Monthly Archives: March 2023

Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read The Wall Street Journal article Samsung’s New Challenge: Rising Component Costs, and the Business Insider article Samsung Introduced 10 Times as Many Phones as Apple Last Year, but Its Mobile Division Made Half as Much Revenue (Links to an external site.).

In a three- to four-page paper (not including the title and reference pages) assess how Samsung’s technological smartphone innovation accounts for the company’s sales growth of mobile devices worldwide.

In your paper, determine whether Samsung could benefit by implementing a global product line-up strategy to pursue profitability. To make the determination go to Samsung’s.com official website and locate the “Investor Relations” link to retrieve Samsung’s financial statements. Utilize the SEC filings and annual reports to summarize Samsung’s principal goods and services, market share, geographic locations where it operates, and major competitors.

Samsung is a leading smartphone vendor worldwide. In 2017, Samsung’s market share of the global smartphone market was at around 21.6% with Apple as its closest competitor in the market. As the world’s biggest smartphone maker, Samsung tries to keep profits up in its mainstay mobile phone business, but the rising costs of the components that go into its devices proves to be a challenge.

In your paper,

• Assess whether Samsung could benefit by using Activity Based Costing (ABC). Your evaluation should include
  • factor(s) that influenced your decision,
  • the ramifications of implementing ABC in the Global smartphone market, and
  • how you would structure the distribution of costs using ABC for Samsung. 
• Assess whether Samsung could benefit by using a standard cost system. Your evaluation should include
  • the factor(s) that influenced your decision,
  • the ramifications of costs, quantity, and variances, and
  • the ramifications of using standard costs in the global smartphone market.
• Explain how Samsung could benefit by product pricing in terms of cost-plus concepts. This explanation should include
  • Samsung’s future plans, such as, expansion, consolidation, and downsizing, and
  • how costs concepts could be used in the decision making.

The Samsung’s New Challenge: Rising Component Costs Final Paper

• Must be three to five double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Style resource (Links to an external site.).
• Must include a separate title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, refer to APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.).
• Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance.
• Must include an Introduction and Conclusion paragraph. In the introduction paragraph indicate the purpose of your paper and provide an overview of the research design used. Introduce the various topics that will be addressed in the research paper. Identify the method(s) that will be used to collect the data for the topics and how that data will be evaluated.
  • For assistance on writing Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.) as well as Writing a Thesis Statement (Links to an external site.), refer to the Ashford Writing Center resources.
• Must add an APA heading (Level 1 or Level 2) for each one of the topics discussed in the research paper as shown:
  • Introduction (APA Level 1)
  • Samsung’s Principle Goods and Services (APA Level 1)
  • Global Market Share (APA Level 1)
  • Geographic Locations (APA Level 1)
  • Major Competitors (APA Level 1)
  • Activity Based Costing (ABC) (APA Level 1)
  • Production Costs of Cellphones (APA Level 2)
  • Samsung’s New Challenge: Cellphones Rising Component Costs (APA Level 2)
  • Standard Cost System (APA Level 1)
  • Cost-Plus Concepts (APA Level 1)
  • Samsung’s Future Plans (APA Level 1)

Use the following APA Style blog to read about the APA Five Levels of Headings (Links to an external site.)

• Must use at least five scholarly and/or credible articles from ProQuest Business, industry databases Nasdaq.com and EY.com, and comprehensive accounting databases FASB codification, AICPA, and SEC reference library sources in addition to the course text.
  • The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.
• Must document any information used from sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s Citing Within Your Paper guide. (Links to an external site.)

Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. See the Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.) resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.

Compensation: Direct and Indirect = Total Compensation (Research)

Per the textbook, compensation can come in the form of financial returns, tangible services, and benefits. The two types of compensation are direct and indirect. Direct consists of pay for work performed. Indirect consists of the perks and benefits associated with the position/employment.

