as required.

6. Please give a brief description of the Competition Bureau’s website. What types of information are provided? Please also provide the URL.

7. What is the public complaints process available for consumers or companies to report a competition violation? Please quote or refer to specific sections of the Act and to the Competition Bureau’s website as necessary.

8. What is price-fixing? Please define the competition violation of price fixing. Please quote or refer to specific sections of the Act and/or refer to the website as required.

9. Once a complaint has been received by the Competition Bureau it must investigate. What is the investigation process used by the Competition Bureau? How is the matter adjudicated or resolved? You must review the Act in order to describe the process. This will take careful reading of the statute. Please quote or refer to specific sections of the Act as required.

10. What are the penalties for price-fixing set out in the statute? Please quote or refer to specific sections of the Act.

11. What happened to Loblaw’s grocery stores in this bread price fixing case? Please refer to the article uploaded on URCourses, and explain how Loblaw’s situation relates to procedures and/or possible penalties under the statute. Please quote or refer to specific sections of the Act as required.

12. How does the Immunity Program of the Competition Bureau operate? Please quote or refer to specific sections of the Act and to the Competition Bureau’s website as necessary.

13. Outcome to date: What has happened since the article I uploaded was published? There are ongoing developments in this case so current news articles and updates on the Commission website will be helpful in your summary of the next steps.

14. Conclusion: What did you discover about this legislative framework to investigate and punish anti-competitive behavior? What is its purpose? Does the Loblaw’s case stand as an example of how this works? Etc.

Format of the Assignment

Answer the questions above in order.
Please use Times New Roman, 12 point font, double spaced.
You must use page numbers (bottom/centre of the page) in your assignment.
Please use a separate Title Page and a separate Reference List.
Please use APA citation style. If you are not familiar with how to correctly source references in a university assignment, please review this very carefully. You will lose marks if you source incorrectly or fail to source your writing.
Do not use footnotes or endnotes.
You must use the appropriate statute citations. There are hundreds of examples in the text so please review this part of your writing carefully. There are some rules in legal writing which are the expected form. Please use them.
Remember that the name of the statute and the case is always italicized.
The first time you refer to a case or a statute you must use the full legal citation. E.g. Smith v. Jones, 2013 SKCA 127 (CanLII) or The Business Corporations Act, R.S.S. 1978, c. B-10, etc. THIS IS A LEGAL WRITING RULE. DON’T BREAK IT!
Thereafter, you may use a short form of the case name or statute title without the full citation as long as you have so noted this in your first reference. E.g. Smith v. Jones, 2013 SKCA 127 (CanLII) (“Smith”), or The Business Corporations Act, R.S.S. 1978, c B-10 (“SBCA”) or (“the Act”).
Do not use the quotation marks around the short form title or the Act.
If you are referring to only one statute in your assignment, which is likely in this assignment, you can refer to that statute as the Act after the first reference to it following the full legal citation.
All Saskatchewan statutes use “R.S.S.” (Revised Statutes of Saskatchewan) or “S.S. (Statutes of Saskatchewan) to denote the jurisdiction in their title.
Statutes from any other jurisdiction than Saskatchewan use specific letters for their province. E.g. “R.S.A” (Revised Statutes of Alberta); or “S.A” (Statutes of Alberta), “S.O” (Statutes of Ontario).
The Competition Act is a federal statute. Federal statutes are designated as “S.C”, Statutes of Canada, and “R.S.C” which means “Revised Statutes of Canada”.
These notations are your clue as to the jurisdiction of the statute. Please make sure you note this carefully in all your legal research.
Specific sections or “provisions” (it means the same thing) of a statute are denoted by a section number, using a small “s”. E.g. s.27(1)(e). This is read as “Section 27, subsection (1)(e), or Subsection 27(1)(e).
You may also use “Section” or “section” written out in full. Do not capitalize “section” within the text, only if you are beginning a sentence with the word. Don’t begin a sentence with capital “S” only, (e.g. “S. 35 of the Act provides…” ). This is incorrect style. You must write out the word section in full.
Multiple sections are noted as “ss.” followed by the sections numbers: E.g. ss. 25-31, or the word “sections 25-31” written out in full.
DO NOT write out the section numbers in words: e.g. section thirty-three. This is not correct legal style and just looks weird to a trained legal writer! Use s.33 or section 33 instead.

