Case Analysis: Bank of America’s Acquisition of Merrill Lynch

Read the case, “Bank of America’s Acquisition of Merrill Lynch” on page 702-718. Use the case analysis format provided below to address to identify the problems and provide several suggested solutions that the Bank of America executive team can review for possible implementation.
 

Be sure to identify “identify 2 to 3 problems” and “develop 2 to 3 possible solutions to the problems identified”, and use this as the focus for making your case in the case format. Note: The case questions provided at the end of each case can be used as an insight to what the problems might be; so be sure to investigate the case carefully.

 *** Required reading attached (Bank of America’s Acquisition of Merrill Lynch) 

Case Format
 

I. Write the Executive Summary

· One to two paragraphs in length

· On cover page of the report

· Briefly identify the major problems facing the manager/key person

· Summarize the recommended plan of action and include a brief justification of the recommended plan

II. Statement of the Problem

· State the problems facing the manager/key person

· Identify and link the symptoms and root causes of the problems

· Differentiate short term from long term problems

· Conclude with the decision facing the manager/key person

III. Causes of the Problem 

· Provide a detailed analysis of the problems; identify in the Statement of the Problem

· In the analysis, apply theories and models from the text and/or readings

· Support conclusions and /or assumptions with specific references to the case and/or the readings

IV. Decision Criteria and Alternative Solutions

· Identify criteria against which you evaluate alternative solutions (i.e. time for implementation, tangible costs, acceptability to management)

· Include two or three possible alternative solutions

· Evaluate the pros and cons of each alternative against the criteria listed

· Suggest additional pros/cons if appropriate

V. Recommended Solution, Implementation and Justification

· Identify who, what, when, and how in your recommended plan of action

· Solution and implementation should address the problems and causes identified in the previous section

· The recommended plan should include a contingency plan(s) to back up the ‘ideal’ course of action

· Using models and theories, identify why you chose the recommended plan of action – why it’s the best and why it would work

VI. External Sourcing

· 2 to 3 external sources (in addition to your textbook) should be referenced to back up your recommendations or to identify issues.  This information would be ideally sourced in current journals, magazines and newspapers and should reflect current management thought or practice with respect to the issues Identify.

The requirements below must be met for your paper to be accepted and graded:

· Write between 750 – 1,250 words (approximately 3 – 5 pages) using Microsoft Word in APA style, see example below.

· Use font size 12 and 1” margins.

· Include cover page and reference page.

· At least 80% of your paper must be original content/writing.

· No more than 20% of your content/information may come from references.

· Use at least three references from outside the course material, one reference must be from EBSCOhost. Text book, lectures, and other materials in the course may be used, but are not counted toward the three reference requirement.

· Cite all reference material (data, dates, graphs, quotes, paraphrased words, values, etc.) in the paper and list on a reference page in APA style.

References must come from sources such as, scholarly journals found in EBSCOhost, CNN, online newspapers such as, The Wall Street Journal, government websites, etc. Sources such as, Wikis, Yahoo Answers, eHow, blogs, etc. are not acceptable for academic writing. 

Identify the type of source you read in addition to the scholarly peer viewed article etc

Database, Database Management System, and Business Applications 

1. Watch the following two videos from the lynda.com course Relational Database Fundamentals with Adam Wilbert. 

• “Database Management Systems (DBMS)?” (4 min 36 s)  
• “Relational Structures” (3 min 57 s)  

2.  Review Figure F2.1 Database, Database Management System, and Business  Applications on page 28 of the textbook. Based on the videos, and your  readings this week, please respond to the following questions: 

• Choose  a set of data from the database list (e.g., Performance data). Next,  select the appropriate application program that the data interfaces with  via the database management system (i.e. Performance program). Now,  explain how information from the application and system are displayed on  your computer screen as the user. Explain how you use the program and  what functions are available to you. What recommendations would you make  to improve the program’s functionality to make it easier for end users? 