Imagine that you are a human resources (HR) manager, and it is your responsibility to identify data to help strategize, benchmark, and develop proper pay compensation for all positions within the organization. There are tons of software, vendors, and/or other services available to help with developing the pay grades, levels, and/or categories. Some sites you may consider using include the www.bls.govwebsite, where you can search via the  Occupational Outlook Handbook and the  www.onetonline.gov website where you can select career choice, scroll down to Wages & Employment Trends, click Local Salary Info, then select  State.

For this assignment, you will create an eight- to ten-slide PowerPoint presentation. You will first choose a job title and a location to present the findings/results. Imagine that you are presenting to your company leaders, and ensure that you identify the following components:

• core compensation (direct compensation),
• benefits (indirect compensation), and
• benchmark benefits with the industry average.

As you create the content slides for your presentation, be sure to use the speaker notes function to explain the content in detail for each of the slides. 

Note: Keep the 6×6 PowerPoint rule in mind (i.e., slides should only include six to seven lines of content with no more than six to seven words per line). Any illustrations should relate to the content being discussed. Be creative! 

Include a title slide and a references slide in your presentation; however, please note that these slides do not count toward meeting the total slide count requirement.

 For this small group discussion, assume the role of an HR professional who has been assigned the task of improving the success rate of your organization’s expatriate program.

Using what you read on pp. 11–13 of “Keys to Expatriate Success: A Toolkit for Diversity Management,” create a data-gathering tool you would use to audit the organization’s current expatriate process. This data would be used to develop recommendations for change to improve the success of the process. 

For this Capstone assignment, you will identify 5 aspects that motivates employees to perform.  Then, you will evaluate how each management type impact employees’ motivation.  Finally, you will review and evaluate how rewards impact motivation.

Develop a well-written report that addresses the following:

• Explain how the 5 aspects you identify as employees’ motivators impact the performance in the organization.
• Describe how each management style impacts employees’ motivation depending on the industry or organization.
• Create a rewards plan that will help increase and maintain employees’ motivation.

Your paper should meet the following requirements:

• Be 5 pages in length
• Incorporate a table or figure that visualizes the strategies*********** INCLUDE A VISUAL ASPECT – CHART, GRAPH ETC.,
• Include at least two different scholarly sources not utilized previously*************
• Be formatted according to the CSU Global Writing Center

Assignment # 3 

· Overview

Your company has had embedded HR generalists in business units for the past several years. Over that time, it has become more costly and more difficult to maintain standards, and is a frustration for business units to have that budget “hit.” The leadership has decided to move to a more centralized model of delivering HR services and has asked you to evaluate that proposition and begin establishing a project team to initiate the needed changes. The project team is selected, and you must now provide general direction.

Instructions

Write a 5–6 page paper in which you:

1. Review and define the five steps of strategic      planning depicted in Exhibit 2-1 in the textbook on page 34. Based on the      information, provide a statement of overall importance of these steps to      your project team.
2. Develop a vision and mission statement for the project      team specific to the current project. Hint: It is highly recommended to      follow the guidance offered in the textbook about vision and mission      statements.
3. Explain to the project team what a project charter is      and why it is used. Then, review Exhibit 3.3 in the textbook and select      any three charter elements you feel are more important and explain why.
4. Provide a statement of emphasis to your project      team based on the information you provided in the previous      three sections above. The goal is to ensure your team understands the      importance of the information.
5. Go to the Strayer University Online Library to locate at least three quality academic      (peer-reviewed) resources for this assignment.

This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). For assistance and information, please refer to the Strayer Writing Standards link in the left-hand menu of your course.

The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is:

• Create an overview of project planning, a project      vision and mission statement, a project charter, and a statement of      emphasis.

· By submitting this paper, you agree: (1) that you are submitting your paper to be used and stored as part of the SafeAssign™ services in accordance with the Blackboard Privacy Policy; (2) that your institution may use your paper in accordance with your institution’s policies; and (3) that your use of SafeAssign will be without recourse against Blackboard Inc. and its affiliates. 