Research Required

You have to do some research in this assignment. Find out how the Competition Bureau functions, how the Competition Commissioner is appointed and under what authority s/he functions. What is price fixing? Look at some academic/legal references so you understand the nature of anti-competitive practices in the marketplace. Source them in your answer. Review the Competition Act, 1985, R.S.C. c. C-34. These are all required parts of the assignment.
NOTE: You MUST USE academic /legal reference(s) to understand the nature of anti-competitive behavior in the marketplace. That includes your text, at a minimum, and any other legal/ academic articles or texts.
Make sure to refer to the statute thoroughly in your paper as it provides the legal authority for the Competition Bureau and Commission to function, and defines and describes illegal anti-competitive activities and the penalties for those activities.
Please pay careful attention to which sections of the statute are relevant, how to cite and quote specific sections of the statute and how to properly cite the statute.
If you have used external research, please include a separate page for the Reference List after the answers to the questions, above. Make sure to format the Reference List sources properly, using APA.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Task:

In your role as a member of the staff working party(optus)( https://www.optus.com.au/)  on innovation in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) you have been asked to recommend some actions the organisation could take to address a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) goal 8  (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/economic-growth/). You must make your recommendations in the form of a business report in which you:

• identify and define a CSR issue that relates to the SDG you have chosen to target and your organization.
• explore the issue by sourcing and analysing relevant and reliable information (including data). (include graph)
• identify and evaluate potential solutions to the issue leading to clear recommendation(s).

 

Additional requirements

• incorporate evidence from at least six scholarly or other reliable sources.
• use appropriate business report structure, language and presentation (as covered in the unit materials).
• use double line spaced with 2.54 cm margins.

 

PLD #2 –Leader Behavior Analysis II (LBA II)

LBAII Self formPreview the document

LBAII Scoring formPreview the document

DIRECTIONS: Assume you the leader are involved in each of the twenty situations presented in LBA II (see link above for the “LBAII Self form”). READ each item carefully and THINK about what you would do in each circumstance. Then CIRCLE the letter of the alternative that you think would most closely describe your behavior in the situation presented. Circle only one choice. For each situation, interpret key concepts in terms of the environment or situation in which you most often think of yourself assuming a leadership role. Say, for example, an item mentions subordinates. If you think that you engage in leadership behavior most often as an organization manager, then think of your employees or staff as subordinates. If, however, you think of yourself as assuming a leadership role primarily as a parent, think of your children as your subordinates. As a teacher, think about your students as subordinates.

Note: For this course, MANA 4385 use the material in Chapter Three of the text, The Leadership Experience by Richard Daft, 7th Edition, pp69-72, to further assess the “follower readiness” of the subordinates that you considering (NOTE: LSI 3.2, “Are You Ready?” enhances our personal awareness in this area) DO NOT CHANGE your situational frame of reference from one of the twelve situation to the other. BE Consistent. Separate LBA II instruments may be used to examine your leadership behavior in a many different settings as think helpful

WA#2 – Written Assignment (3 to 4 pages Essay Form)

In a brief essay, summarize the results of your LBA II- Perception of Leadership Style.. Set the stage! Describe your leader role and context. Describe the organization. Describe your “followers” and their follower readiness. (What were your strengths? What were your weaknesses? Were you surprised by any of the results? In what areas do you need to develop and improve to accomplish your Leadership Development Objectives? [As detailed in WA1?]). What actions do you plan to take to increase your competencies in these areas? Over what time frame? Attach a copy of the LBA II Scoring-A ( pp 2-4) Pages to your

 

Reading Response: Columbus, “Letter of King Ferdinand of Spain”

 

1) Critical Reading

 

Answer the following questions in two to three sentences:

 

• The key question that the author addresses is …
  (Figure out the key question in the mind of the author when he or she wrote the text.)

