BUSINESS ASSIGNMENT

Business Assignment

Business Assignment

Introduction

Most studies which investigate the relationship between critical thinking skills and instruction focus on how teaching strategies affect the development of critical thinking. In this paper we investigate how student characteristics affect their evaluation of teaching strategies, specifically critical thinking disposition, locus of control, gender, major and class rank. Using a sample of 66 undergraduates recruited from introductory political science classes at Truman State University, we found that, contrary to the literature, students who exhibited a disposition toward critical thinking rated lecture methods of instruction higher than students with a lesser disposition to think critically; further, political science majors rated lecture methods higher than non majors. However, locus of control, gender and year in school had no relationship with teaching strategy evaluation.

Discussion

Task 1

Business planning is not just an exercise in bureaucracy that generates paperwork; if it is done correctly, it can both optimize the success of worthy plans, as well as avoid potential disasters inherent in unworthy plans (White and Hamermesh 2001 213-223). It is critically important that the entire business plan is completed and approved before it is funded and executed, as its effectiveness is greatly reduced if done later.

Forecast

The forecast provides a measure for which success, or failure, can be measured. Without a definitive way to measure success, “success” can become very subjective or vague…which is exceedingly problematical on many fronts.

Risks

The risks inherent in the bailouts and interventions are many; perhaps the first that come to mind is the “hard-dollar” expense, which has an additive effect on the national deficit and debt (Abernathy and Wayne 2004 109-119). However, there are innumerable other risks that need to be analyzed and measured as well.

Timetable

Multiple issues with regard to time present themselves, including: As envisioned, how long will the stimulus and intervention efforts last? In what period will improvement be seen? Without a definitive timetable, the risk is that efforts have no “grounding” with regard to time, and they may drag on indefinitely, thus prolonging expense as well as risks.

Exit Strategy

What is the exit strategy if the stimulus measures and interventions aren't as successful as planned? This needs to be carefully formulated, as the amount of money currently approved, as well as envisioned for the future, is massive. If resources are continually allotted in the face of failure, this “sinkhole” could become exceedingly large, and in itself could become a crisis. What are the safeguards against this happening? If needed, who “pulls the plug,” and when/how is this done?

There are different approaches to planning, and not all require a panel of executives or meetings to initiate, develop, and implement. There are circumstances in which planning is spontaneous in response to current events, and there is planning that requires weeks, month, or in some cases years to develop and implement (Thune and House 2000 81-87). The development of any plan depends on one factor, the goal. Granted, some things just either happen or fall to fate, but in business that simply cannot be the ...