NOTE: MORE THAN ONE ANSWER POSTED CHOOSE ANY

Briefing Memo

Various officials have a social media presence and appear on local radio or host a local podcast. For this assignment, you will prepare a briefing memo with talking points that are focused on a risk management or hazard mitigation message about your community. The audience you are preparing your briefing material for consists of elected officials who do not have subject matter expertise. 

Include the elements listed below in your briefing memo. 

• Include the risk or hazard to the community, and provide three bullets addressing the primary message that you want to share about the hazard or risk. 
• Provide a brief critique of the risk or hazard communication tools and existing strategies that are being used in your community. 
• Identify the action that the message receiver should take to reduce the risk. 
• Include two samples of what officials would say in a Twitter or social media post. 
• Provide two questions and answers. 
• Include contact information on how the receivers can gain more information or actively participate. 
• Provide notes on lessons learned or best practices. For instance, you might provide a warning about being truthful in front of the media, you might share an instance where being truthful in the media went wrong, or you might show the potential repercussions that being untruthful can have on the information system. 

APA format  is not required 

Discussion 1: Marketing Challenges

Access the ASG email simulation:

Discuss options with the marketing team (i.e., your classmates) to address the simulation email from the boss and the sales metrics she includes in the email. 

Cultural Awareness – Techniques and Interventions

Sue (2010) states, “Do not invalidate the experiential realities of diverse groups in our society. Be aware that privilege and power oftentimes make it difficult to see the perspectives of those who experience discrimination and prejudice in their day-to-day lives” (p. 60).

Consider Thomas and Schwarzbaum (2017) discussion of “Techniques and Interventions” and “Countertransference” in Chapters 13 and 16. Given Sue’s directive, what technique or intervention might you adopt in practice with a Muslim client or community and LBGT client or community? What countertransference issues may you confront in yourself?

You have been hired into the position of healthcare manager/leader within your organization. Recently, you have received reports that one of the employees has an unwillingness to work and complete her tasks. Violent verbal exchanges have occurred between the employee and her supervisor based on her underperformance in the unit and the organization as an entity. As you are investigating the issue, you find that one of the major issues involved in this situation involves the fact that the employee has not had proper training in the new electronic health records system that the organization has recently started using. As a result, she is not able to complete her work as quickly as her colleagues, which has caused a great deal of frustration on her part. In a paper consisting of at least two pages, answer the following questions: What are the risks involved in confronting the employee regarding her behavior? What methods can be used to correct the employee’s behavior? What risks might be involved when confronting the employee about her behavior? Why is it important to ensure that all employees have the opportunity to keep their job skills up to date? You should utilize at least two sources. Be sure that all outside sources used, including your textbook, are cited and referenced properly using APA formatting. 

Ledlow, G. R., & Stephens, J. H. (2018). Leadership for health professionals: Theory, skills, and applications (3rd ed.) 

IN 300 WORDS…….Research an organization that you feel may be in need of a restructure in their use of evaluations. Develop the steps you would take to look for problems preventing an organization from being successful. In addition, support how you might obtain and utilize feedback for future improvement. 

I must have original WORK with up to date REFERENCES and this assignment continue from assignment 1 that is attached.

Assignment 2: Employee Development and Performance 
Due Week 6 and worth 170 points 

Continuing from Assignment 1, you were selected as the new HR director for the retail company and now have been in the position for approximately 6 months. Your approach to strategy, planning, and selection have been quite successful thus far, and now it is time to address the organization’s expectation for performance and development of employees since these components of HR strategy are critical in achieving business outcomes and success. 

Write a five to six (5-6) page paper in which you: 

• Critically analyze and discuss any researched (web or textbook) training process model you may consider for use in developing employees (here’s an idea:https://educationaltechnology.net/the-addie-model-instructional-design/or exhibit 7-1, page 230 in the text book). Then, identify and discuss some possible challenges that might be faced in implementing a new training process in the company. 
• List and briefly discuss at least three (3) types or methods of training that can be used for employee training. Of the 3, which would you select to train the retail employees, and why? Be specific. 
• Differentiate the concept of performance management and performance appraisal with three (3) to four (4) key points. Then, make your case to leadership for or against using annual performance appraisals in the organization. Be specific with your perspective. 
• Use a minimum of 3 academic quality references at least 1 being the assigned course textbook (required).