 

• The most important information in the text is …
  (Figure out the facts, experiences, data the author is using to support his or her conclusions and DO NOT confuse them for the argument itself.)

 

• The main conclusions (implicit or explicit) in this article are …
  (Identify the key conclusions the author comes to and state whether you think he or she follows an effective line of reasoning to get there.)

 

• The main assumptions underlying the author’s thinking are …
  (Figure out what the author is taking for granted, something that might be questioned.)

 

• The main point of view presented in the text is…
  (How does the author see this issue, and does he or she show sensitivity to alternative points of view?)

 

 

2) Argument

 

Suppose I asked you to write an essay on this text. What would your argument be? Remember, a good thesis statement often includes a “therefore” or a “because.” For example: “The author fails to consider this and this and therefore understates this and this.” “The author overlooks this and this.” [2-3 sentences]

 

 

Purpose:

The purpose of this project is to learn leadership qualities of a leadership mentor and apply those qualities to leadership theory to determine leadership effectiveness. 

Skill Building:  

You are also completing this project to help you develop the skills of mentorship, interviewing, critical thinking, and writing a report.  Writing is critical because in business it is important to convey information clearly and concisely and to develop a personal brand.  Developing a personal brand is important because it is the ongoing process of establishing an image or impression in the minds of others especially those in positions above you.  Having a strong personal brand can lead to opportunities that include promotions. 

Skills:  Interviewing, Writing, Critical Thinking, Developing a Personal Brand, Self-Analysis, Writing a Report.  

Outcomes Met With This Project:

• use leadership theories, assessment tools, and an understanding of the role of ethics, values, and attitudes to evaluate and enhance personal leadership skills
• evaluate the culture and structure of an organization to recommend and implement improvements that support its vision, success, and sustainability
• assess the interactions between the external environment and the organization to foster responsible and effective leadership and organizational practices

Background:

You have spent the last seven weeks learning the highlights of current leadership theory. You should now have a sense of what good leadership looks like.  All of this knowledge is meaningless unless we are able to see it in action, recognize it, and model it.

You will interview a leader to determine the following:

• The Leader’s general view of leadership (leader’s role, leadership style, leadership theory, etc.).
• The Leader’s approach to strategic thinking.
• The Leader’s view of organizational culture.

Instructions:

Step 1:  Set up the Leadership Mentor Interview. 

You will identify and schedule the Interview date no later than the end of Week Four.  See the document Leadership Mentor Interview and Guidelines for guidance on how to identify a leader and to set up the interview.  You will post information about the Interview in week 4 learning activity. 

Step 2. Prepare for the Leadership Mentor Interview. 

The document, Leadership Mentor Interview and Guidelines outlines how to prep for the Interview and a list of Interview Questions.  You will choose a minimum of 20 questions under the following topics:

• Minimum of 5 questions about General Leadership adapted from the article:
  • 23 Extraordinary Questions to Ask a Mentor
• Minimum of 3 questions about Culture (taken from the Leadership Mentor Interview and Guidelines document)
• Minimum of 3 questions about Strategic Thinking (taken from the Leadership Mentor Interview and Guidelines document)

Note that some questions may not be applicable for your chosen Mentor.  As a result, you will want to choose “extra” questions from this list and have them handy in case you need them.  

Step 3. Attend the Leadership Mentor Interview. 

The Interview can occur any time prior to Week Seven.  It is recommended you complete this prior to Week 7, to allow you time in Week 7 to complete the report.  You will want to take lots of notes during your interview, or record it and take notes later.  You will be expected to demonstrate you asked the required number and type of questions by providing notes to the interview in the Appendix of this report.  

Step 4. Write the Report. 

Report Format:

Create a Word or Rich Text Format (RTF) report should be no more than five pages double-spaced.  Those five pages do not include a required Title Page, Reference Page and Appendix.  You will use the following format.