· Institution Release Statement  

Writing Assignments Strayer University uses several different types of writing assignments. The Strayer University Student Writing Standards are designed to allow flexibility in formatting your assignment and giving credit to your sources. This section covers specific areas to help you properly format and develop your assignments. Note: The specific format guidelines override guidelines in the General Standards section.

Paper and Essay Specific Format Guidelines

PowerPoint or Slideshow Specific Format Guidelines

 … Use double spacing throughout the body of your assignment.  … Use a consistent 12-point font throughout your assignment submission. (For acceptable fonts, see General Standards section.) … Use the point of view (first or third person) required by the assignment guidelines.  … Section headings can be used to divide different content areas. Align section headings (centered) on the page, be consistent, and include at least two section headings in the assignment. … Follow all other General Standards section guidelines.

 … Title slides should include the project name (title your work to capture attention if possible), a subtitle (if needed), the course title, and your name. … Use spacing that improves professional style (mixing single and double spacing as needed).  … Use a background color or image on slides. … Use Calibri, Lucida Console, Helvetica, Futura, Myriad Pro, or Gill Sans font styles. … Use 28-32 point font size for the body of your slides (based on your chosen font style). Avoid font sizes below 24-point. … Use 36-44 point font size for the titles of your slides (based on chosen font style). … Limit content per slide (no more than 7 lines on any slide and no more than 7 words per line). … Include slide numbers when your slide show has 3+ slides. You may place the numbers wherever you like (but be consistent). … Include appropriate images that connect directly to slide content or presentation content. … Follow additional guidelines from the PowerPoint or Slideshow Specific Format Guidelines section and assignment guidelines.

Strayer University Writing Standards 4

Giving Credit to Authors and Sources When quoting or paraphrasing another source, you need to give credit by using an in-text citation. An in-text citation includes the author’s last name and the number of the source from the Source List. A well-researched assignment has at least as many sources as pages (see Writing Assignments for the required number of sources). Find tips here.

Option #1: Paraphrasing Rewording Source Information in Your Own Words  · Rephrase the source information in your words.  Be sure not to repeat the same words of the author.  · Add a number to the end of your source (which will tie  to your Source List). · Remember, you cannot just replace words of the  original sentence.

 Examples ORIGINAL SOURCE “Writing at a college level requires informed research.” 

PARAPHRASING As Harvey wrote, when writing a paper for higher education, it is critical to research and cite sources (1).

When writing a paper for higher education, it is imperative to research and cite sources (Harvey, 1).

Option #2: Quoting Citing Another Person’s Work Word-For-Word · Place quotation marks at the beginning and the end of the quoted information. · Add a number to the end of your source (which will tie  to your Source List). · Do not quote more than one to two sentences (approximately 25 words) at a time.  · Do not start a sentence with a quotation. · Introduce and explain quotes within the context of  your paper.

 Examples ORIGINAL SOURCE “Writing at a college level requires informed research.” 

QUOTING Harvey wrote in his book, “Writing at a college level requires informed research” (1).

Many authors agree, “Writing at a college level requires informed research” (Harvey, 1).

Strayer University Writing Standards 5

Page Numbers  When referencing multiple pages in a text book or other large book, consider adding page numbers to help the reader understand where the information you referenced can be found. You can do this in three ways:  a. In the body of your paper; or  b. In the citation; or  c. By listing page numbers in the order they were   used in your paper on the Source List. Check with your instructor or the assignment guidelines to see if there is a preference based on your course.

 Example IN-TEXT CITATION (Harvey, 1, p. 16)

In the example, the author is Harvey, the source list number is 1, and the page number that this information can be found on is page 16.

Multiple Sources (Synthesizing) Synthesizing means using multiple sources in one sentence or paragraph (typically paraphrased) to make a strong point. This is normally done with more advanced writing, but could happen in any writing where you use more than one source. The key here is clarity. If you paraphrase multiple sources in the same sentence (of paragraph if the majority of the information contained in the paragraph is paraphrased), you should include each source in the citation. Separate sources using semi-colons (;) and create the citation in the normal style that you would for using only one source (Name, Source Number).