Format your assignment according to these formatting requirements: 

1. Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. 
2. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length. 
3. Include a reference page. Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length. Use the Strayer University Library at https://research.strayer.edu to locate additional sources to support your work. 

·  Create an informative 12-minute video or audio news segment on a contemporary social issue.

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies:

·  Competency 1: Explain the nature of ethical issues. 

o  Explain the selected contemporary issue, with reference to practical instances.

·  Competency 3: Engage in ethical debate. 

o  Describe the relevant contributions to the issue from at least two different academic disciplines.

·  Competency 4: Develop a position on a contemporary ethical issue. 

o  Explain at least two distinct positions on the issue.

o  Defend one’s personal ethical position on the issue.

·  Competency 5: Communicate effectively in the context of personal and professional moral discourse. 

o  Create a video or audio presentation that reports on a contemporary social issue from multiple perspectives

·  Making responsible decisions about major public issues is more complex than a direct application of theory. One source of this complexity is the value of looking at the issue through a variety of disciplinary modes of inquiry:

·  Psychology and sociology inform our views of individual and collective behavior.

·  Mathematics and the sciences remind us that human life is part of a larger world.

·  Literature and mythology encourage us to remember the power of good and evil.

·  Medicine points out that what we do affects the health of our bodies.

·  Communication and information technology help us learn to talk to each other.

Once again, your instructor has selected a few big issues that need to be considered from more than one of these disciplinary lenses. Learning how to integrate knowledge from multiple fields is a vital transferable skill for practical life.

Another source of complexity in dealing with a major issue is that there are many alternative solutions to think about. Intellectual honesty demands that we think critically about all of them.

·  Be sure to describe and examine each alternative position fairly: 

o  Do not set up a simplistic version that will be easy to demolish rhetorically.

o  Taking each opponent’s view seriously clarifies our own convictions.

·  Apply critical thinking skills to the position you are defending, too: 

o  Think about what objections someone else might make to your view.

o  Try to show clearly and honestly why you take this position.

Think of your thought on this issue as a chance to practice your skills for engaging in productive moral discourse from multiple points of view.

You have seen how difficult it is to work through a complex public issue by integrating disciplinary insights, debating alternatives, and defending your own position. Now, what are you going to do about it? Perhaps, there is another grand issue about which you care deeply, and the skills you’ve practiced here will work well in dealing with the complexity of that issue as well. The question remains, what will you actually do?

Take a moment to reflect upon what you have learned here. What matters is not some set of facts you have memorized—you can always look up that stuff whenever you want. What does matter is what you can do—identify reliable sources, think critically about issues, engage in productive discourse, defend your positions well, and communicate effectively and creatively.

Like many of the elements of a liberal arts education, these skills are transferable to other aspects of personal, social, and professional life. Learning and growth don’t stop at the end of a course or the completion of a program: they become life-long habits for achievement and success.

·  Questions to Consider 

As you think about the theme “dealing with complexity,” consider addressing the following questions:

·  Which disciplinary lenses will you apply to your issue, and what resources have you found?

·  Which of the alternative positions do you find more compelling, and why?

·  What concrete actions will you now take to implement your own solution for the problem?

·  How has our work together in this course changed the way you deal with ethical issues every day?

·  Assessment Overview

As the producer and correspondent of a television or radio news magazine (like 60 Minutes, VICE News, or All Things Considered), you have been assigned to deliver an informative 12-minute segment on one of the contemporary issues being covered in this course. Corporate policy requires that you consider insights from two or more academic disciplines for example: nursing and social work, or philosophical ethics, psychology, and biology. (Note: These are only examples; you are free to choose your own disciplines!) It also requires that you interview credible representatives of at least two distinct positions on the issue. You need not remain neutral on the issue; in fact, you are expected to state and defend your own position with clear reasoning in your own words.