Executive Summary.

• Provide a brief summary of the Mentor you interviewed including: Name, Job Title, Organization, time with organization, and time in current role. You may also briefly describe other parts of the Mentor’s work and leadership history.

The Leader’s General View of Leadership.

In this section provide a description of the following, using both examples from the interview and course materials as support:

• The leader’s view of the role of a leader.
• The leader’s view about leading change.
• The leader’s view about the best way to lead.
• The leader’s view about cultivating other leadership talent.

If you feel you have enough information garnered from the interview, also determine:

• What you feel is this person’s predominant leadership style (provide evidence of why you made this determination. What you feel is this person’s prevalent leadership theory (provide evidence of why you made this determination).

The Leader’s View of Organizational Culture.

Use both examples from the interview and course materials as support.

The Leader’s Approach to Strategic Thinking.

Use both examples from the interview and course materials as support.

Conclusion

Provide a summary of your general leadership lessons that you learned from this mentor as a result of this interview.  Use course materials for support.

Reference Page

Provide references to match your in-text citations, written in APA format.

Appendix

Include your Interview Notes to demonstrate that your minimum 11 Interview questions were asked (i.e. 5 about general leadership, 3 about culture, and 3 about strategic thinking). There is no required format for this section.

Other Required Elements:

• Read the grading rubric for the project. Use the grading rubric while completing the project to ensure all requirements are met that will lead to the highest possible grade.
• Contractions are not used in business writing, so do not use them.
• Paraphrasing is allowed for providing examples from the Interview. Use direct quotation marks if you are providing a direct quote from the interviewee.  You do not need to cite or reference this leader for the purposes of this report.
• Direct quotes are NOT allowed if they are quotation from course materials. This means you do not use more than four consecutive words from a source document, but put a passage from a source document into your own words and attribute the passage to the source document, using in-text citations in APA format.
• In-text citations should be included in ALL SECTIONS of the report, and should demonstrate application of the course material.  Note that a reference within a reference list cannot exist without an associated in-text citation and vice versa.
• You may only use the course material from the classroom.  You may not use books or any resource from the Internet.
• Provide the page or paragraph number, where applicable.

 

 