 Example SYNTHESIZED IN-TEXT CITATION (Harvey, 1; Buchanan, 2)

In the example, the authors Harvey and Buchanan were paraphrased to help the student make a strong point. Harvey is the first source on the source list, and Buchanan is the second source on the source list.

Traditional Sources

Strayer University Writing Standards 6

Discussion Posts When quoting or paraphrasing a source for discussion threads, include the source number in parenthesis after the body text where you quote or paraphrase. At the end of your post, type the word “Sources” and below that include a list of any sources that you cited. If you pulled information from more than one source, continue to number the additional sources in the order that they appear in your post. For more information on building a Source List Entry, see Source List section.

 Examples SAMPLE POST The work is the important part of any writing assignment. According to Smith, “writing things down is the biggest challenge” (1). This is significant because… The other side of this is also important. It is noted that “actually writing isn’t important as much as putting ideas somewhere useful” (2).

SOURCES 1. William Smith. 2018. The Way Things Are. http://www.samplesite.com/writing 2. Patricia Smith. 2018. The Way Things Really Are. http://www.betterthansample.com/tiger

A web source is any source accessed through an internet browser. Before using any source, first determine its credibility. Then decide if the source is appropriate and relevant for your project. Find tips here. Home Pages A home page is the main page that loads when you type a standard web address. For instance, if you type Google. com into the web browser, you will be taken to Google’s home page. If you do need to cite a home page, use the webpage’s title from the browser. This found by moving your mouse cursor over the webpage name at the top of the browser. When citing a homepage, it is likely because there is a news thread, image, or basic piece of information on a company that you wish to include in your assignment. Specific Web Pages If you are using any web page other than the home page, include the specific title of the page and the direct link (when possible) for that specific page in your Source List Entry. If your assignment used multiple pages from the same author/ source, create separate Source List Entries for each page when possible (if the title and/or web address is different). Web Sources

Strayer University Writing Standards 7

Effective Internet Links When sharing a link to an article with your instructor and classmates, start with a brief summary and why you chose to share it. Be sure to check the link you’re posting to be sure it will work for your classmates. They should be able to just click on the link and go directly to your shared site.

Share vs. URL Options Cutting and pasting the URL (web address) from your browser may not allow others to view your source. This makes it hard for people to engage with the content you used. To avoid this problem, look for a “share” option and choose that when possible so your classmates and professor get the full, direct link. Always test your link(s) before submitting to make sure they work. If you cannot properly share the link, include the article as an attachment. Interested classmates and your professor can reference the article shared as an attachment. Find tips here.

 Examples POOR EXAMPLE Hey check out this article: http://www. Jobs4You.FED/Jobs_u_can_get

BETTER EXAMPLE

After reading the textbook this week, I researched job sites. I found an article on how to find the best job site depending on the job you’re looking for. The author shared some interesting tools such as job sites that collect job postings from other sites and ranks them from newest to oldest, depending on category. Check out the article at this link: http://www.Jobs4You. FED/Jobs_u_can_get

Charts, images, and tables should be centered and followed by an in-text citation. Design your page and place a citation below the chart, image, or table. When referring to the chart, image, or table in the body of the assignment, use the citation. On your Source List, provide the following details of the visual: · Author’s name (if created by you, provide your name) · Date (if created by you, provide the year) · Type (Chart, Image, or Table) · How to find it (link or other information – See Source List section for additional details). Charts, Images, and Tables 

Strayer University Writing Standards 8

Source List The Source List (which includes the sources that you used in your assignment) is a new page you add at the end of your paper. The list has two purposes: it gives credit to the authors that you use and gives your readers enough information to find the source without your help. Build your Source List as you write. 

 · Type “Sources” at the top of a new page. · Include a numbered list of the sources you used in your paper (the numbers indicate the order in which you used them). 1. Use the number one (1) for the first source used in the paper, the number two (2) for the second source, and so on. 2. Use the same number for a source if you use it multiple times.