You will choose which of the complex social issues to present here. The intended audience for your segment is an intelligent but perhaps uninformed public, so this is your opportunity to engage them in an issue that matters to you.

Assessment Instructions

The final script for your production should, of course, include APA-style citations and references. 

You may submit the assessment itself in either of two formats:

1.  Option One: Produce the video segment. You should appear as the correspondent, but you may enlist family and friends to play other parts. You might even take on distinct roles yourself, in a video “selfie” where you consider the alternatives accurately. Kaltura is recommended, but you may use any device or software of your choice, so long as you are able to submit the work to your instructor for assessment.

2.  Option Two: Produce the audio segment as you would for broadcast as a radio program or as a podcast. Once again, you will be the correspondent, but you are welcome to invite others to participate or record yourself in different roles. As with the video option, you may record the audio in any way that suits you, making sure to submit the audio file or a link to it as the submission for assessment.

Include the following concepts in this assessment:

3.  Explain the selected issue you selected, with reference to practical instances.

4.  Describe relevant contributions to the issue from at least two different academic disciplines.

5.  Explain at least two distinct positions on the issue, considering each fairly.

6.  Defend your own position on the issue clearly.

Submit this assessment to your ePortfolio. 

Your instructor may provide video feedback on your work, as well as completing the official scoring guide for the assessment.

Assignment Requirements

·  Communication: Create a video or audio presentation that reports on a contemporary social issue from multiple perspectives.

·  Media presentation: Ensure your video or audio recording is a minimum of 12 minutes in length, with notes or a transcript to ensure accessibility to everyone. Upload the presentation.

·  Resources: Use your judgment to ensure your topic is thoroughly researched. There is no minimum number of resources required, however.

·  APA guidelines: Format resources and citations according to current APA style guidelines. When appropriate, use APA-formatted headings.

·  Font and font size: Use a font of appropriate size and weight for presentation, generally 24-28 points for headings and no smaller than 18 points for bullet-point text

Dealing With Complexity Scoring Guide

Dealing With Complexity Scoring Guide 

Criteria 

Non-performance

Basic 

Proficient 

Distinguished 

Explain the selected contemporary issue, with reference to practical instances.

Does not describe the selected contemporary issue, with reference to practical instances.

Describes the selected contemporary issue, with reference to practical instances.

Explains the selected contemporary issue, with reference to practical instances.

Analyzes the selected contemporary issue, with reference to practical instances. 

Describe the relevant contributions to the issue from at least two different academic disciplines.

Does not list the relevant contributions to the issue from at least two different academic disciplines.

Lists but does not describe the relevant contributions to the issue from at least two different academic disciplines.

Describes the relevant contributions to the issue from at least two different academic disciplines.

Explains the relevant contributions to the issue from at least two different academic disciplines. 

Explain at least two distinct positions on the issue.

Does not describe at least two distinct positions on the issue.

Describes at least two distinct positions on the issue.

Explains accurately at least two distinct positions on the issue.

Assesses accurately at least two distinct positions on the issue. 

Defend one’s personal ethical position on the issue.

Does not state one’s personal ethical position on the issue.

States but does not defend one’s personal ethical position.

Defends one’s personal ethical position.

Defends one’s personal ethical position with the support of research. 

Create a video or audio presentation that reports on a contemporary social issue from multiple perspectives.

Does not create a video or audio presentation that reports on a contemporary social issue from multiple perspectives.

Creates a video or audio presentation that reports on a contemporary social issue, but the presentation lacks detail or does not include multiple perspectives.

Creates a video or audio presentation that reports on a contemporary social issue from multiple perspectives.

Creates a video or audio presentation that reports on a contemporary social issue from multiple perspectives, and the presentation is engaging and detailed.