Project 1 Individual Decision Assignment
Instructions
Project 1 (Weeks 3-6) Endangered Orangutans and the Palm Oil Industry Project Purpose In this project, you will evaluate the business decision the Tengku needs to make to keep his company a viable commercial opportunity The purpose of this assignment is to develop the critical thinking and decision making skills necessary to make a contemporary business decision. Along with critical thinking skills, you will develop research, communication and data evaluation skills.   Outcomes You Will Meet by Completing This Project: applies the basic steps of the MDQ model to make a sound business decision describes and explain the reasoning behind the application steps used and the ultimate decision demonstrate the use of collaboration to help determine the final decision analyze, evaluate and explain both the decision factors in making the decision as well as the stakeholders involved         Setting the Stage Palm oil is the most widely consumed vegetable oil on Earth. Referred to as the “Miracle Crop” (Wan, 2017) it can be found in seventy-one percent of most supermarket food products like pizza and doughnuts, 24 percent of cosmetic products like lipstick and makeup, and five percent for energy uses like heating fuel (Deutsch bank, 2015). Known as a super food, the demand for palm oil is already high, and it is expected to triple by 2050 (Deutsch Bank (db), 2015). Currently Malaysia, Indonesia and India produce 50 of the 56 million tons needed to meet international consumer demand. While the production of Palm Oil promotes economic development badly needed in these countries, it does not come without serious environmental and social consequences (Deutsch Bank(db), 2015). One prominent side effect of the deforestation caused by the rapid growth of palm oil production is the reduction of the Orangutan population. It is estimated that over fifty thousand Orangutans died because of palm oil production in the last 20 years. It is also estimated that 2,000- 3,000 die every year (Orangutan. n.d.). The guestimates by experts suggest that in the next 30-50 years those found in the wild will be extinct.  Environmentalists are attempting to stave off the extinction by creating refuges on nearby islands and transporting the remaining Orangutans from Borneo (where most Orangutans have traditionally lived) to the sanctuaries (Emont, 2017). Orangutan’s are not the only victims of the increased number of palm oil plantations, but humans also suffer from the side effects. A study estimated that 91,600 people in Indonesia, 6,500 in Malaysia and 2,200 in Singapore may have died prematurely because of exposure to fine particle pollution from burning forests (France-Presse, 2016). The large destruction of rain forests by plantation owners and its effect on global climate is also a serious problem brought about by palm oil production. Deforestation is a significant contributor to climate change; when the forests are lost, carbon is released into the atmosphere, causing the climate to heat up. Clearing the land to plant the new crop is often done by burning timber and undergrowth putting significant amounts of smoke into the air which releases carbon dioxide in large amounts. In Indonesia and Malaysia, much of the land is on tropical peat soil. The richness of the holds carbon. Clearing the land releases that carbon into the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming (Perils of Palm, 2018). In the last years environmentalists have actively attempted major campaigns to bring awareness of the problems related to palm oil production and have taken a variety of approaches. One approach is to demand companies stop using palm oil altogether. The Say No to Palm Oil group states “We think that consumers should focus on cutting down unnecessary consumption in general, thus removing some palm oil and other vegetable oils from their lifestyle.” (Fassler, 2016). Those opposed to this approach suggest that considering the number of products that contain palm oil ridding it from the ingredient list or reducing it will likely just switch the burden on to another oil crop whose side effects are worse. No other crop can yield even a third as much oil per acre and use less land. Pesticide use in palm oil production is also considerably less (Fassler, 2016). Another approach is to the problem is for user companies to buy only sustainable palm oil. NGO’s and corporations in Europe and America, two of the largest communities of palm oil consumers, have taken some steps to comply to this demand by creating the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. This organization has set out a certification process for palm oil production in compliance with a set of environmental and social criteria (Roundtable, 2018). However, organizations like Greenpeace (Moas, 2013) and the Rainforest Action Network (Tillack, 2013) complain that the organization’s standards are not strong enough and that even certified sustainable palm oil can contribute significantly to deforestation and its climate and health effects. A third approach has been for environmental activists to stage protests, boycotts and petition drives to make corporations and their consumers aware of the side-effects that are produced by palm oil. These activities have resulted in many companies like General Mills, Mondelez International and J.M. Smucker company to adapt policies on Palm Oil use in their products. However, as pointed out by the Conservation International group in their Consumer Guide the source to market problems make certification difficult “Complexity and fragmentation in the palm oil supply chain present challenges to consumer goods manufacturers and retailers seeking to implement sustainable sourcing commitments.” (Drummond, 2015 p.15) The rapid expansion of palm oil production in Southeast Asia endangers orangutans and humans, destroys virgin rain forests and contributes to climate change. It also is one of the most profitable products for the Southeast Asian and global economies.  