 · Ensure each source includes five parts: author or organization, publication date, title, page number (if needed), and how to find it. If you have trouble finding these details, then re-evaluate the credibility of your source. · Use the browser link for a public webpage. · Use a permalink for a webpage when possible. Find tips here. · Instruct your readers how to find all sources that do not have a browser link  or a permalink. · Separate each Source List Element with a period on your Source List.

AUTHOR PUBLICATION DATE TITLE PAGE NO. HOW TO FIND The person(s) who published the source. This can be a single person, a group of people, or an organization. If the source has no author, use “No author” where you would list the author. The date the source was published. If the source has no publication date, use “No date” where you would list the date. The title of the source. If the source has no title, use “No title” where you would list the title. The page number(s) used. If the source has no page numbers, omit this section from your Source List Entry. Instruct readers how to find all sources. Keep explanations simple and concise, but provide enough information so the source can be located. Note: It is your responsibility to make sure the source can be found.

 Examples Michael Harvey

In the case of multiple authors, only list the first.

2013

This is not the same as copyright date, which is denoted by ©

The Nuts & Bolts of College Writing

p. 1

Include p. and the page(s) used.

http://libdatab.strayer.edu/ login?url=http://search. ebscohost.com/login.aspx

Setting Up the  Source List Page

Creating a  Source List Entry

Source List Elements

Strayer University Writing Standards 9

  How It Will Look in Your Source List 1. Michael Harvey. 2013. The Nuts & Bolts of College Writing. p. 1. http://libdatab.strayer.edu/ login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx

  Sample Source List

1. Michael Harvey. 2013. The Nuts & Bolts of College Writing. p. 1. http://libdatab.strayer.edu/login?url=http://search. ebscohost.com/login.aspx 2. William R. Stanek. 2010. Storyboarding Techniques chapter in Effective Writing for Business, College and Life. http:// libdatab.strayer.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=359141&site=e ds-live&scope=site&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_23 3. Zyad Hicham. 2017. Vocabulary Growth in College-Level Students’ Narrative Writing. http://libdatab.strayer.edu/ login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsdoj&AN=edsdoj.9b7fad40e529462bafe3a936 aaf81420&site=eds-live&scope=site 4. Anya Kamenetz. July 10, 2015. The Writing Assignment That Changes Lives. https://www.npr.org/sections/ ed/2015/07/10/419202925/the-writing-assignment-that-changes-lives 5. Brad Thor. June 14, 2016. The Best Writing Advice I Ever Got. http://time.com/4363050/brad-thor-best-writing-advice/ 6. Karen Hertzberg. June 15, 2017. How to Improve Writing Skills in 15 Easy Steps. https://www.grammarly.com/blog/ how-to-improve-writing-skills/ 7. Roy Peter Clark. 2008. Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer. p.55-67. Book on Amazon.com. 8. C.M. Gill. 2014. The Psychology of Grading and Scoring chapter in Essential Writing Skills for College & Beyond. Textbook. 9. ABC Company’s Policy & Procedures Committee. No Date. Employee Dress and Attendance Policy. Policy in my office. 10. Henry M. Sayre. 2014. The Humanities: Culture, Continuity and Change, Vol. 1. This is the HUM111 textbook. 11. Savannah Student. 2018. Image. http://www.studentsite.com 12. Don Dollarsign. 2018. Chart. http://www.allaboutthemoney.com 13. Company Newsletter Name. 2018. Table. Company Newsletter Printed Copy (provided upon request).

Write a 4-page essay of content on Different techniques in professional development. Use APA style, references, quotes, and avoid plagiarism. Language in Spanish.

Select two change models in Chapter 2. Compare and contrast the models and, referencing this week’s lecture, discuss resistance, or how change could be embraced. Respond to two classmates’ posts.

The purpose of the HR current event exercise is to analyze the student’s articulation of key HR activities (CLOs/ULOs Unit 4). The project is due on Sunday of each of the following units: 3,4,5,6, and 7. The assignment is worth 20 points each week.

