Evaluate Microsoft’s recent expansions into areas such as search engines and smartphones.

Case studies are an important learning strategy in business classes as they provide an opportunity for you to critically analyze events that have taken place in real-life businesses. This develops your critical thinking and research skills as you research the competition and industry in which your business resides with an end goal of formulating a recommendation for the challenges faced by the company.

Select one of the three case studies listed below, which can be found in your textbook. Evaluate the case of your choice, and respond to each of the questions below using both theory and practical managerial thinking as well as supporting research.

  1. Evaluate Microsoft’s product and marketing evolution over the years. What has the company done well, and where did it falter?
  2. Through the application of a political, economic, social, and technological (PEST) analysis, what are the current environmental factors impacting Microsoft?
  3. Who are the top three competitors of Microsoft, and what are their advantages/disadvantages with respect to satisfying the value proposition of their customers?
  4. Evaluate Microsoft’s recent expansions into areas such as search engines and smartphones. Do you think these are good areas of growth for Microsoft with a focus on customer value, satisfaction, and loyalty?

Determine one key element that would factor into your calculation of ROI, and identify the aspects of your hypothetical program that would make the element applicable and your calculation accurate.

  • Imagine it is your task to calculate ROI for a hypothetical training program. Determine one key element that would factor into your calculation of ROI, and identify the aspects of your hypothetical program that would make the element applicable and your calculation accurate.
  • Based on the scenario, analyze the ROI of the training that was implemented, using the cost analysis approach.

What resources have you found to date that help to explain some aspect of your research topic?

What resources have you found to date that help to explain some aspect of your research topic? Briefly summarize the key points from two-three of the resources you have found so far. How do these resources help you set up the foundation of what your research project will aim to do?

Construct a literature review using the resources you have found over the past few units (you may use the resources briefly discussed in your Introduction if you wish).

“(A literature review) usually has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis. A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information. It might give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations. Or it might trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates. And depending on the situation, the literature review may evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant.” (UNC at Chapel Hill Writing Center)

The literature review establishes the major themes within your field that your (hypothetical) research project grows from. Using the resources you’ve found so far, the literature review for your research paper takes the individual resources and, through synthesis, identifies for your reader the common themes that can be identified between those resources, allowing your reader to gain an understanding of the foundation from which your research project grows without having to be an expert in the subject themselves.

Construct a literature review using the resources you have found over the past few units. Use the discussion and samples to help guide the structure of your literature review. You should use a total of at least six scholarly, peer-reviewed resources in your literature review, synthesizing resources based on common themes.

Based on what you’ve read in the text about how business messages can use Social Media and electronic messages, consider what would be important when trying to reach Digital Natives?

Based on what you’ve read in the text about how business messages can use Social Media and electronic messages, consider what would be important when trying to reach Digital Natives? List the important elements that should be considered. If you wanted to use an electronic message that would appeal to both Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants, how do you compose a message that will reach both, and which medium or media would you use? What are other things you would need to consider?

Discuss in detail “suicide by cop” and how a negotiator may be able to spot indicators of such an individual.

Highlight the top 3 mistakes (i.e., in your view) a negotiator can make. Please include referenced real life examples/cases/incidents that highlight and or support your view

If a man finds out his spouse is cheating on him, and then becomes extremely violent and in turn takes her as a hostage, is this considered a hostage or a non-hostage situation?

Please explain why or why not.

2.Although the likelihood of occurrence is very low, describe in detail (in your own words) how the “Stockholm Syndrome” is best used to a negotiator’s advantage. As a negotiator, what can you do to help the syndrome develop? Discuss the behaviors a “survivor” and a “succumber” would employ in a hostage situation

3. Herk has been in and out of jail numerous times for offenses like “drunk and disorderly” and possession of narcotics. He blames his record on his childhood, when his father physically abused him. Several times in his life he has felt like he was finally getting things together, but his relationships never lasted (even though he was madly in love with several women) and he has found himself jobless and feeling worthless again. Finally holding down a job again, Herk falls in love with Mira, a lady who works as a waitress at a nearby restaurant he frequents. After dating for several weeks, Herk is certain Mira is cheating on him when he sees her talking to a table full of men while she is at work. Herk confronts her and the men, and one of the men stands up to Herk’s tirade. Herk grabs a steak knife and stabs him, apparently killing him instantly. Grabbing another knife, Herk grabs Mira and holds a knife to her throat screaming, “If I can’t have her, no one can!” The first police officers that respond to the scene have cleared everyone out of the restaurant but Herk, his hostage Mira, and the stabbed male, and seem to have Herk calmed down a little. You are a negotiator called to the scene. What personality type is Herk? Why would it be important to determine this and Herk’s background (given to you in this case) before beginning negotiations? What are some arguments against using personality types in negotiations? Discuss in detail, given Herk’s personality type, the best way to proceed with the negotiations.

4. According to your text, suicidal people have many things in common. Discuss in detail (in your own words) these commonalities and how a negotiator, dealing with a suicidal individual can identify the risk, estimate the suicide potential, and attempt to manage a suicidal individual. Discuss in detail “suicide by cop” and how a negotiator may be able to spot indicators of such an individual.

Virginia’s first female Muslim Senator, Democrat Ghazala Hashmi. Write about her, culture, religion, politics, career, family, ethics, beliefs, values, and some aspect of her religion that she has dropped including the Muslim way of dressing.

Virginia’s first female Muslim Senator, Democrat Ghazala Hashmi. Write about her, culture, religion, politics, career, family, ethics, beliefs, values, and some aspect of her religion that she has dropped including the Muslim way of dressing.