As noted by Sustainability Policy Transparency Toolkit group, “Palm oil is one of the most profitable land uses in the tropics. For the main producing countries, palm oil can significantly contribute to national economies, driving rapid economic growth and contributing to the alleviation of rural poverty.” (SPOTT, 2016). The question then becomes; what role does the plantation owner play in the preservation of the company’s income while dealing with competing societal concerns? Business Background PPO is a small family owned business which began in 1998. Owned by Abdul Tengku, PPO has three Palm Oil Plantations in Borneo in the Kilimaten region. The first of PPO’s plantations planted in 1998 is 1500 hectares in size and yields 6.5 tons per hectare. The second plantation planted in 2006 is 2,000 acres and yields 7.25 tons per hectares. The newest plantation is only 6 years old and is the biggest at 3,500 hectares. The yield is only 3.5 tons per acre owning to the immaturity of the trees. Currently Tengku has all his production under contract for the next two years. PPO’s current revenue annually is $24,090,000 US Dollars. Down 9.2 percent from last year. Since Palm Oil is a commodity the prices can fluctuate from month. Contracts are paid based on the price noted on the market for the transaction date of sale Palm trees typically begin flowering and producing fruit after 3-4 years and yield well enough after 6-8 years for the owner to return a profit. Oil palm plantations generally remain profitable for 25 years, after which they need to be replanted.  Peak palm oil yields occur anywhere between 10 to 18 years of age, and gradually decline thereafter. As a plantation ages it also tends to experience declining tree populations because of pests and diseases. Newly established plantations might have 130-145 trees per hectare, whereas an old plantation might be reduced to approximately 100 trees per hectare. The huge start-up costs and long lead time between plantation establishment and profitability are huge impediments to independent small farmers in Indonesia. And that is precisely why the government has had to provide substantial long-term capital and subsidies to smallholders to ensure they can participate in the industry. IPOC,the government regulatory board, indicates that roughly 98 percent of all smallholder palm farmers have successfully paid off their loans in the past 10 years. This is in fact the case for PPO. So, PPO is now faced with the following financial situation: They have paid off their loans. They have the 1998 plantation coming to the end of its production numbers because of the age of the trees. The plantation will have to be replanted in five years. Leaving a 6 to 8-year gap where the plantation will not be productive and high costs for replanting will have to be absorbed. The second oldest plantation is beginning to reach the peak time for productivity but in 6 more years the trees will begin to reach full maturity and production will decline. The largest plantation is immature and will not bring in a strong yield for another 3 to 4 years. While prices are still strong the market is going down. PPO has not received its government certification as a sustainable producer because it is not yet able to pay the costs of needed changes for qualification (estimated at $1 million dollars) having just repaid its government loans. The loss of contracted customers would threaten his financial success. Dilemma: Consumers against Palm Oil (CAPO) has recently taken to targeting your business, Perfect Palm Oil (PPO).  It is the mission of the group to go to all Palm Oil Producers and publicly attack, using protests and picketing tools, what they do to bring attention to the plight of the orangutan’s natural habitat as well as the other harm done by the production process including human mortality. The group also encourages customers to reduce consumption of the product through boycotts of palm oil by pressuring the brands we buy to use only sustainable palm oil. Some of PPO’s big American customers have approached Tengku to find out what he intends to do about the problem and have hinted that they may have to seek out a sustainable palm oil producer if Tengku cannot provide some assurance that he is addressing the problem. Instructions:  You are Abdul Tengku’s plantation production manager. Tengku wants to turn over running the main business to you but he wants to see how you make a decision of this magnitude first.  You have been tasked by Tengku to decide what to do about the CAPO situation. When the protesting started several weeks ago you decided to investigate the CAPO’s philosophy and strategy in their attempt to bring down the Palm Oil Industry. The information you acquired is recounted accurately in the “Setting the Stage” area of this case study. That material including the reference list, will provide a good start to looking at the decision facing PPO. Below is some additional research that you have reviewed. More research may be needed later as you begin to apply the MDQ. Harvesting Palm Oil and Rain Forests Palm Oil and The Environment Malaysian Palm Oil Industry Blazes in Southeast Asia May Have Led to Deaths of Over 100,000, Study Says Indonesia’s Orangutans Suffer as Fires Rage and Businesses Grow” Southeast Asia, Choking on Haze, Struggles for a Solution” The Violent Costs of the Global Palm-Oil Boom Step One: Read the MDQ class material (found in the content and collaboration areas in weeks 3,4,5 and 6) and the case study taking careful notes. Focus on what PPO needs to do to stay in business and the goal set out by CARPO. There is a lot information so be sure to take detailed notes. Step Two: Read and take notes on the MDQ model. Be sure you understand what each step is trying to accomplish with respect to deciding. Step Three: Collaboration Exercises Begin Starting in week three, use the notes that you have collected and begin to apply the MDQ model to the decision process by creating a initial post for the collaboration discussion. After making your initial post, read the other students posts and discuss with them how best to apply the MDQ model step(s) and what results are most likely if done correctly. The goal of the discussions is to come to some consensus among the class as to what each step should contain in order for you to make the best decision. Read the instructions in the discussion/collaboration area and remember to participate in the discussion through out the week. The more that you are in the