Directions

Each student develops a presentation (Power Point Presentation). The presentation will summarize the HR business case of a current event. The current event can be from the news, the employee’s organization, or other current event. The presentation must clearly articulate how the Human Resource Management functions represented in the source provides a link between the organization’s employee development and organizational outcomes. Source citing in APA format is required both in the body of the presentation as well as in the final presentation slide.

 Discuss the six-step process to develop and implement of a successful performance management system. single spaced  2-3 pages. See attached power point to get the 6 steps.

Read the scenario below. Then draft a 3–4 page business memorandum to Linda Hoff, Stanford’s CFO. In your memo, codify your findings and interpretations from the horizontal and vertical analyses and the level of alignment between the company’s fiscal management and its strategic direction. Include an Excel spreadsheet as an attachment to the memo. In this memo you will:

1. Review the year-over-year variances contained in the audited Stanford balance sheets and income statements, which are contained within the provided Week 5 Assignment Spreadsheet [XLSX] for fiscal years 2015 through 2018. You’ll be expected to pay particular attention to the negative variances (color coded in “red”) that you believe to be potentially the most impactful to Stanford.
2. Speculate as to the reasons for the negative variances.
3. Examine the common size balance sheets and income statements looking for abnormally low or high ratios based on what you know about the line item and what you observe in the data for the other fiscal years.
4. Look for patterns in the line items over time (2015 through 2018) and identify any unusual findings that may need to be examined further.
5. Make a judgement regarding the alignment of the organization’s fiscal management with its strategic direction of the firm. Fiscal management is based on your horizontal and vertical analyses. The strategic direction is based on the vision, mission, and strategic priorities of Stanford.

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize you with financial statements, the need to align the financials with the strategic direction of the firm, and the process of performing a horizontal and vertical analysis of a company’s balance sheets and income statements.

The Scenario

You’re a Healthcare Administration Fellow at the prestigious Stanford Healthcare. You have been rotating through the various departments over the past 9 months and now you have the honor of working under the mentorship of Linda Hoff, Chief Financial Officer.

Stanford Medicine includes Stanford Healthcare, Stanford Children’s Hospital, and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. This organization uses an integrated approach to strategic planning, which incorporates jointly agreed upon strategic priorities from its various entities. It also ensures a high degree of congruency in strategic focus by each entity. Before outlining the strategic priorities for Stanford Medicine, it is important to take note that a firm’s directional strategy is comprised on three separate yet interwoven components: vision, mission, and goals (or, in this case, priorities). Armed with this knowledge, you have taken the necessary step and located and familiarized yourself with the vision, mission, and priorities of Stanford Medicine. Below is what you found. When examining a company’s financials, it is prudent to keep the directional strategy of the company in mind. After all, in order to advance many strategic priorities, which include fulfilling the mission and positioning the organization to achieve it vision for the future, it will require proper management of the firm’s scarce resources. Failure to properly manage the financial performance of the organization can compromise the company’s ability to maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Our Vision

Precision Health: Predict. Prevent. Cure. Precisely.

We will heal humanity through science and compassion by leading the biomedical revolution in Precision Health.

Our Mission

Improving Human Health through Discovery and Care.

Through innovative discovery and the translation of new knowledge, Stanford Medicine improves human health locally and globally. We serve our community by providing outstanding and compassionate care. We inspire and prepare the future leaders of science and medicine.

Strategic Priorities

A collaborative endeavor involving the entire community, the Stanford Medicine Integrated Strategic Planning process yielded a framework that is human centered and discovery led, focused on three overarching priorities for our enterprise.

By enhancing our strengths and achieving our goals in these priority areas, we will amplify our preeminence and remain uniquely positioned to lead the biomedical revolution in Precision Health, ensuring our continued ability to guide health care through significant global changes.

Value Focused

• Provide a highly personalized patient experience.
• Ensure a seamless Stanford Medicine experience.

Digitally Driven

• Amplify the impact of Stanford innovation globally.
• Deliver human-centered, high-tech, high-touch care and revolutionize biomedical discovery.
• Lead in population health and data science.