discussion with your classmates the better. Step Four: Repeat the collaboration process in weeks 4,5, and 6. Step Five: Individual Submission Using the information gathered in the collaboration process, the class material on the MDQ process, research and case study facts outline the process that you went through step by step to make the decision. This is an individual decision paper that will be submitted to the assignment folder when complete. Using the rubric as a guide to the discussion, clearly state the conclusions drawn and how they were arrived at by applying the MDQ. The pertinent steps to cover area: ·         Step 1, statement of the decision to be made- the decision statement is clearly stated and accurately reflects the decision that must be made. ·         Step 2, framing the decision by finding the objectives through analysis of scope, purpose, and perspective of the decision to be made. ·         Step 3, building the Decision by using objectives to collect information to create alternatives and to exam the potential consequences of each alternative if chosen. ·         Step 4A, create and apply a decision matrix to evaluate the alternatives. ·         Step 4B, evaluation discussion of alternatives relevant to the decision made (use of decision matrix results and prioritization of objectives). ·         Step 5, assess the effectiveness of the decision process by reviewing the decision made against the information collected and evaluated and answering the questions: Does the decision optimize the objectives and was is arrived at objectively as possible? ·         The paper should use the research found in the case study itself as well as any additional work to justify the reasoning behind the conclusions drawn. Additional Requirements and How to Prepare the Paper for Submission ·         Cover page is required. ·         Use bold headers for each of the MDQ model steps. (i.e. Defining the decision, framing the decision …) ·         Describe each of the MDQ model steps in detail.  Explain how conclusions were drawn.  Support and justify all statements using case study facts and research. ·         APA formatting with in-text citations and a reference list are required. ·         Read the grading rubric for the project to be sure all elements of the project have been covered. ·         Third person writing is required. Third person means that there are no words such as “I, me, my, we, or us” (first person writing), nor is there use of “you or your” (second person writing). If uncertain how to write in the third person, view this link: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person. ·         Contractions are not used in business writing, so the expectation is that students do not use contractions in assignments. ·         Paraphrase and do not use direct quotation marks. This means you do not use more than four consecutive words from a source document, put a passage from a source document into your own words and attribute the passage to the source document. Provide the page or paragraph number. Note that a reference within a reference list cannot exist without an associated in-text citation and vice versa. ·         Do not use books as source material. ·         Students are expected to use a variety as well as multiple course readings and research to support ideas, reasoning, and conclusions. ·         Submit the final project into the appropriate assignment submission folder.  Once submitted, the project is eligible for grading and students will not be permitted to make changes or make another submission. STEP 6: Submit the paper in the assignment folder not later than Sunday at 11:59 PM EST. Reference List Economic impacts. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.spott.org/palm-oil-resource-archive/impacts/economic/ Emont, J. (2017, April 25). A Refuge for Orangutans, and a Quandary for Environmentalists. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/25/world/asia/indonesia-borneo-orangutans-palm-oil.html Drummond, B. (2015, May) Palm Oil Sourcing Guide. Retrieved from https://www.conservation.org/publications/Documents/CI_Palm-Oil-Sourcing-Guide.pdf Fassler, J. (2016, March 01). Giving Up Palm Oil Might Actually Be Bad for the Environment. Retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/giving-up-palm-oil-might-actually-be-bad-environment-180958092/ France-Presse, A. (2016, September 19). Haze from Indonesian fires may have killed more than 100,000 people – study. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/19/haze-indonesia-forest-fires-killed-100000-people-harvard-study Kruse, J. (2018). Estimating Demand for Agricultural Commodities to 2050. Retrieved from http://www.globalharvestinitiative.org/Documents/Kruse – Demand for Agricultural Commoditites.pdf Moas, A. (2013, July 03). Sustainable Palm Oil? No, not really! Retrieved from https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/sustainable-palm-oil-no-not-really/ Protection against risks to the environment and society (palm oil). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.db.com/cr/en/datacenter/infographic-palmoil.htm Sustainable Palm Oil. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.rspo.org/about/sustainable-palm-oil The Perils of Palm Oil: How a Popular Product Leads to Deforestation. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.fix.com/blog/how-palm-oil-affects-the-environment/ Threats to Orangutans. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.orangutan.com/threats-to-orangutans Tillack, G. (2013, April 25). Why ‘Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)’ palm oil is neither responsible nor sustainable. – The Understory. Retrieved from https://www.ran.org/the-understory/why_rspo_sustainable_palm_oil_is_not_responsible/ Wan, Y. (2017, March 15). A makeover for the world’s most hated crop. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/news/a-makeover-for-the-world-s-most-hated-crop-1.21634 This case study was adapted from the following source: Gonchar, M. (2017, November 09). Endangered Orangutans and the Palm Oil Industry: An Environmental Science Case Study. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/learning/lesson-plans/endangered-orangutans-and-the-palm-oil-industry-an-environmental-science-case-study.html

 

Case Assignment

In a 6- to 8-page paper, respond to the following:

1. Which of the four generic (Porter) strategies does Pepsico follow, and how do you know?
2. Integrate the strategy you have identified above with the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats you identified in Module 2 (this exercise should provide you with some specific actions the company should be taking relative to its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. These actions are referred to as “strategic choices”). Do Pepsico’s strategic choices align with the firm’s generic strategy? If not, what are the specific points of disconnect? Think critically about this step, as no company achieves perfect alignment of its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats with its chosen strategy. As the MBA, it is your job to uncover the discrepancies and problems.
3. How can Pepsico leverage its strengths and shore up its weaknesses by altering its strategic choices? How can the company take advantage of environmental opportunities and minimize environmental threats by altering its strategic choices? Be specific.
4. Complete the paper by commenting on how your view of Pepsico’s vision and mission has changed or has been reconfirmed by this process of strategic analysis. Would you make any suggestions to revise the company’s vision, mission, or values statements, or to any of its goals/objectives?

5. Consider the Case as a formal business report that you are developing for the Board of Directors and CEO as Pepsico’s consultant. This is a professional document. Follow the format below:

• Executive summary: This is a synopsis of the main points, conclusions, and recommendations made in the longer report. If you would like a refresher on writing an executive summary, check this website: http://www.csun.edu/~vcecn006/summary.html
• Introduction: State the main purpose of the paper (thesis statement), what you hope to accomplish, and how you will go about doing it.
• Main Body: The “meat” of the paper. Emphasize analysis, not just description. Delineate separate topics or sections with headings.
• Conclusion: Summarize your paper in light of your thesis statement.

 

The purpose of the Ethics Assignment is twofold: 1) to improve your ability to reason ethically; and 2) to improve your writing skills. The assignment asks you to read a course module and watch a video related to ethical reasoning. It then requires you to read two short ethical scenarios and to write a short paper in which you answer specific questions by applying relevant ethical concepts from your textbook and the course module to recommend a course of action. COURSE MODULE: Bassell, Myles and Fischer, Dov and Friedman, Hershey H., The Importance of Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility: A Course Module (August 17, 2015). Download from https://ssrn.com/abstract=2646295 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2646295 VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qN-9tfMoWI In responding to the scenarios below: • Include both the question and the answer in your writing • Use course concepts to inform your thinking • Make it clear when something is personal opinion • Provide answers for both scenarios • Provide 1000 words minimum (500 per scenario); there is no maximum • Use appropriate grammar, language, and organization The ethical content of your papers will be evaluated on how well you apply the concepts from the course to the specific situation at hand AND on how will you are able to articulate your thoughts through your writing. DO NOT waste words by rewriting the case; a simple sentence is adequate to provide context. Use your 1000 words to explain what you think and why you think it. Your writing should be both insightful and relevant.