Uniquely Stanford

• Accelerate discovery in and knowledge of human biology.
• Discovered here, used everywhere: advance fundamental human knowledge, translational medicine, and global health.
• Ensure preeminence across all of our mission areas.

Variance Analyses

Normally, managers are expected to examine positive and negative variances, and then speculate as to possible explanations for the observed variances. Following this initial assessment, managers would be expected to dig deeper into those variances of greatest concern to the organization in order to uncover the actual causes for the variances, and then implement necessary corrective actions. Digging into all variances would be costly and, quite frankly, a misuse of one’s time and energy. The CFO has asked you to conduct a variance analysis of the company’s consolidated balance sheets and income statements for fiscal years 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, which you began. You have determined the variances for each account (line item) captured in the financials. Now that this first step has been accomplished, the CFO would like for you to pay particular attention to the negative variances contained in the spreadsheet; and focus more specifically on those variances you believe to be potentially the most impactful to Stanford.

Once you’ve completed your variance analysis over time, which is referred to as a horizontal analysis, you are ready to create a common size balance sheet and income statement of each of the 4 fiscal years (2015 through 2018). You prepared the common sized financials, which are captured in your spreadsheet. Now, it is time to perform a vertical and horizontal analysis of these common size financials. The common size balance sheet allows you to see each asset relative to total assets, as well as each liability and net asset (in the case of non-profit organizations) relative to total liabilities and net assets. In a common size income statement, each line item is expressed as a percentage of total revenue or sales. Common sizing balance sheets and income statements allows firms to compare against one another even though they may be of different sizes. It also allows a firm to benchmark its financial performance against comparative groups. In this case, there isn’t any comparative data to benchmark against; however, you can examine the ratios in each fiscal year and look to see if anything looks abnormally low or high based on what you know about the line item and what you observe in the data for the other fiscal years (vertical analysis). You can also look for patterns in the line items over time (2015 through 2018) and point out any unusual findings that may need to be examined further (horizontal analysis). In finance, it isn’t uncommon for the organization to establish interim goals and targets for certain line items in the financials. The firm can compare its actual performance against the established goals and targets.

Financial Management and Strategic Direction

Once you’ve completed your horizontal and vertical analyses of the financial statements, you should be able to get a sense of how well management has managed the financial resources of the company in support of its strategic direction. In business, the strategic direction should be evident in its vision and mission statements and strategic priorities. The strategic priorities should help support the company’s mission, and the mission should help advance the firm’s vision for the future. Failure to effectively manage the company’s financial resources can seriously compromise the firm’s ability to fulfill its mission and subsequently the vision.

Business Memorandum to CFO

Using the analysis that you performed on Stanford Healthcare and trends that you identified, write a business memorandum to the CFO. In your memo, codify your findings and interpretations, and make a judgment regarding the alignment of the organization’s fiscal management with its strategic direction of the firm. Attach your analysis in an Excel spreadsheet as an attachment to the memo. Your analysis and trends identified should take into account any feedback that you received from your professor and/or peers.

Helpful hints: Negative variance is not always a bad thing. For example, you might see a slight increase in the operating costs; however, if you achieved a positive variance in the total operating revenue that outpaced the increase in operating costs, then that may be perceived as a positive outcome. Remember, you need to spend money to make money. We just want to make certain that operating costs/expenses don’t outpace the growth in operating revenues. Also keep in mind that some variances are useful in explaining other variances even if these variances are associated with different financial statements. For example, you may see an increase in operating costs, which is a negative variance, but an increase in current assets, which is a positive variance. Furthermore, you should look for patterns over time. This can reveal both positive and negative trends that may provide insight into the variances you discovered. For example, you may have noticed that a certain expense has continued growth over the past 3 years (negative variance); however, the rate of growth year-over-year has been declining. It could be that Stanford has implemented some cost cutting measures that are showing signs of working.

The specific learning outcome associated with this assignment is:

• Audit financial statements and expenditures for alignment with organizational strategic priorities.